Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-17
la,lcaster Fntellige1rer.
SATURDAY EVENING. FEB. II. 1888
Flood and Forest.

Flood and Forest.
The great flood in the Ohio is attrib
uted by respectable authorities to the
of the Alleghenies of their
timber. The New York World, which
claims to be something of scientific
organ and to see little farther into
such milestone questions as this, strong
ly proclaims that if we had kept the
wood we would not have the water
and it cites General McC)ellan's opinion
to this effect to sustain its own. 1t may
all be so, but we are not disposed to take
it for granted, or without something like
evidence to prove it. We have had great
floods before, and on the present occasion
the Ohio only exceeds by few inches its
greatest previous effort. In 1882, We
believe it was, this great river rose to a
height of over sixty five feet. That was
fifty years ago, and at that time the un
disturbed forest covered our mountains
The Ohio flood has manifestly been oc-
casioned by the fact that more water
came into it and its tributaries than had
ever before come in the same time, con-
sequently the snow had melted quicker
or the rain had fallen faster than ever
before for these were the sources of the
rivers supply. The absence of trees
may have made the snow melt far more
quickly, but did it cause the rain to des.
cend more rapidly? Heretofore scientists
have been assuring us that trees created
rain and we protest that if they desire us
to swallow this, they must not also ask
us to believe that extreme rain falls are
caused by the absence of trees. Possibly
they may be able to explain these appar
emily contradictory assertions, but they
manifestly need explanation. There has
been loud demand for many a yea1
past from people who claim to know a
great deal, and who manifest it by cry.
ing Don't" to everything that ordina
ry people incline to do, for legislation
that will forbid the destruction of Oul
forests, upon the claims that with the
trees gone, the rains will fall and the
earth become a desert. Their theory
was plausible. The trees attracted the
m DISTURB and broke the clouds and caus
ed them to burst. We have accepted
that theory, and stood up for the trees
But we cannot stand up for the tree:
through thick and thin-becauSe the,
are at once rain-producing and rain pre-
xyonfinn vVo hax 10 calf roc,,an
ard though we do not pride ourselves OF
knowing things that no fellow can fine
out, we prefer in our ignorance to taxi
a steadfast position somewhere, and no
be seen on both sides of the same ques
tion one time, or at times close together
We decline to call for trees when floods
come, as sovereign specific for floods
and to call for trees in time of drought
as remedy likewise for that afillction
We propose to defend the trees, becaus
they are beautiful and good an,
make the land fair to look upon
and they are the work of nature
If the floods come, let them, for that. too
is natures work and so let the drougll
come which nature sends. And if W,
would he safe and happy, let us put on
possessions up out of the floods reach
and let us store up the abundant rain
when we have them against time of scar
city. Let us use our intelligence and Ou
energy as we should, and we will be Saf
against the rainy and the rainless time
The unfortunate people who have suffer
ed from the Ohio'5 raging waters hav
not manifested a great deal of intelli
gence in sitting down to live in hol
that the waters had filled and would fi
again. We have great deal of sympa
thy for them, but great deal O. contempt
too. Indeed, no one who has ever bee
70 Cincinnati can have come away witt
high idea of the good sense of its pee
pie. No human being with average con
ceptiOns of happiness would think O
living on such horrid, dirty mud bank
drinking the black water of the filth,
river, melting in the summer heat
drowning in the winter rains, and beiny
uncomfortable all the year round. 1t
people would be wise if they woul
abandon to the river the ground it ha
claimed, and move their town up on tn
adjacent magnificent bluffs.