Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-06-11
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FLOODS.
senator Burtoa Tells What Should be
Done to Help In Prevention.

things at their source. Regarding
the matter Of food prevention he said
to the REFLECTOR:
The recent foods should awaken
public thought to the necessity Of
providing, II possible, against such
terrible disasters in the future. We
can, perhaps, do nothing to either
increase or decrease the rainfall any
where; but we can do a great deal
towards the control Of the water after
It falls on the earth.
l see 1t Is estimated that Kansas
City and vicinity lost $50, 900, 600 BY
this flood, and that Topeka lost "a
100000 worth Of property. This,
perhaps, is exaggerated; but suppose
the aggregate loss from Brookville to
Kansas City was s25, 100000. Less
than that amount OF money would
construct intaking canals and recep'
tive reservoirs sufficient to have pre-
vented any destruction whatever by
this flood. l know this may seem
strong statement to those who have
looked over the wild waste OF waters
in many places covering that territory
but the statement is true and suscep-
tible Of mathematical verifcation.
We may not have another food like
this for great many years, but we
do have destructive floods every year.
All the way from the mouth OF the
Mississippi TO its head-waters' en-
bracing the great tributaries like the
Arkansas, Ohio, Missouri and Others
every year occur destructive floods
that could and should be prevented
with the plains country st
the foothills Of the mountains, and
extending throughout the entire arid
and semi-arid belt, the waters can be
for irrigation purposes,
and BY the time that their beneficial
use is thoroughly understood 1T will
be demonstrated that the waters that
can be impounded in the rain belt can
and will be used bene6cially for irri-
CATION, in addition to the prevention
of destructive floods.
In my opinion, possibly the great
est domestic question that will come
before congress for solution in the
next fifty years is the control and con.
servstion Of water for irrigation and
the prevention Of floods. In a small
way we have already begun this kind
Of legislation. We have passed an
irrigation bill that will give US tund
sufficient to make the experiments
along that line. Last winter the
senate passed a bill to appropriate
$40, 100000 for the purchase Of four
million acres Of land lying along the
apex and slopes Of the Appalachian
Range, located in the states OF Viz
ginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama and Tennes-
see, the purpose being to preserve the
forests as natures reservoir for the
storage Of water, and thus prevent
the destructive floods on the low lands
this range. The bill failed
in the house because 1t was not un-
derstood.
What l would like to see now Is,
that the press should take up this
question Of the conservation Of water
for irrigation and prevention Of floods
and draw public attention to 1t. We
are spending millions every year upon
levees in the lower Mississippi, when
in reality this money should be spent
higher up to prevent the food waters
irom going down there. II public
opiuion can be drawn to this subject,
IL will speedily cause the legislation
necessary to begin this great work.