The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-09-30
TO WATCH FLOODS
LEADING RAILROAD MEN
CONFER ABOUT HIGH WATET,
Government Plans Establishing Of
Guages to Make Big
Savings.

tor George Otis Smith of the United
States geological survey has invited
officers of the leading railroads Of
the country to a conference on a e.
operative plan by which it is expected
the railroads will be able to save
thousands of dollars year. The plan
also contemplates most effective as
sistance to the government on the
part of railroads. The time and place
of the proposed conference is to be
agreed on later.
The scheme, which has already
been approved by number of the en-
gineers of the big lines, is one for
the gathering of facts as to the
amount of water flowing in the rivers
Of the country under certain condi-
tions and in different periods of the
year. Naturally, the railroads have
been chief sufferers from floods in
the basins where their tracks lie
They have suffered not only from
damage to their own property put
they have been sued by other corpora
tons and private citizens on the
ground that their bridges and Gull
verts were the causes of flood DAM
age. The railroad authorities have
felt that many judgments against the
roads might not have been rendered
if they had been able to produce au-
thentic figures on floods. But tley
have not been able to do this. The
national conservation commission las
been advised of the proposed plan,
and whatever results come from it
will undoubtedly be considered by
the commission at its joint meeting
with the governors Of the states, or
their representatives, here next De-
cember.
The survey suggests that the rail-
road companies establish guages on
their bridges and culverts and APP
point some of their employees to take
daily readings. The survey agrees to
have it's experts make frequent visits
to these stations and take actual cur
rent meter measurements SO that
rating table of each channel will be
available.
For many years the survey has
been studying the difference in the
flow of rivers in various basins in the
country. At present it is engaged in
putting the information gained by its
study into shape for the use of the
national conservation commission, TO-
gether with other information which
it is gathering especially for the IN
ventory of the country's natural re-
sources that the commission is pre-
pairing.
The survey has been unable to ex-
tend its observations to many regions
where the information would be of
vital Importance because it lacks
funds. The cooperation Of the rail-
roads would permit the survey to
cover many other regions.
The expense to the railroads under
this arrangement would be trifling,
the survey authorities say, because
the roads could designate men al
ready on their pay-rolls, such as draw
tenders, tank men. or water station
engineers to take the daily readings.
On the other hand, If the survey
could be relieved Of the cost of daily
supervision of the guages. 1t would be
able to carry on the more technical
parts of the undertaking.
The information which the rail-
roads will obtain II this plan is put
into operation is of immense value to
them.
The surveys figures on floods have
always been accepted by the courts
as prima facie evidence. If the belief
of the railroad authorities is well
founded their cooperation with the
survey enabling 1t to extend its opera
tions to their fields will result in big
savings to them.
The idea OF cooperation as to
| floods originated with the engineer
ing departments of the railroads
themselves. Representatives of these
departments of a number of roads
held a conference with representa-
tives of the survey, In Chicago last
June, and at that time the survey
agreed to interview the proper rail-