The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10
IMPROVEMENT OF WHITE RIVER.

IMPROVEMENT OF WHITE R1NE H.
Among the suggestions made for pre-
venting future floods in this vicinity is that
the national government be urged TO dredge
White river on the ground that it is held
TO be a navigable stream. Dredging and
widening the river and removing obstruc-
tioEs would. of course. facilitate the flow
of the stream and tend to prevent over
flows. but it is not likely Congress would
entertain the idea of so improving it.
The suggestion seems to be based on the
idea that Congress declares certain streams
to be navigable and thereby assumes the
responsibility and duty of improving them.
That is mistake. Congress exercises GER
tain authority over streams which are ma
turally navigable and sometimes aids ma
ture by improving them. but it does not de-
clare them navigable. The chief of engi-
neers is authorized at any time, by drec-
ton of Congress, to order surveys of rivers,
and if they are found to justify improve
ments Congress may order them. but only
to promote commerce. The law says:
The secretary of war shall cause to be
prepared and submitted to Congress- in con-
nection with the reports of examinations
and surveys of rivers and harbors here
after made by order of Congress. full state
ments of all existing facts tending TO show
TO what extent the general commerce of
the country will be promoted by the several
works of improvements contemplated by
such examinations and surveys, TO the end
that public moneys shall not be applied ex-
ceptlng where such improvements shall
tend TO subserve the general commercial
and navigable interests of the United
States.
he of TO i'm
prove rivers is based exclusively on the
ground that such Improvements will tend
TO promote the general commercial and
navigable interests of the United States.
That this rule has been often violated and
a great deal of public money wasted in at
tempts to improve streams that are
naturally unnavigable is undoubtedly true.
but Congress has no authority to improve
river for the sole and avowed purpose of
preventing overfiows. AS White river could
not possibly be made navigable Congress
would have authority to undertake its
Improvement.
Three quarters of a century ago the river
carried a great deal more water than it
does now. and hope was entertained that it
might be made navigabe for small steam
ers In 1929 the Governor of the State of
fered a reward of 500 to the first steam
boat that should reach Indianapolis. The
| next year one steamboat reached Spencer
and another got within twenty-five miles
of indianapolis. Previous to this, in 1925.
the Legislature had appointed an engineer
to survey the river and report upon it's
navigability. He reported that from "a
point in Randolph county $50 miles east of
here. to the mouth of the river, it could
be kept navigable for small boats three
| months In the year at cost of $3.50. The
| three months must have been months of
high water. On the strength of this report
the Legislature memoriaiized Congress for
the Improvement of the river and made
appropriations to be expended under the
direction of the county authorities along
| it's course. But nothing ever came of the
| movement.
In 1881 a local contractor on the National
road brought a load of supplies up the
river in a barge towed by small steamer.
This event caused great rejoicing and ex-
! cited new hopes that Indianapolis might
| become river town" a public meeting
was held at which speeches were made
| urging the Improvement of the river. The
| owners and officers of the little steamer
were invited to dinner and quite lionized.
But few days later. when the steamer
started on her return trip. she grounded
! a few miles below here and did not get
| out till fall. That was the last attempt
| made to reach the city by steamboat, and
a few years later the arrival of the loco
| motive and the projection of railroad lines
! put an end to all discussion of the subject
| of river navigation. Since then the de-
/ crease in the volume of water i'm the river
! has been great to render its navigabil-
| ity impossible. If it ever in its best
days. From all accounts the river does not
| carry much more than one-thlrd as much
| water now as it did seventy or eighty
years ago.
AS the promotion of commerce and navi-
| cation is the only ground on which Con-
gress is authorized to improve rivers it
| would be waste of time to ask it to dredge
or widen White river to prevent overfows.
If that is ever done it must be done by the
city or by adjacent property owners.