Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-12-11

NE BLUFF, ARKANSAS, I with q memorandum dated tnc End instant from the Chief Of Fneiuecrs. IS well as a copy of his men0randam of December 3rd which he submitted in connection with Senator Clarlle's telegram on this subject, copy ef which iS herewith. also enclose a copy of my telegram to Scnato. Clarke of December @ld
 General Marshall reported that the only remedy for the trouble at Pine Bluff lay in emergency bank protec- ton, and recommended that the course of the channel ill the vicinity ot Pine Bluff be not altered, as the suggested change would be detrimen- tai 70 interests of navigation and dis mctrically opposed to the purpose for which funds have been appropriated by Congress. It was after giving careful consideration 10 General Mar shall's recommendation that ] Gisap- proved the proposed cutoff. It will be noted OH December Goth authority
 Wa:. granted for the expenditure oy SO
 much os $19,00o as may De necessary for the emergency bank protection re- ferred to above.
 The telegram inclosed in yonr let ter is herewith returned.
 Sincerely yours,
 Luke F. Wright
 Hon. William Loeb, Jr.,
 Secretary to the President. The telegram of Senator Clarke and the immediate reply of Secretary Wright, in which he disapproved the cutoff at this point, were also sent to Mayor Toney by MT. Wright The most interesting document inclosed In tbe batch of telegrams and letters , sent to Mayor Touey is the memo randum. prepared by General Mar shall for the Secretary of War, in which he explains fully the results
 of 8 cutoff at this place. Among
 other things he says:
 Work authorized by the last river
 and harbor act is now in progress, 1 the work including the construction
 of a leyee the object of which is to prevent the river from cutting across
 s narrow neck of land, through which 1 the citizens of Pine Bluff desire to cut a channel. All funds appropri- ated by Congress have been with q view to maintaining the channel of the river. i'll order to preserve the proposed will have a tendency to
 make the river leave the city entirely,
 and if the course of the river is so changed tho channel will be about four miles from the city. The fall in the cutoff channel (about one-half
 mile long) will be equal to that now
 existing in eleven miles of the river. 1 The currents would be ruinous to the channel of the river. and might entire ly destroy its navigability. Damage to property interests along the river below the cutoff would certainly en- sue.
 Under the circumstances, it is not believed that this department can properly authorize a work which is d;ametrioally opposed to the purpose Of works for which funds have been appropriated by Congress"
 While these letters were passing between Pres;" mt Roosevelt, the
 Secretary of War and General Mar shall, the governments chief engineer at Washington, citizens of this city,
 under cover of darkness, went to the north side of the river and with dyna-
 mite blew away Boyd's point mile from the Government levee, and changed the course of the river. This action was taken when it was evident
 that the business section of Pine Bluff would be swept away by the current of the Arkansas. Fully two hundred ; feet of the point was destroyed in blasting and since that time the over- flowing river has washed away an ad-
 ditional two hundred feet. The cur
 rent of the river was thrown against
 the south bank. destroying much res idence property and it swept away
 ninety-four buildings before the cav ing along the south bank was checked.
 (Continued on Page Four.)