The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-12
ARMY ENGINEERS
ARE CONVINCED
Board Of Inquiry Approves of
Present Management of the
Reservoirs.
SPEAK MINDS PLAINLY
AT HEARING TODAY
Members Satisfied Flood Would
Have Been Much Worse
Without the Dams.

The causes of the Aitkin county flood
and the part played by the upper Mis-
sissippi reservoir system in the high
water troubles of that region, were
thoroly discussed today by the parties
interested, before the board of army
engineers convened for hearings in st.
Paul The session served to clear the
and tho the Aitkin compliments wero
not silenced or convinced, their argu-
ments plainly failed to appeal to mem
bers of the board, who declared that
they approved of the present manage
ment of the. system.
AS result of the board s investiga
ton on the upper river, the three en-
voirs saved Aitkin county from a
food that would have gone three or
four feet higher than their first and
greatest overflow. This statement was
made in the open hearing by Major
II. NJ. Chittenden, chairman of the
board, and the other two members, Ma
jor c. L. Potter Of Duluth and Captain
w. V. Judson Of Milwaukee, showed
plainly that they agreed with the con-
sued by Major Derby.
Delegations are attending the hear
ing from several cities, including Min
neapolis, St. Paul, Duluth. Grand Rap
ids and Cass Lake. The Aitkin hear
ing took all the morning session. This
were heard. All the upper river dele
cations maintain that the reservoirs
should be left empty for receiving the
spring rains, without regard to the in
terests of navigation or logging. Grand
Rapids paper-mill interests claim that
water is withheld by the reservoirs and
their mill crippled. Cass Lake lumber
80. 1os, 80 no. IL -
water in Leech and Cass Lake. Not
enough water has been released to suit
these interests, but there was too much
for Aitkin.
Interests Are Conflicting.
s%"of course" said Captain, Judson,
ct the hearing today, IF the me- re n1r
pose of preventing floods, they could be
managed better. The substance Of your
petition is that you want the, reser-
voirs managed more in your interests,
and less in the interests Of others
"Yes, as to the first, but no as to the
piled DR.. G. s.; Kathan, the Aitkin
spokesman.
"Well, you can't eat your cake and
have it, too,' remarked Major Chit
Major Derby and Captain Powell, the
e engn9ers t II eh na in
discussion, and their statements, of fact
were rather disconcerting to the com
claimants. They said that during al
the worst of the Aitkin food, the Win
a. nibigashish dam was closed, the Leecf
lake dam was open only to slulce logs
and the Pokegama dam discharged only
what was absolutely necessary. 1t wa
entirely empty before the ains, AM
is now full, so it's capacity has beef
held back. Only 400 feet a second wer
released during the food time. whic
was the minimum amount required. 7
When logs accumulated they had to b
sluiced thru, requiring 1900 feet
second. To retain the logs would mer
ace the dam.
1--WE are not afraid of the reservoi
DAMS said pr. Kathan. nAre yoetH h,
I would not risk an unlimited preessu1
of logs at high stage of water.'
"Then you oughtn It to let the reese
yoirs get so full,' retorted the Altkl
man.
NThen you will have to compour
with the Almighty not to send so mut
major, who was left in possession
the field.
Can't Get Water from Below.
Major Derby, scored again a lit
later, when he asked the Altkln cltlze
if they had been able to devise any W.
to make the reservoirs hold water tn
came in from below. That had be-
the trouble this summer. At the tir
of the worst flood the reservoirs we
closed, but for the 400 feet second !
leased from Pokegama dam. He 3
MED having made any statement tn
at the time of the flood one-third
D. al, r
ervoirs He also declined to ayr
with DR.. Katham's conclusion tn
8.OOO,O 100000 feet of water had fallen
the Pokegama basin. 81 cannot ag1
to conclusions derived from your ment
arithmetic he stated emphatically
~ One interesting point was develop
The Aitkin' records show that the sta
of water at the 1888 flood was eie
inches higher than this year. The +
ervoir system was then in its infan
Yet that season the rainfall was OF
twenty-seven inches, while this year
date it has been thirty inches in the T
ervoir district, most OF it falling /;
in May and during June.
s .~ Complaints Read First.
Major Chrittenden opened the he
ING by formal statement of its p
pose, which was to hear complaints
to the method of operation of the up
river reservoirs. He then read the CO
nplaints file ID against the resery
management, which led to the inve
CATION The first was from the TIA
Paper mill at Grand Rapids, forwar,
by Senator Nelson. It complained t
water had been shut off, crippling tt
waterpower, and said that the purp
of the engineering department seer
to be only to fill the reservoirs, !;
that they seemed to be determined
: wipe out the paper mill. Another G
plant was filed by Senator Nelson Fl
Cass Lake, which declares that
high stage Of water in Cass
their mill, and threatened great d
age. These communications were
ferred to Major Derby, government
gineer whose comments were also II
They explained that many inter