Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-16
House Committeeman on Rivers and Har-
bOrS Weary Of Big Muddy.
LITTLE MONEY FOR FURTHER WORK
Sufility of Engineering Efforts ia Re-
ported, with Plea for Altogether
Shutting on Efforts In
Tbis Direction.

Niueu 10 give II up as n Ddu lOUs TUT lOuT-
teen years the government has contributed
something like s7s5. 900 a year in carrying
out plans Of the War department. and the
net result has been so wholly unsatisfac-
tory that the rivers and harbors committee
has declared its unwillingness to recon-
mend continuance Of these large appropris-
lions.
The rivers and harbors appropriation bill
now pending in the house carries an ap-
4 preparation Of $50. 900 for snagging and
maintenance for the entire stretch of the
river from Stubs Ferry. Mont. TO St.
Louis. The report Of the committee pre-
sents some Interesting statistics and data
in support Of the commuters action In
abandoning efforts and appropriations for
the Big Muddy on a scale provided In
former years.
VainIy Seek 60 Restore FRAME.
when the Missouri river commission was
created in July. 1884. the government en-
gineers and the friends OF river improve
ment had plans which they bell wed would,
II carried out, result In restoring the wan
ing frame on the river. Two members Of
the commission, at s $500 a year each, were
selected from civil life and the other mem
Der Of the body chosen from the engineer
ing force of the War department. with the
first appropriation came the fight against
the treachery Of the river which has been,
since the days Of Lewis and Clark. marking
out Its own course through seven states,
changing Its channel In a night, wiping out
farms and boundary lines. destroying prop
erty on It's shores and menacing burdens
placed upon 1t by transportation companies.
The commission took charge OF the work
about the time the denuding OF the northern
fnMOofa an1 49,.
diminish the volume Of water In the river.
Destructiveness of "June Rise.v
There was at that time-and still is-the
June RISE" which frequently resulted in
a complete destruction of plans for curbing
the river, but for the most of the time
the river was apparently tractable, keep
ing within its banks and behaving with I'M
usual docility. 1t was the dream of the
engineers and the members Of the commits
sion to narrow the channel In places. and.
by the use OF riprapping and dykes. to con-
nne the river to a course that would, by
the very nature of things. provide an open
waterway capable Of accommodating river
craft OF the freight variety. When this was
done the wheat fields OF Montana and the
Dakotas. the farms Of Iowa. Nebraska, nIi-
nois ana Missouri, with the manufactures
$50 Nc"ho ahOub tuo way, could md an
output for their products to the seaboard.
crushing the railroad combine that was
taking the big end Of these products ia
transportation charges. The plan was very
pretty. Its failure has been dismal.
River beyond Mans Control.
Reports on nle in the War department
snow how futile the efforts OF the engineer
ing corps have been In the attempt to Sc
cure control OF the Missouri river. Records
show that in one place between Omaha and
sioux City tho force devoted its energies
aud q large amount OF money TO prevent
the river from cutting an entirely new
channel on the Iowa side. While the in
tent OF river Improvement has always been
that the government money shall not be
spent for bank protection, the commission
has always found a way to evade this, on
the theory that, the money is being used
10 direct the channel of the river instead
OF protecting the banks. This, OF course,
always for 1.-THE protection OF navigation"
At any rate the commission in charge of
the Missouri river decided to prevent the
river from getting away and cutting a new
channel down through Iowa. The boats and
crews In charge OF the commission were
hurried to the scene OF danger. Above the
danger point was a forest Of young willows.
This was attacked. moved down, tied into
bundles, weighted and dropped into the
river against the bank that was being
chiseled away. After many days the re-
suits OF the work began to be manifest.
Man gained appa t temporary control
over the element and the Iowa bank was
saved. The current moved swift and strong
along the riprapping. which was extended
for several miles.
Willow Banks zoe Promising.
The willow embankment withstood all eff
forts at river encroachment and the CON-
mission believed II had solved the problem.
II would take money, Of course, but the
plan was practically formed to riprap the
river with willows at all danger points and
thus eonhne Il 20 a channel that would meet
the demands OF navigation. when the dan
ger had passed the commission Withdrew
from the point and began its work At other
places on the river, serene in its confidence
that there would be no more trouble on the
Iowa side at that point. Several weeks
later astonishing news was brought to the
member OF the commission who lived at
Omaha. He was informed that one dark
night, when the crews OF the construction
boats were OF their guard. the river had
gotten IVA from them and was then hav-
ing fun, cutting a nice. deep channel down
through some tine farms in Nebraska and
threatening to come through cut-on lake
and land a portion OF the Omaha tOwnsite
over on the Iowa side. Investigation proved
that the report was correct IN every par
ticular and that the farmers over in Iowa
were already in the courts In litigation over
the rich lands that had been left nesting
up against the willow riprapping on which
the commission had spent many thousands.
Eforts were directed TO saving Omaha and
were successful. the smelter company IN
loading several thousand cars Of Stag and
rock into the river and again diverting the
channel to the Iowa side.
P~ersevere Against DiseOuraGements.
Experiences Of this kind were naturally
eiseOneerting, but the commission, with
patriotic fortitude. never wearied or grew
discouraged so long as the appropriations
were forthcoming with each session Of con
gresS. The river and harbors appropriation
bill was killed In the last congress and the
commission ceased work when the pay was
stopped. Since that time the river has
taken care OF itself. and the results have
not been any different from what they were
when thousands were being spent annually
to curb the troubled stream. There "A not
water enough in the stream now TO lend a
hope q future development Of navigation
Nrea-.afu - ~. ..-..N4s-. u - -,