The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-16
IN FAST TIME.
Concluded from First Page.)


the report OF the subcommittee appointed
under the resolution Of March, 1897, TO IN
vestigate and report on the hoods IN the
Mississippi river and their causes ana pre-.
vention. The subcommittee consisting or
Senators Nelson, Elkns, Vest, McBrlde,
Gallinger, Berry and Caffery, has visited
many points on the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries, taking testimony at various points,
and altogether giving the subject very care
full attention me report was PrepbIein 3alu
of the subcommittee. The committee says
that the greatest and most destructive
floods have come from the ONO TiHer' 5 anu
utaries have also contributed to the Volume
of water which has so ffeG1SQtly N times INES
past submerged the bottom lands or the ads
The first important conclusion reached is
in regard to the cutting of timber at the
headwaters of the streams; On TINS Is poi li
dence or other data obtained by your COM
mittee, discloseS the fact that the destrucc
tion of timber at or near the he2dWaIefS Oh
these river systems tends to cause or pro
mote the floods referred to. Where tinper
is cut down for purposes other tran culllva-
ton, the underbruSh remains ana grows
more luxuriant than ever and Sucn unoer-
brush serves to retard rather than naste1
the movement of water on the Slopes 9.7 a f,.
purposes Of clearing and cultlvaton lne
ploWed area becomes an enlarged aosoIpSiniC
of surface moisture And II IS gell ne tio
accepted opinion that the destruction OF UNI H-
Der tends rather to diminish than increase
the rainfall :. ~
With reference to the five reservoirs IN the
headwaters of the Mississippi, the commit
fee saws: "They repress to some extent 1he
floods in the river bottoms above Lake re-
min and improve the navigation of the river
in low water down to that point, but nave
no material effect on the Hoods or Navigation
of the river below that point
The committee presents quite coLhpre-
hensiye historical sketch of leVeeS and jet
ties in the Mississippi. With reference 10
the leyees they say that the experience OF
1897 indicates that complete closure or an
fhe river basins will require from three 70
four feet higher levees in louisiana, ana
from four to six feet of the Yazoo leVees.
The report, as prepared by senator Nel-
SON was amended at the meeting To-Day
onIv i'm one or two particulars and these
tions One of these additions relates 10
reservoirs in ST. Francis basin, in when
the committee express the opinion that the
EXPENSE of constructing and maintaining
such a system would be enormous ana far
greater than the cost of leveeing the entire
river front of the basin, adding thar the
scheme is regarded by all engineers ana eX-
merits as irnpracticabe and Inadequate: 10
This thew add the general expression, IN
short the committee discover no adequate
relief from reservoirs The committee a1so
adopted an amendment at the instance OF
Senator Vest declaring in favor OF the I'M
Drovenent of the Missouri river, so as 70
afford every facility for Navigation IN the
belief that such Improvement VIII nave tne
effect of reducing railroad charges. AFTER
+ha Senate met Senator Nelson presented
tha renOrt TO the Senate