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Show Power for Americas Progress ENERGY for Progress of America . . . ENERGY to protect America from any marauding aggressor. That is the story of the great Colorado Plateau, stretching from southern Wyoming through western Colorado, eastern Utah, northern Arizona and New Mexico. It is Energy for power-hungr- y America. iv, What is this energy? From what is it derived? It is atomic power derived from carnotite and uranium ores; uranin-tte- , ozocerite; it is the gilsonite, gypsum, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, elaterite all of which contribute in their own way to energy. R is the natural gas and the oil which flow from the earth. It is the coal buried in the great plateau district And it is water the harnessing of energy in great dams on major Streams and rivers. The amazing story of the Colorado Plateau is only beginning to unfold. There remains a vast treasure chest of raw materials and undeveloped natural resources waiting only for men with ambition, fortitude And vision to produce the magic key. Here in the great West lies opportunity, wealth, happiness for the individuals who conquer her vastness . . and power for America. The beginning of the rapid growth occurred when scientists called ... for uranium ores and the government rushed to encourage miners to dig the precious mineral out of the ground. Then uranium was needed in manufacturing the deadly atom bomb. Today uranium is needed in experiments using atoms for peaceful purposes, experiments which someday may lead the way to curing todays most deadly diseases in man. The great rush to the Colorado Plateau started when word spread that uranium had been found here In large quantities. It was like another gold boom, although more orderly and sanely directed. Some men became millionaires as a result of their operations, others were not so successful, but the fever held on and remains today just as strong as when the first great shout arose announcing the discovery of the magic ore. What have been the direct results of this sudden boom? What has happened to our towns and cities, our countryside and our once unexplored regions? In this, the Energy Edition, we have compiled information from every section of the great Colorado Plateau, stories relating what has happened in the few short years since the boom started, how the boom was guided; and outlining the potentialities of the greatest, most wonderful, richest . . . and, indeed, the most interesting section of the United States. Oil Shale Holds Riches Tn Ugh More Gas Than Hoped several of the hundreds of Potentially the Colorado Plais one of the richest natural gas fields In America today, with known fields from the great San Juan Basin in New Mexico through western Colorado, northeastern Arizona, eastern Utah, and clear Into Wyoming and Idaho. This great storehouse of natural Energy has just recently been realized as being of major Importance on the Colorado Plateau. Now, dozens of wells are being drilled or are in the planning stage by as many as a dozen different companies. Developers of power look to natural gas in this immediate district as being of tremendous importance in any future plans that may result from todays studies of the Plateau's notential. The reserves are almost limitless and now only ways of utilizing them fully are holding back complete and almost inaccessible ledges that form part of the high eanyon walls of the Colorado River and its tributaries as they Dow through the Colorado Plateau lies a source of Energy that li Just now coming Into full recognition for its true potential Oil shale. The government for the past several years has operated a pilot plant at Rifle, Colo., to remove oil from the shale in that district Several large private oil companies have indicated a willingness to establish similar plants on (he Plateau in order to exploit fhe known oil shale deposits, but many of them are not talking much about their plans for fear of arousing unexpected competition. But it is well known that at tome future date, should the oil shale land between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction, for Instance, be fully utilized to recover its Energy potential, the output would be sufficient to support a population of more than a million people. Oil shale has been described fes one of the easiest of the Plateaus many resources to develop fully, because of the systems of Cecovery developed at the government plant and because of the methods developed to bring the shale to the plant Now America awaits only for private industry Sr ' the government to decide whether private or public capital Will be used to bring oil shale to the forefront as one of the nations greatest resources of Energy. teau ... What is Energy? Story Told Here The editors got together recently and decided the biggest story of the century had not yet bees told that not enough about ENERGY bad appeared in the papers. So this special ENERGY it supplement is the answer. In you will find interesting and fact-sitems concerning development of uranium, water, coal, ail, natural gas, electricity and every other source of ENERGY we could remember as having contributed to the growth sl the great Colorado Plateau. Much work has gone into the preparation of the copy for this special ENERGY edition; facts have been checked and stories have been edited so that anyone not familiar with professional terminology will be able to read them without having S copy of Webster at hand. Every effort has been made to make this ENERGY edition a complete explanation of what is going a on the Colorado Plateau, told Is the way you like to read it. A vast supply of raw materials Is here on the Plateau. The surrounding markets are growing rapidly. Opportunity lies ahead tor ail of us. Let us use it wisely. al THIS IS A TYPICAL scene today on the Colorado Plateau, an area booming with the search