The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-24
MAY BUILD OTHERS
SENATE sUBCOMMITTEE ON COM
MERGE THINKS THE PRESENT
DAMS NEED REPAIRING
ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI.
THEN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ONE
Or TWO MORE MIGHT BE
MADE.
VIEW THE LEvEEs AND JETTIEs.
Senator's VIII Go Down the River,
as Well as Take IA Trip Up the
Missouri.
ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI
VIEW THE LEvEEs AND JETTIEs.

The senate subcommittee on COM
merce, represented by Senator Berry,
of Arkansas; Mcbride, Of Oregon; Gall
niger, of New Hampshire, and Nelson,
of Minnesota, returned yesterday from
their trip on the upper Mississippi. and
are stopping in Minneapolis, with the
exception of Senator Mcbride, who has
left for his home.
In company with Capt. Abbot, in
charge of the local United States en-
gineering department, they made a
careful inspection of the five reservoirs
on the upper Mississippi and its tribu-
taries, and secured much information
which will be embodied in a report to
the senate. The matter is a very i'm
portant one, as the government is de-
sirous of reducing the damage by the
floods of the big river to minimum,
and there is Willingness to eXpend
any reasonable amount Of money to
that end t" 7'f
Possibly Senator Gallinger expressed
the sentiments of the committee when
he said:
Il believe the upper waters reser-
voir system is a great help to naviga-
ton, but 1 do not think the reservoirs
already constructed in Minnesota
have had fair chance. Before build
ing any more 1 think they ought to be
repaired and Strengthened SO that they
can hold the maximum Of their capac-
ity We found the dam at Winnibi-
goshish in a very bad condition. We
were told that that reservoir had
never been used to the limit Of Its ca
pacity because the engineers were
afraid of the dam. Even in the floods
Of last spring the reservoir was not
permitted to fill. So 1 say that before
we build more reservoirs up here we
ought to get all the good we can out
of those we have Now as to the eff
fects of these reservoirs in mitigating
foods l am not inclined to give them
much credit. Certainly they did not
prevent the big flood you got last
spring 1t is argued that that was
because they were still frozen UP
when the water was pouring by here.
1 guess they were frozen at that time,
wouldn't have been as bad if they had
been open. On the contrary, it might
have been argued that if the ice had
broken up in the reservoirs as soon as
it did further down, the floods would
have been much worse.
I'VE listened to some testimony yes
terday bearing on the question of the
the rapid rise and fall Of the upper
Missouri The preponderance OF eV1-
dence was that as yet it has had no
effect at all. 1 think Minnesota is far
from having been denuded Of its for-
ests So far it Is chiefly pine that mas
been cut on the upper waters OF INC
Mississippi: the other timber has been
untouched. except as it has been de-
stroyed by fire. The undergrowth or
second growth which has replaced the
pine has been just as efficient In hold-
inc rain and snow as the old forest.
1--WE have not been ordered to make
any special report in regard to the I'M
provement of the river between st.
Paul and Minneapolis. Going further
down. we come to the question Oh
leyees. If we are to find no other way
to curb the great river, we must make
I'D our minds to an extensive system
of levees from New Orleans to Cairo.
do not think much of the proposed cut
off through Lakes Borne and Ponchar-
train, but at the same time we must
Investigate it. The trouble is that 1t
might be hard to keep open, or 1t might
divert the whole river and leave New
Orleans high and dry. 1 am also OF the
opinion that the Eads jetttes, at the
mouth, have not been so successful as
thew should be- do not know whether
congress is prepared to keep on build
ing ietties and chasing the Mississippi
sand bank out into the Gulf Of Mexico.
"As for the irrigation reservoirs on
the Missouri, L am opposed to them on
the ground of the great expense they
would entail"
The other members of the committee
expressed themselves as satisfied with
the condition of the dams, and 1t IS
probable that they will recommend the
construction of one or two more.
The committee will leave this week
on a trip down river on the govern
ment steamboat, the General Barnard,
going to Rock Island. They will then
cross to Sioux City and will make a
trip up the Missouri.