The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-12-16
UVVU uuX0AN
Senate Committee on Commerce
Adopts Recommendations OF
subcommittee
Which Has Been Investigating
the Floods on the Lower
Mississippi.
Subcommittee Finds That Good
Strong Levees Are About the
Only Protection.
Could Be Constructed at an Ex-
pense Of Eighteen to Twenty
Millions.

WASHINGTON. Dec. l6.-The senate
committee on agreed to
the report of the subcommittee APP
pointed under the resolution of March ,.
1897. to investigate and report upon the
floods in the Mississippi river and their
causes and prevention. The subcom-
mittee consisting of Senators Nelson.
Elkins. Vest. Mcbride. Gallinger. Berry
and Gallery. have visited many points
OF the Mississippi and its tributaries.
taking testimony at various points and
altogether give the subject a very care
full attention. The report was prepared
and submitted by Senator Nelson as
chairman of the subcommittee.
The committe says that the greatest
and most destructive floods have come
from the Ohio rivers and Were due to
excessive rains. but other tributaries
have also contributed TO the volume of
water. which has SO frequently in
times past submerged the bottom lands
Of the Lower Mississippi.
The first important conclusion reached
is in regard to the cutting Of timber at
the headwaters of the streams. On this
point the commute says:
One Theory Not Sustained.
"Nothing in the evidence or other
data obtained by your committee dis
closes the fact that the destruction Of
timber at or neal the h~eadwaters of this
river system tends to cause or promote
the floods referred to. Where timber is
cut down for purposes other than cult
walton, the underbrush remains and
grows more luxurlant than ever. and
such underbrush serves to retard rather
than hasten the movement of water on
slopes and hillsides. And where timber
is cut down for purposes of clearing and
cultivation, the plowed area becomes
an enlarged absorber Of surface moist
ure. And it is a generally accepted
opinion that the destruction Of timber
tends rather to diminish than to increase
the rainfall"
With reference to the FIVE reservoirs
in the headwaters of the Mississippi, the
committee say:
They repress, to some extent the
floods in the river bottoms above Lake
Pepin, and improve the navigation of
the river in low water down to that
point, but have no material effect upon
the floods or navigation of the river be-
low that point"
The committee sees no practical pre-
vention in reservoirs in other places.
Levees the Only Thing.
The committee present quite a COM
prehensive historical sketch Of levees
and ~jetties in the Mississippi.
With reference to the ~levees, they say
that experience Of 1897 indicates that a
complete enclosure Of all the river ba-
sins will require from three to four feet
higher levees in Louisiana and from
four to five feet Of the Yazoo levees.
The committee conclude that no sub
stantial relief from the floods can be OBJ
tanned by means Of outlets, hence the
further conclusion that only through
properly constructed levees can tn
proper relief be secured. The commit
tee furnishes IN estimate of the cost of
completing the levee system from the
head of St. Francis basin to the head of
the passes, putting the figure at from
$18,00O,O 600 to go, QUO, 900 and the time
necessary at from four to FIVE years.
The opinion is expressed that with this
expenditures levees sufficiently high
aud strong to afford complete protection
cnuld be a&.---.