for minerals. Drilling crews such as this constantly seek the elusive elements Which lie under the scenic topsoil of Americas vast energy storehouse. U-Po- wer Cooks Food, Defends m a g 1 e word Uranium, throughout the world today, has bloomed into the biggest Energy potential only since 1948, when the Atomic Energy Commission schedules. established Well known to the mining industry, but virtually unnoticed in previous years by the public, the fabulous metal is just now becoming a basis for development of our Energy potential to the point where it will run the ships, planes and trains, heat and light the homes of the world and provide the means for man to reach the stars. Uranium discovery and production throughout the world has barely scratched the surface of known deposits. True, fabulous amounts of ore are being taken out of the Colorado Plateau, as well as the Belgian Congo, Africa and Canada. But geological survey is daily tracing new veins of ore, hidden deep beneath the rugged surface of this area. Industrialists and mining experts are enthusiastic, as proven by the millions of dollars pouring Into exploration, production and research of the eleven basic uranium bearing ores. The public, too, is confident of the metals future in the Energy plan, since it has invested to the tune of over $66 million in uranium stocks. Today, tomorrow, and months ahead, uranium looms large in the Energy picture. With research laboratories, both government and private, delving daily Into the secrets of the atom, it can safely be predicted that the scientists will refine what are rather crude techniques to the point where Mr. and Mrs. Average Citizen will flick an atomic switch to handle most of their household chores daily from lighting the house to running the car. This, then, is uranium wonder metal of the present, and even more fabulous when projected into the future a future bountiful with Energy from the secrets of nature, unlocked by man. Black Gold Pours Water Great Out Great Riches Power Producer Untapped Coal Reserves are Vast Oil black liquid gold pouring from deposits far beneath the surface of the Colorado Plateau, has long been recognized as a basic source of Energy. But it is to the future the oil industry looks, a future that will see oil and uranium march hand in hand down the Energy path. To some oil men, it will not be surprising one day to pump the oil from far beneath the earth's surface by means of engines run by atomic energy, since they foresee the day when one element will not be able to operate without the other as a complement. In all four corners of the five-staColorado Plateau area, the future of oil will be determined by explorations now being undertaken. However, with the continued supply assured, oil will always loom large in the Energy On Plateau a ore-buyi- te picture. Water, pouring through the vast canons of the Colorado Plateau, plays a vital part in the Energy future of this area. Five mighty rivers, of which the mightiest is the Colorado, have swept gorges throughout area erosions the five-sta- te which, when controlled by manmade dams, will pour forth electrical Energy in millions of kilowatts. From these rivers will come the water to irrigate thousands of acres of now barren land, thereby providing more food for world consumption. It is to the rivers of the Plateau that man looks for a great Enpart of his Energy needs ergy not only to stoke his power stations, but to eventually 6toke his natural machine. Underlying almost the entire Colorado Plateau are billions of tons of coal which, in years past, ha' not been profitable to mine because of limited markets. But that may be changed within a few short years. Only a few months ago the Bureau of Mines completed a survey of the entire area for the purpose of determining once and for all the advisability of research into establishment f hydrogenous operations power production through use of coal and water. The government report was favorable toward such development, and now recommendations must be made to Congress if the to creplan is to materialize ate for the Plateau another great asset. ... Much of the gas is, of course, being sold to interstate pipeline companies for use in other areas. But there are those people who see the natural gas lying beneath the great Plateau as being used in the power stations that wilt tomorrow supply Energy to the thousands of industries that may someday be located at the source of their natural resources. What lies ahead for historians of some future date to write about the use of natural gas being supplied by wells on the Plateau can now be only . matter of guesswork. Present plans call for sale to intra- - and interstate pipelines and a small amount for local consumption, merely a sufficient amount to meet local needs. But who Is to say that eventually perhaps in the not too distant future the same gas that now pushes against the earths crust seeking to escape the great crevices where it now is entrapped, may be released to power the greatest Industrial plants America has ever known. Thanks! Photographs in the Energy Edition are supplied by the participating newspapers and Sy Perry Studios of Grand Junction. Others are from Chambers of Commerce in the many towns and cities on the Colorado Plateau, for which we express our sincere gratitude. Without the cooperation of the various Chambers of Commerce, the industrial and business leaders, the public officials and the men working in the fields, mines, drill rigs, industries, of the Colorado Plateau, this Energy Edition would not have been possible. With the help of all of these people, the Energy Edition is able to teU the people of America the story of the power reserves, com- merce, trades, that here await opportunity for people with vision, fortitude and determination to develop into America's bulwark of power. Photo of drill rig in second section, for Sprague - Henwood by Perry. |
