The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-30
WOULD BUILD
DRAINAGE CANAL
City Council VIII be Asked to
AppointGommittee
TO MAKE ESTIMATES
.0f Cost. of One Between the
Little and Big Arkansas Rivers
TO MAKE ESTIMATES

a movement is being started 10 build
food canal from a point on Little
River near the north city limits. TO the
Big Arkansas river. This canal Will not
be built to drain Little river. but only to
carry away the surplus water during the
times the river channel is fun and thus
prevent the flooding Of the north and
east part Of the city and also Riverside
park and do away with all danger Of q
food in the downtown district
Monday evening petition win be pre-
scented to the council asking that the
mayor appoint a committee of three or
FIVE, two OF these TO be competent civil
engineers ard the others business OF pro
fessional men. This committee wiz view
the ground and make preliminary sur
vey and estimate the cost OF such 4
canal TO the city
1t is planned TO build this canal from
a point between Seventeenth and Twenty
first street and southwest 10 the Big Ar
kansas river. 1t would be nearly mile
in length and possibly fifty feet wide,
and but six or eight feet deep.
1t Is not planned to drain Little river
by any means. and the canal would be
so constructed that none Of the normal
flow of water would go through it and
only the water that reaches almost the
top Of the bank would be given an outlet
10 the Big river That is the reason for
constructing the canal so shallow. When
there is an immense quantity of water
in the river a large amount would be
carried off by this canal and yet the river
would carry off a considerable quantity.
1t is thought that a canal Of this kind
would efectually prevent a repetition
of the food in the north and east parts Of
the city. OF course Chisholm Creek gets
on a tear once in awhile, but what has
done the most damage is the water from
the Little Arkansas running across the
country north of the packing houses and
Joining the water of Chisholm creek and
thus making a food in the east and south
parts of the city.
This canal would also carry off enough
water that the river would not overflow
along the park and do a great amount of
damage TO the grass and flowers in
Wichita's pleasure grounds.
Last week three inches or more of a
raise in the Little Arkansas river would
have sent the water over the leyee at
Pine street and the section Of the city
between Pine street and Douglas avenue
and west of Main street would have been
covered with water three or four feet
deep, and the damage this water would
have wrought cannot be estimated. The
construction of this canal in the north
part of the city would do away with any
such danger as this. as the canal would
carry off all the water above certain
level and unless an unprecedented rise
should come. the central part Of the city
should feel no alarm on account of the
high water.
Mr. George c. Dickson, a member OF
the park board, is backing the project.
as the recent flooding Of parts Of River
side park has made II necessary to stop
all of the contemplated improvements
this summer and give all Of the money
in the commissioners hands ard keen al
of the park attendants at work cleaning
up the park and repairing the damage
the water has done to the grass, shrubs
and flowers of the park