Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1908-09-03
HOW MUCH LONGER?
The Real Lesson Of the In
DreCedented FreShet.


The people of Georgia and the Caro-
linas have had a distressing but i'm
pressive lesson on the necessity OF
adopting a measure of safety and
which has been advocated
for many years, in season and out OF
season, but thus far without success.
One of the most vitality important
measures aver undertaken by a few
clear-visioned and enthusiastic friends
of the public welfare was that looking
to the acquisition Of the Appalachian
forests with a view to their preserva-
ton n to the safeguarding OF the
waterways of the South.
In many prominent cities of the
South meetings were held by the rep
resentative commercial bodies and by
leading citizens, urging upon congress
the necessity of making a small appro-
p~riation for the purpose of purchasing
those forests before it is too late. 1t
was pointed out among other things
that unless something is done within
the next few years there will be no
forests to preserve, and in the mean
time the area of barren and unpro-
ductive land, which is constantly in
creasing, will have reached an extent
which will be positively appalling.
Millions of dollars q year will be
saved If the government could be
placed in charge of b only remaining
hardwood forests now in the country.
And yet the most important aspect
of the question just such floods and
freshsts as those which have recently
devastated the entire country tributa-
ry to the Piedmont escarpment. In
the course of the arguments in favor of
this measure b rapidity with which
the Savannah river is filling with slit
: and sand and the increasing degree
with which the territory through
which it passes is becoming subject to
foundations was specifically pointed
out. The testimony of experienced
engineers who are familiar with the
situation was quoted in order to arouse
the general public n induce eur
members of congress to AXE action.
LII WAS 6IOWA GAdt oAAVSS
was done at once, just such a disaster
as that which has come upon Augusta
wasinevitable.
These earnest warnings were ignor-
ed, except by a few who realized the
gravity of the situation, and now the
truth of everything that was said
!, comes home to US with tremendous
I force.
! Conservative estimates place the
financial loss in Augusta alone at tive
y millions Of dollars, while valuable
! lives have been lost there and else
where. There have been other losse:
g incident to wrecks and delays on III
railroads, the destruction of bridges
{ and growing crops; thousands OF PEG
pie have been thrown out of employ
ment and yet other thousands hav'
been made destitute.
The cause Of this disaster is as cas-.
= to determine as a mathematical prop
l. osition. The wanton destruction @
the forests has left he uplands bare Q
vegetation, and there is nothing t
~ break the terrific force of b water
generated in a period of unusual rains
They come rushing down the moun
tain sides and the tributary creeks
swelling the rivers and
the lowlands through which the
pass. Gathering force and volume q
they sweep away the rich deposits
o soil which it will take generations
----1--~.;- nha- 1oovo fhoCo n
posts in the beds of the rivers an
~ creeks so that the next overflow is a
- the more certain and all he moro da
gerous.
-, And vet year after year we sit id
by and watch this work of destructie
going on. We literally invite a r
- petition of just such a calamity as tn
=, which has made Augusta desolate t
n day.
-. strange as it may seem, our oW
- members of eongress-taking h sou
as a whole-have been more indife
ent or more hostile to this prevent
MEASURE than those of any other Sc
ton of the country. To this must
added the special hostility of the pre-
ent speaker of the house, who, for re
sons best known to himself, has co
stantly opposed the appropriation.
a. How much longer must this con
ton OF affairs exist?
The president OF the United Sta
has made this question the subject
special and earnest recommendatit
and he has taken the initiative in cs
- ing special conferences Tor the pHrp'
A Of forwarding the movement. 7