The morning news., 1897-08-27
IS Rroughton Street, west.
FALLAcIous REASONING.
Some Observations ON the Majority
Report of the Grand Jury's Conn


mittCc.
Editor Morning News: OF the four rea-
sons given by the majority of the Harmon
special committee of the grand jury for
their advocacy of the drainage of Buck
halter watershed the first three are of
such a nature that any engineer versed in
hydraulics and familiar with the topo-
graphy of that section would hesitate to
lend his endorsement to the methods they
recommend. Indeed one does not need the
science of an engineer to detect their i'm
practicability if he knows that country
and has any practical knowledge or obser-
walton of drainage.
Reason one says: The official map shows
that by cutting ditch nine feet deep the
entire water from the Lamar swamp and
low-lands adjacent can be carried through
the proposed (Buckhalter) canal and have
a fail of one foot in every 5000 feet in
length"
TO arrive at this conclusion did the com
mittee have before them any plans show
ing the location of the proposed ditch on
the map and estimates giving It's dimen-
siOns, the amount of excavation, the We
locity of flow, quantity of discharge and
consequent area, it would drain? Were
these plans and estimates submitted TO
them by an engineer or did they make
calculations of dimensions, grades, veloc-
tiles and quantities, or did they simply
accept the assertion of some one that such
would be the case? Are they positive that
such a ditch will carry Through the pro-
posed (BuckhalteD canal the entire wa
ter from Lamar swamp and adjacent low
lands? Are they coguizant of the fact that
the grade of the existing canal in Lamar's
swamp near it's outlet Is lower than the
bottom of the dit m they recommend would
be at its lowest part within MusgroVe
watershed2 And further, that the exist
ing Lamar canal having three times the
fall (being one foot in each LOCO feet of
length), would with its tributary bitches.
continue to carry the far greater part of
the water despite any ditch that might
be dug Of the depth and grade and on the
line their report recommends? Were the
committee aware that the proposed
ditch would invade territory already
provided with a superior system of drain
age nearly completed, which has an ex-
celent fal (as said above, three times
that of the proposed ditch. and rapid dis
charge, and that il would destroy a part
of this completed superior system? Did
it occur to them in recommending it that
the amount of excavation necessary to
dig such a ditch as is propOsed-over ana
above the drainage work necessary for
Buckhalter-would be fully equal TO what
would be required to enlarge to the am
plest capacity to carry all the water that
would come into it from its watershed
the Springfield canal throughout it's
length above the Ogeechee canal to re-
wise and en.arge the Minis canal and com
plete the drainage within its watershed,
TO complete the drainage Of the Lamar
swamp territory and besides, to dig he
main canal Of Musgrove swamp of proper
dimensions up to the Ogeechee road be-
yond the three-mile stone ana It's tributary
canal through Telfair swamp for a mi e
of its length? All this could be done
even with less labor than would be requir-
ed to do the work they recommend.
This being the case, and the resultant
benefits being so many times greater,
would il not be wiser wisdom TO ex-
pend this labor In the Musgrove water
shed, as suggested above especially as
this work will have to be done some
time). rather than on the ditch recon-
mended by the majority report Of the
committee?
Enlarging Springfield canal and in
creasing its capacity of discharge is the
only effective method to relieve the basin
OF Musgrove above the Backwater dam
az Laurel Grove cemetery Raising the
hight of the dam will not drain the basin
any more than will the very expensive
and impracucable method recommended
by reasons one and two in the majority
report Of the special committee.
Reason three relative 10 the 5ackWater
from tides. Will, likewise. be obviated by
enarging Springfield canal and increasing
its discharging capacity. The majority
report Is somewhat mixed" on "the
tides Of the savannah river" but as the
Lesson on Tides" IN Wednesday, Morn
ing News explains the matter, q Is uu-
necessary TO lengthen this article to dis
cuss 1t. II. a. Blandford.