The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-01

with which the territory through
which it passes it becoming subject
to inundations was specially pointed
out. The testimony of experienced
engineers who are familiar with the
situation was quoted in order to
arouse the general public and induce
our members Of congress to take
action. 1t was shown that unless
something was cone at once. just
such q disaster as that which has
come upon Augusta was inevitable.
These earnest warnings were ignor-
ed, except by a fewwho realized the
gravity of the situation. and now
the truth of everything that was
said comes home to us with tremen-
dous force.
conservative estimates place the
financial loss in Augusta alone at
two millions Of dollars, while valu-
able lives have been lost there and
elsewhere. There have been other
losses incident to wrecks and delays
on the railroads, the destruction OF
bridges and growing crops; thou
sands have been thrown out of en-
and yet other thousands
have been made destitute. The
cause of this disaster is as easy to
determine as mathematical propo-
sition, The wsnton destruction Of
the forests has lett the uplands bare
of vegetation, and there is nothing
to break the terrific force of the wa
tiers generated in period of unusual
rams. They come rushing down the
mountain sides and the tributary
creeks, swelling the rivers and inun-
dating the lowlands through which
they pass. Gathering force and vol
ume as they advance, they sweep
away the.rich deposits Of soil which
it will take generations -tP supply
again. They leave these deposits
in the bed of the rivers and creeks
so that the next overflow is all the
more certain and all the more dan
gerous. o.. :
"And yet year after year we sit
idly by and watch this work of de-
going on. We literally in
vite a repetition of just such a cal
amity as that which has made Au-
gusta desolate today. Strange as it
may seem, our own members of
congress---taking the South as a
whole---have been more Indifferent
or more hostile to this preventive
l.:,r; ~. 81 =. az, 'r'".''
. L. u,u, o. ,nr tr:','lE! - tni>
must be added the special hostility
of the speaker of the house. who,
for reasons best known to himself,
has constantly opposed the appro-
priation. How much longer must
this condition of affairs exist? The
president Of the United States has
made this question the subject of
special and earnest recommends
ton, and he mas taken the initiative
in calling special conferences for
the purpose Of forwarding the move
ment. The urgency Of the situation
has been painted in the most graph
ic light.
And yet nothing is done. until
we have the cold reality driven home
by a deluge which has inundated a
city and made thousands of citizens
in two states desolate. 1t would be
impossible to over estimate the ne
cessity of taking action to prevent
the recurrence Of these freshets.
The way to do it is known Of all
men who have given the matter the
slightest consideration. 1t has ta-
ken a fearful example to arouse US
to the need of action, but if the
disaster through which one of our
fairest cities is now passing should
mark the turning point the exper-
ience will not have been entirely in
vain. 1t is the patriotic duty of the
people Of the south to get behind
this movement more earnestly and
insistently than ever and to demand
that the forests shall be preserved
and that the whole question of
waterways shall have that careful
consideration and prompt attention
which 9 perilous situation de-
nsnds."