BADIN BULLETIN
VOL. II AUGUST, 1920 N
OF GENERAL INTEREST ^
Hydraulic Development at Badin
{Second Article in Historical Series)
In the Legislature of 1898, Mr. R. L.
Smith, representative from Stanly
County, endeavored to obtain support of
^hat body to secure funds to employ
engineers in order that plans might be
*^ade of the Yadkin Narrows, so that
either the State could induce capital to
develop, or develop it itself. The size
the undertaking was too great for
^hat time, and the plan fell through.
Not until 1908, ten years afterwards,
did this section of the river again re-
^6ive attention. This time it came from
George Whitney, a financier of Pitts
burgh, Pa. Mr. Hambley, of Salisbury,
interested Mr. Whitney in a prospect to
construct a dam at Whitney, about six
niiles up the river from the present de-
''^^lopment at the Narrows. The develop
ment at Whitney came to a timely end
^hen, in 1912, the Southern Aluminium
ompany purchased the rights of the
hitney Reduction Company, and after
^ few months’ work on the Whitney
P ans this new company abandoned the
Project, and started work at the Nar-
i'ows.
the outbreak of the European war,
^ork was stopped by the Southern
uminium Company, and little or noth-
done until November, 1915, the
month and year the property changed
ands and came into the possession of
® Tallassee Power Company.
Upon assuming control, the Tallassee
ower Company went at the work in
earnest. Many obstacles had to be
? ®^^ed away, including the work which
ad been started or completed by the
outhern Aluminium Company that
^ould not fit in with the plans devel
oped by Mr. James W. Rickey, Hydraulic
ngineer, and Mr. William Hoopes, of
T'h’ Company of America.
IS preparation period lasted from No
vember 15, 1915, until April 1, 1916;
onsequently, when one considers that
the Narrows dam and powerhouse were
completed within fifteen months of
actual working time, it is indeed an
achievement to be proud of.
The last closure was made in the dam,
which for thirty days held back all the
water of the Yadkin River, on June 27,
1917. For several days prior to June
27 the Yadkin had been at flood stage.
Everything on the job was being whipped
into shape to begin the storage of water
on the above date, and the order from
“headquarters” was to close on that day.
At this point, let us digress a little
from the boiled down statement of facts,
and publish some heretofore unheralded
incidents which furnished the only
means of eliciting so much as a smile
from our genial contractor, Mr. Scott,
and generally served to keep away the
blues, which were fast reaching the
indigo stage as a result of the realiza
tion that the day of judgment was fast
approaching when estimates, the engi
neer’s nemesis, would be struck in the
balance with actuals. As we rapidly
approached the tape, even friend Urqu-
{Continued on page 7)
Take Care of Your Families
Trees have been planted in front of
a great many houses in Badin, and in
another year should provide consider
able comfort for our people. To insure
the growth of the trees, it is necessary,
however, that they receive plenty of
water and proper care.
Each tree has, therefore, been named
after the occupant of the premises, and
is considered a member of same. Will
you then please give each of your trees
three buckets of water twice each week.
Then keep the weeds cut down so they
will not take moisture which should go
to the tree, and you will be astonished
how rapidly these members of your fam
ily will grow.
DO NOT WAIT! DO IT NOW!
The Man Who Planned the Nairows Dam
There are two processes in the crea
tion of any master work, whether it be
a painting, a drama of human life, a
great building, or a structure to harness
the waters of a mighty river. The first
is the mental operation or planning;
the second is the practical execution or
working out in material form the ideas
previously conceived in the mind and
specified on paper. The dam at the
Narrows certainly ranks among the few
foremost achievements of its kind in
our country. The man who planned the
great structure which now controls the
enormous resources of power latent in
the flow of the Yadkin River is Mr.
James W. Rickey, who occupies the posi
tion of Chief Hydraulic Engineer of the
Aluminum Company of America.
Mr. Rickey was born in Dayton, Ohio,
on November 10, 1871. He entered the
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy,
N. Y., in 1890, and was graduated in
1894. It is interesting to note that Mr.
E. S. Fickes and Mr. S. K. Colby were
members of the same class and of the
sanie society. Even at that early date,
by the unconscious process of associa
tion and coherence, the Aluminum family
was beginning to develop.
Now comes a part of the story which
should prove an inspiration to every
young man who at the beginning of his
career is compelled to face discouraging
conditions, and lose or win according to
the kind of fight he makes. James
Rickey finished his school training and
was ready to launch out upon his pro
fessional career. At that time the panic
of 1893-1894 was in full swing, and there
was absolutely nothing to do in the engi
neering line. The first job that the
ambitious and capable young engineer
could find was that of ushering in a
summer theater at fifty cents per night,
carfare included. Did he hesitate, or
turn this down? I should say not! That
was not the kind of stuff he was made
of. He stuck to his theater job, did his