Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-19
THE RESERVOIR SYSTEM.

Proposed by Charles Elicit. Jr.. Thirty
Years Ago--Recommended by Warren,
Farquahar. Allen and Other Government
Engineers---Msjo Aliens Final Report.
In conversation which followed the ad-
journment of the chamber of commerce, yes
terday, the following history of the reservoir
| system was brought out: In 1848, the
government employed Charles Elicit, Jr.,
one of the most eminent of American eDgi-
| neers of that day, TO take charge of river i'm
provements on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. After examinations for two and q
half years, he made report in which he
said that the only method by which destruct-
i've floods could be prevented on the Ohio
river and the lower Mississippi was to make
the two rivers flow equally during the year
| by system of reservoirs on the Ohio.
This report was made to Coils. Albert
and Long of the corps of engineers who,
not having investigated the subject, as Mr..
Elicit had, were inclined to disapprove of
Ellett's plan. In defense of it. therefore,
he extended his original report to an elabor-
ate argument and published it in Phila
delphia at his own cost. He also prepared
paper on the subject for the Smithsonian
Institute, in which he claimed not only that
the reservoir system was the correct one for
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, but also
| for every nayigable river in the western
world. This paper was printed in the second
volume of Smithsonian contributions to
knowledge. To this day Ellett's reports and
paper, on this subject, are among the most
elaborate brought out in America, on any
practical scientific matter.
Warren,i Farquahar, Fauntelroy, Wilson
| and other since eminent engineers, were then
just coming on to the stage of action. OF
these Gen. G. K. Warren was the first TO
study the reservoir system in this part of
the country. He came to st. Paul, in
charge ofaupper Mississippi improvements,
about 1867. In his first report he said the
only right method for improving navigation
of the upper Mississippi was by building
reservoirs, and he asked an appropriation
for making examinations as to the practica-
bility of applying the, reservoir system.
The appropriation was made, and under
Warren the sources of the river were sur
veyed, and it was shown that there is abun-
dant opportunity to regulate the flow Of
water by dams. Gen. Warren was
in charge here for four years
and made two or three reports. Col. Far
quahar succeeded him for three or four
years and continued the surveys, and both
Farquahar and Warren, in their progress re-
ports, invariably recommended the reservoir
system.
Three years ago Major Allen succeeded
| Col. Farquahar. He continued the examin-
alton of the reservoir question until last
January, and his final reports embody the
results of not only his examinations but also
of those made by Farquahar and Warren.
| They were submitted to the war department
and transmitted to Congress and are pub
| lished as executive document No 80, Forty
| sixth Congress- second session. In these re-
ports he gives the results of all the examina-
| tions of the past thirteen
years and says that at an expense of 81, $780,
| 1918 he can construct thirty-nine reser-
voirs, including seven on the Upper Missis-
| sippi, twelve on the st. Croix, fourteen on
| the Chippewa and six on the Wisconsin river,
which will hold in reserve $4,000, 900
cubic feet of water, with which he can in
crease the average low water flow of water at
st. Paul by 1900 cubic feet per minute. and
csn increase the volume of the Missis-
sissippi at the mouth of the Wisconsin from
| 1900 cubic feet per second for ninety days,
to $4,000 cubic feet per second. That is, he
would, from st. Paul down moro than double
the low water flow of the river.
''No other system of river improvement"
said one of the gentlemen who contributed
the statements above, twas ever yet proposed
by which the navigable stage of water in the
upper river may be equalized and mainta ined
through all the boating season. And no
other system would go so far towards pre-
venting disastrous floods on the lower river
as would this system of retaining flood water
| for filling the river channel in the low water
SEASON."