The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-12-21
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.

AxP LII Il1 ltOt 6lU L1f
Through the able efforts of Congress
man Hermann an appropriation of 700
was secured last spring to be expended
in improvements on the Willamette at
this place. Now that the money is at
hand, the question of its judicious expen
diture confronts us. According to Major
Post, it is the intention to extend the old
revetment This will afford no relief
Nothing less than solid wall of mason
ry will resist the currents awful force.
The old revetment-a structure built of
piles driven in the ground at intervals of
several feet, with sway brace on the
side and cap on top-was thought to be
just the thing. The engineers who had
the matter in charge were of the opinion
that this device would be of sufficient
strength to resist the current, and would
also catch and retain logs and other drift
coming down the river and finding lodg-
ment in the fields near by. Had the plan
proven success, the works would have
been strengthened each year by the col
1ected drift The scheme, however,
failed to accomplish it's purpose. One
hundred feet of pi1ing was washed out
the fret year. The balance is of no par
ticular benefit. Farms east of town have
been damaged to the extent Of many
thousands of dollars. Two channels
have been cut for distance of several
hundred feet. Each year these are en-
1arged and deepened. Another freshet
like that of last winter, and Corvallis
may be left on the banks of a stagnant
slough.
This is an actual, pressing and material
danger, and not mere fancied calamity.
We have 'seen 5000 wasted in construct
ing the old revetment. Now there is dan
ger that the SIS, 900, which Mr.. Hermann
worked 30 hard to secure last spring, will
meet with the same fate. We are all in
terested III having the money judiciously
spent. We understand that an extension
of the old works will result In no practi-
cal benefit. We have gazed on the seen ee
of devastation caused by this overflow
too often. There is no use Disgusting
the fact that an extension of the old
revetment will be shameful waste Of the
peoples money. The plan suggested by
the GAZETTE last spring is the only feas-
ible one. A wing-dan should be built
at the mouth of East river. This would
divert the bulk of the water from its
present course into the old channel. The
| bed of this waterway is only seven feet
above low water mark It's course is
practically straight. In the distance of
80 rods across the peninsula from the
lower end of Alexander island to where
the cutoff would empty into the main
river, the fall is ten feet. Once diverted
I into this channel, which would have
nearly one per cent fail, the current
! would soon cut the bed down to low
| water mark. It Is not to be supposed
that this project would keep the country
east of town from being overfowed.
This Is not the intention. The damage
from these annual freshets is not attri-
buted to the waters height, but to the
| force of the current. If the course OF
the current Is diverted, the high water is
relieved Of its damaging effects. If the
engineers will only recommend this plan
as the most practical one we may expect
some relief An estimate of the cost OF
completing this project should be made,
and if 5000 is insufficient for complet-
| ing the work an additional appropria-
| ton should be asked. Simply because
the present appropriation Is inadequate
to complete the project, is no reason why
the money should be squandered in at
tempting to reconstruct the old revet-
ment.