St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-26
THE MIssIsSIPPI FLOOD.

The overflow of the lower Mississippi
country is an appalling calamity, which
grows in force and horror with each sue
ceeding day. 1t lacks the dramatic feat
ure of the Johnstown flood, yet it prom
lSeS to be more destructive, so far as
property interests are concerned; and
there is possibility that the total loss
of life may be as great. 1t is not known,
and cannot be known until the flood
subsidies, how many lives have been
lost. Thousands of homes have been
ruined and as many plantations have
been destroyed, including great de-
struction of live stock. And the end
is not yet. Each day brings the news
fsome new break in the levee, and the
broad sweep Of the Father of Waters
over country that it has never hereto
fore devastated. The city of New
Orleans and other towns along
the great river are threatened with
destruction, SO theie is no telling what
day may bring forth. The population
are p0Werless and almost stupefied in
the face of the imminent danger which
threatens them. The general govern.
ment has been appealed to for aid, but
owing to lack Of appliances it seems
to be as powerless as the local authori-
ties. The most that can be done is to
provide steamboats, to go out on the
perilous task of hunting up the flood
victims, and to supply sustenance to
those who have been rendered homeless
and friendleSS by the overflow.
1t seems strange that in this age and
in this country. where science has made
such wonderful progress, some syS-
tenn has not been devised for the protec-
ton of the lower Mississippi country.
Immense sums Of money have been eX-
pended Oh the levees and in keeping the
yer channels cleared, and yet the sight
of destruction witnessed there to-day is
painful evidence OF how useless and
wasteful these appropriations have
been.
In view of this fact it is urgent that
congress Immediately take steps to pro-
vide better system Of waterway i'm
provements than is now in vogue.
What is needed first of all is an intelli-
gent board or commission of engineers
charged with the duty of studying water
improvements. and that the time and
skill of the commission be exclusively
devoted to this subject. The existing
system is worse than no system at all.
An engineer is detailed, and often at
random, and placed in charge of a
certain work. He may be ever so
capable an engineer, and yet he is so
hedged about with conditions and limi-
tations that he is scarcely more than an
automaton. Congress has made a
limited appropriation which he cannot
exceed, and yet he sees before him a
work that will probably require an ex-
peGditure of ten times the amount of
the appropriation. The most he can
perform is patchwork, lick and a
promise; and perhaps before he has
time to do that he is ordered away to
some other post, and new man put in
his place. In this way millions of dol
lars have been wasted in waterway i'm
pTOyementS, while the rivers and har-
bors are possibly in a worse fix than
they were before the government ex-
pended dollar On their Improvement.
Then, in the second place, the govern
ment should abandon its parSimonious
policy with regard to appropriations Of
this character. The government should
either abandon the policy of keeping up
our waterways altogether, or should
pursue a more liberal course. What
ever is done should be done thoroughly.
This patchwork system is criminal
folly, as is illustrated by the deyasta-
ton on the lower Mississippi to-day.
If oDe-half the money that has been
wasted on the leyees had been expended
properly there would be no danger of
food calamities,