The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-14
TO CURB THE MIGHTY RIVER
Science Will Hereafter Take Hand in
Restricting the Father of Waters.
Engineers and Capitalists Organize the Mis-
siGsippi Improvement Association. Which
Proposes Some Radical Changes.

MEMPHIS. Tenn. May lS.-A new era in
the Improvement of the Mississippi river
has come In the birth to-day of the Missis-
sippi River Improvement Association. .
permanent organization. which is composed
Of the most prominent engineers and cap-
itaiists Of the Mississippi valley. and whose
object 1T is to coop crate with the national
Mississippi River Commission. and urge
upon Congress the necessity of carrying
out promptly the recommendations of that
scientific body. No longer 10 improvement
and perpetuation of this. great American
waterway to DO left to the work of local
agitation, or to the responsibility of
sectional demands. A great organization.
designed to include in its membership
every civil engineer and prominent capt.
talist of the hundreds of river towns In the
mighty Mississippi valley is TO proceed with
method in the greattask ahead; and no i'm
provement will be pressed before Congress
until 1t has run the gauntlet of scientific
examination and approval by this organ
iZatIon. Where once all was incongruity
and confusion. there will now be naught
but method. The greed of sectionalism.
the struggle for local Acknowledgement Will
be u thing OF the past, aud only those APP
preparations will be recommended which
are designed for the common weal-the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river and its
tributaries as one great majestic whole.
State lines are wiped out; st. Louis is TO be
no bigger than VIcksburg. New Orleans no
mightier than Davenport in the new order
of things; but all contemplated improve
ments are to be considered In the light of
their benefit to that permanent navigable
waterway which has so long been the
dream of civil engineers from the Delta to
ST. Paul. from Cairo TO Pittsburg and from
st. Louis to Bismarck.
Congressman John Tarsuey presided at
this meeting of amalgamated interests,
and the triumph of to-day is, perhaps. o
lifting elimination to the three-days' cele-
hration of that other triumph of engineer
ing skill which links in sisterly bonds the
great States of the southern Mississippi
valley and forever abapdoEs the ferry
boat as 8 commercial necessity to tho rail-
roads of Tennessee and Arkansas. 1t was
ii O'Clock when Chairman Tarency raped
the deep-water convention to order this
morning. and Immediately thereafter the
Hon. W. /. Halliday, of Cairo, chairman
OF the committee on resolutions. presented
a report. of which the following is part:
Whereas. The Mississippi river and its navi-
gable tributaries constitute the most valuable
natural highway for the commerce OF the coun-
State and Territory OF the Mississippi valley;
and
whereas. The permanent improvement of the
Mississippi river and its navigable tributaries
will insure stable and regular rates throughout
the year by competition with the trunk lines TO
the sea-bOard: therefore. he it
Resolved, That it Is the duty OF the United
States government 10 provide adequate and con-
tinuous appropriations for the Improvement
OF the Mississippi river and its tributaries SO as
to secure safe and free navigation or those riv-
ers.
Resolved, That we applaud the act OF both
houses OF Congress in encouraging the system or
continuous appropriations tor the improvement
OF the Mississippi river. and hope 1t Will be ex-
tended to the tributaries.
l~11 rl.ntx In hnv.n that Y0a-
ident Harrison. who, having been member OF
the Mississippi River Commission, knows the
wants of the people and the demands OF com
merce for the Improvement or the river, VIII AZ
fix his signature TO the most liberal bill pre-
sented to him for his approval.
After long debate the following amend
ment was adopted:
Resolved. That We petition the United States
government to provide adequate and continuous
appropriations Tor the Improvement of the Mis-
sssp river and its principal tributaries, so as to
secure safe and free navigation or these rivers
and deep-water navigation IN the Mississippi
river to the most efficient extent practicable.
The chair announced the following exec
utive committee to organize a permanent
Mississippi-river Improvement ASSOCIATION:
Judge L. J. Latham, chairman; w. L. Hal
kansas; D. A. Scott, of Mississippi: lack
Taylor. w. }. Crawford. Col. Robert Gates
aud Col. A. ID. Gwynne. of Tennessee. The
convention then adjourned sine die.
The Senate Increases Appropriations
WASHINGTON. May 1S.-As the result of
much preliminary work while the river
and harbor bill was pending in the House.
the Senate committee on commerce was
able to-day to report the bill back to the
Senate with all the amendments which il
regards as necessary. 1t has increased the
total OF the House bill by $751; 43 and
made decreases to the amount of SS5S. 900.
making the net increase 81. 123. 143 and the
total of the appropriation made by the bill
as reported to the Senate. S22.470.1lS. Per-
haps~ the most important changes made
were the EDITION of four contract sections
which will replace yearly Appropriations
made by the House. All of the appropria-
tiOns for harbOrs on the Mississippi river
are stricken ont. but the general appropri-
alton for the Improvement of the river was
in creased S!J0,000. There was general re-
duction of all appropriations In cases " here
contracts were authorized to be made for
the completion of the work.
Senator Frye chairman of the commit
tee, submitted I detailed report on the bill
showing the wisdom and necessity of ex-
penditures for river and harbor improve
ments. The report gives the number OF
vessels passing annually through the st.
Mary's Falls canal, whioh. il states. Is
greater than the plumber that pass through
the Suez canal. The total expenditures fol-
water improvements of the lakes has
amounted to about $40, 0O0. 900, OF one-fifth
OF the annual saving effected in transporta-
tioD. The report states that the improve.
ments of these waterways has decreased
freights on corn from 153 cents per bushcl
in 1859 TO l.9 cent per bushel in 1S90. The
report then speaks of the value of the Mis-.
sissippi river and its tributaries to conf
merce. The efforts of the government &c
improve dangerous and INSTRUCTED reaches
as we'll as tho achievements of Captain
Eads at the mouth. was spoken of In q