Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-27
Western Senator's and Congress
man Planning Campaign
For Appropriations
STRONG COMBINATION LIKELY
Senator DoIIiver is Leading Spirit in
the Movement to Prevent the Des-
structive Floods in the West, Such as
Occurred This summer-Levee sys,
tenn Condemned.

washington, d. c., Nov. 2i.-GraNei!
impressed by the destructive floods III
the west this summer, senators ana
congressman from the Mississippi, MIS-
souri, and Ohio river valleys are pre-
pairing for an active campaign to Sc
cure some gigantic appropriations TO De
expended in some practical plan to con-
troll the rivers of the west. A leading
spirit in this movement is Senator
Dolliyer and he VIII no doubt be ably
seconded by Congressman Hedge, Bird
sail and Wade, of the eastern border
as we'll as Congressman Smith and
Thomas. of the western border of Iowa.
Congressman Lacey, in whose district
the Des Moines river made many raw
ages last summer, especially at Ottum-
wa, also greatly Interested In the mat
ter.
A powerful combination of all the
senators and representatives OF the en-
tire middle west who are interested IN
this question has been suggested. II
Is thought that an organization OF TINS
sort working In concert could get re-
suits from congress that could be pro-
cured in no other way.
Something must be done at once,
said Senator Dolliver, in speaking of
the question. I'VE can not run the
risk of the further destruction of mil
lions of dollars worth of property such
as took place last summer all over
Iowa.
81 thoroughly believe that the levee
system is only a make shift. Condi-
tions have changed SO radically that
we must take up some other plan to get
results. The levee system only results
In building up the bottoms of the riv-
ers and the waters are constantly push
ing over their banks. Some day we
will have along the entire Mississippi
and Missouri the conditions that exist
at New Orleans-the river bed actual
liz higher than the surrounding lani
filled in by the action of the water We
can not continue to elevate our levees
Indefinitely. The only safe way t.
build levees is to have them at leas
half mile from the natural bank Of
the river and this of course provides
for the expected overflow of larg'
tracts of valuable land.
I'VE must return to primitive con
dItions. The removal of the forests
the heads of our waterways and the fill
ing In Of our swamps and sloughs ha:
made our rivers treacherous and de-
structive bodies of water. Any heavy
rainfall is precipitated Immediately IN
to the stream itself and 1T rushes dow
the valley with terrible and unexpect'
led force. In primitive times this extri
water was absorbed by the timber liant
and swamps, and was only allowed U
find its way to the streams gradually
"rhese natural gathering places TO
the surplus rainfall must be replaced
by artificial reservoirs at Intervals al
along the course of our rivers. The.
would not be costly: in fact the!
could be largely natural themselves.
should say that every noticeabie de,
preston along the Mississippi shoulf
be condemned and transformed into
reservoir where water could be caugh
and held during flood times. Then II
the summer it could be released and al
lowed to make Its way to the river.
THE advantages of such system
are multifarlous. In the first place
would prevent floods and through tn
system the river could be kept at
practically equal depth all the yea
around, except, of course, in the case
an unusually dry year. Our boat
would not have to stop because OF loV
water"