Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-17
Congress Strongly Urged Not
to Abandon Work on Mis-
souri, River
CRISIS IN RIVER AFFAIR:
The Future May Bring Forth surpris-
ing Things in Connection With This
capricious Stream, Among Which It
Is Likely Will Be the Revival of tho
Steamboat-An Exhaustive Treatise.

| Sioux City, July 17.-1n the annual
report promised a year ago, Captain
| H. M. Chittendon, chief of the United
States engineers for the Missouri river
and Yellowstone Park, in an exhaustive
treatise upon the Missouri river, APP
peals in the strongest language to con-
| river
| The report was mailed Wednesday
| from Sioux City to the chief of engin-
GERS at Washington.
| The Importance of this report by
Captain Chittendon cannot be overes-
timated. AS he declares this is crisis
in the affairs of the Missouri river
Last year, being aware of the trend of
action by congress, indicated by the
abandonment of the Missouri river
commission and the reduction OF the
Missouri river appropriation, to a mere
bagatelle, Captain Chittenden stated
that he would in this years report treat
at length the ACCESSIBILITY or non advis-
ability of continuing work upon the
Missouri river.
Captain Chittenden not only declares
in his report that the property along
the river imperatively demands pro-
lection from the Missouri river, but
says the government cannot morally
shift the responsibility for its acts.
He declares for a permanent i'm
provement policy. that will in CEN
fury result in bank revertment of a
river, and will cost an average sum of
a million dollars year. He concludes
that almost the entire work should con-
sist of revetment work. and declares
that this VIII eventually under the plan
he proposed almost entirely stop the
ravages of the river upon property on
either bank.
For the ensuing two years he sub
mits an estimate of 100000, since ex
tensive repairs are needed. OF this
$724,000 is to be spent in repairs and
maintenance of protection already
built, sa,I56,000 for new work. and $780,
goo for snagging and dredging.
Captain Chittenden opens the part Of
his report relating to future work by
stating that the present Is crisis in
Missouri river affairs, and that the
comment thruout the United States
showed that the action of congress in
1902 in curtailing allowances for the
river was considered to foreshadow tina
early abandonment of work on the
river.
In answer to the statement that the
river is not navigable, Captain Chit
tenden says that no other river on the
globe has record of navigation to
compare with it, extending over per-
iod of ninety years, and over distance
of 2,2S5 miles, from Fort Benton to the
mouth, From 1910 to 1870 some of the
finest boats in the world piled on the
Missouri river, cargoes up to 500 tons
have been carried. However. it has
practically ceased to be navigated
stream, owing to changes in transport
tation methods.
ut is not at all certain, however"
Captain Chittenden declares slgnih-
cantly that this disappearance is
permanent thing. In the further devel-
opment of the country the steamboat
may come back again, just as it sur
Wives in great usefulness In the
densely populated countries of the old
world There are already indications
of a decided tendency in this direction.
Owing to the temporary abandonment
of navigation, he concludes that so far
as Improvement for navigation is con-
cerned, there is not sufficient reason for
further appropriations.
However, he says that the govern
ment cannot in justice to large ter
ritory, abandon the protective work.
"rhe government is in a sense re-
snonsible for the behavior of the Mis-
souri, river" he says, land cannot shift
that responsibility morally at least. by
simply refusing to appropriate money
to take care of it"