The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-01
TACOMA SPORTING NOTES.
Lack OF Interest In Baseball Games
Athletic Club Leases GrOunda

Lack OF Interest In Baseball Cameo
Athletic Club Leases Grounds.
TACOMA. July 31.-[Special. ESpeer will
probably join the Montana league.
The Tacoma Athletic Club is preparing
for a crowd on the evening of August II,
when the Whalen-C Collins glove contest
comes off. 1t was the desire Of large
number of the members of the club that no
one but members be admitted to witness
the contest. Those out of town desiring
to attend will have to become non-resi-
dent members.
The offer of the Tacoma Land Company
of a five years lease of six acres of land
near the race track has been accepted by
the Athletic Club. The grounds will be
used for football, racing. cricket, baseball
and first-class one-mile-track will be pre-
pared. The committee having in charge the
fitting up Of the grounds are: p. v. Caesar,
II. +. Trewett, +. E. Caldwell and G. G..
Rowe. Harry Hurley and Charles King
are committee on grounds.
The lack of interest in the league base
ball games here is commented upon.
When the home club did not play good
ball it was said that was the reason for
people keeping away. There is no occasion
for such complaint at present. From the
present indications Tacoma will not have
league baseball team next year.
Floods and Their Causes.
Major j. W. Powell in North American Review.
1t is not necessary to control all the
rainfall of basin in order to control the
floods of its river. Again. the river will
normally take care of the greater part of
its discharge. The channel itself is ade-
quate to the task of carrying away the
water of any ordinary rain. Every de-
structive flood is caused by the compare
lively small excess of q storm which is of
unusual magnitude. Thus, while the
quantity of water which appears in any
great flood is vast, yet that which brings
destruction is only the excess over the
carrying capacity of the channel. The
destructive waters, therefore, are but a
very small percentage of the rainfall, and
but a small percentage of the river-fow
The quantities of water to be controlled
and the powers TO be mastered are so
nearly within the conditions where hui
man effort may be available that h ydraulic
engineers and biologists have again and
again considered this problem, not with
out hope of its solution. Let US see
what the problem is, how il varies
extent it is affected by the operations of
man. The rivers OF the earth may be di-
vided into two classes, namely, food
plain rivers and canyon rivers. In flood
plain rivers under conditions of great
precipitation the waters rise above the
channel banks 10 overflow the plain which
descends seward or towards the mouth
of the river. In canyon streams the
channels are cut so deep that the highest
flood never reaches the brink of the can
yon walls. There are many rivers which
are flood plain streams along part of their
courses and canyon streams along other
parts of their courses. In canyon chan
nels it is evident that human habitations
and property are safe when above the
flood line, and this food line is always
easily discernible. so that little excuse is
found for those who suffer from floods
under such conditions. But n great ma
jority of rivers are tiood-plain streams,
and here the conditions of safety are not
SO readily discovered. A great river ram
lies into small rivers and these ramify
into creeks, and the creeks into brooks.
Along the course of such tree of rivers
ali those parts which are not canyon
reaches have Hood piains-that is, COM
paratIvely level stretches, back from the
river, on either side TO the foot of the
hills