Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-29
TO CHECK FLOODS
Officers oi Railroads Invited 10 Conference 10 Discuss ihe
 Situation

7
 Washington, Sept 2s.--Director George Otis Smith of the United States geological survey, has invited officers of the leading railroads of the country to a conference on a co-op- erative plan by which 1t is expected the railroads will be able to save thousands of dollars year. The plan also contemplates most effective as- sistanee 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 engineers of the big lines, is one for the gathering of facts as to the amount of water flowing in the riv- CTS of the country under certain con- ditions 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 but they have been sued by other corporations and private citizens on the ground that their bridges and culverts were the causes of flood damage. The railroad authorities have felt that many judg- ments against the roads might not have been rendered if they had been able to produce authentic figures on floods But they have not been able to do this. The national conservation commission has been advised of the proposed plan and whatever results come from it will undoubtedly be con- sidered by the commission at its joint meeting with the governors of the states, or their representatives here next December.
 The survey suggests that the rail- road companies establish gauges on their bridges and culverts and ap- point some of their employees to take daily readings. The survey agrees to have its experts make frequent visits to these stations and take actual cur rent meter measurements So that a 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 1t 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 1t 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 re- gions where the information would be of vital importance because 1t lacks funds. The cooperation of the railroads would permit the survey to cover many other regions.
 The expense to the railroads under this arrangement would be trifiing, the survey authorities say, because the roads could designate men all 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 gauges. it would be able to carry on the more technical parts of the un- dertaking.
 The information which the rail- roads will obtain if 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 be- lief of the railroad authorities is we'll founded, their coloperatioa with the survey enabling it to extend it's operations 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 conference with representa- tives of the survey in Chicago last June, and at that time the survey  agreed to interview the proper rail- road authorities concerning basis of cooperation.
 The survey has further suggested to the railroads that they supply it with all information they may have on hand concerning the character of the various drainage areas above their bridges. Some of the roads have collected, at great expense. large amount of valuable information, which could hs made of high value to all the railroads if it were gathered together and compiled. This mater ial would also contribute largely to the general study of the water re- sources of the country which the sur- vey has been carrying out for num- Der of years and upon which 1t is particularly busy just now in the compilation of all available informa- tion along these lines for the use of the national conservation commission