The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-25
A GRAVE SITUATION.

The Buffalo Times declares very pos
itively that .there should he no hesi-
tation on the part of the Federal Gov
eminent in rendering assistance to the
navigation companies and property
owners whose interests are threatened
by the great ice jam in Niagara River"
Then comes The Brooklyn Eagle. say,
ing:
The situation at Niagara Is serious.
There is an ice jam in the NIAGARA
River. Just north OF Lewiston. The
Ice is solid to the bed Of the river and
natural course. We're this S to Occur,
disaster would follow: A great loss Of
property, reaching into millions, would
ensne. Fertile farm lands would be
at Lewiston have been abandoned.
their Easements. fifty feet above the
normal level of the river, being already
only a. unprecedented situation. but a
most dangerous one.
The Government has been appealed
to- + ID t hath the ice
But the report of the engineer corps,
to which the request was referred. Is
that 1t is Impossible to do anything.
river. dynamite would act upon the ice
as IL 1t were sand. The Canadian Cow
eminent has reported in a similar man.
n anor TINS Is rsmdSrkabls c9nd da
helpless and watch this pack, the bot
tom of which rests on the bed of the
river, and the top Of which. IL nifty
age, on surrounding property. Unless
relief can be obtained in few days
all the adjoining land will be under
water.
That is the situation and all must
agree that the prospect is not pleas
ant. The Times. in the same editorial
from which We have quoted, says that
the matter had been referred to the
War Department of the Government,
but adds that the Government is so
crippled by lack of funds that it can
render no effectual assistance in such
a grave emergency. The Eagle. as will
be seen. gives the opinion of skilled
engineers that nothing can be done.
Which of these opinions is the cor
rect one we are not prepared to say.
To those of us in this latitude who
never see river frozen over it sounds
strange to read Of great stream like
Niagara being frozen solidly through
out its entire depth. To us 1t. is hard
to realize that such a condition can
exist but the conditions undoubtedly do
exist, and that they are exceedingly
grave requires no stretch of magma
tion to grasp. If The Times is correct
in its understanding of the reason why
the Government cannot interfere because
OF lack of funds, 1t is one more
count in the Indictment against the
reckless waste and extravaganza of
the past few years. II the conditions
existing on the Niagara are as repre-
scented and the Government cannot give
relief because of lack of means, it is
shameful condition to exist. as all
must admit, and one which cannot be
contemplated with patience.
The Eagles editorial. it will be seen.
puts a different face on the conditions
now existing. and makes more appa-
rent the grave danger that is now how
ering over the region affected. II
nothing can be done, as the engineers
declare, the situation IS not only a
grave but a remarkable one. The
damage that may ensue to both prop
erty and life is incalculable. and to
Judge from The Eagles remarks, there
is nothing to be done but wait for the
catastrophe that is bound to come In
the near future. If the only bar in
the way of relieving the situation lies
in the lack OF funds that can be used.
1t is a shameful reflection on the Gov
eminent. If there is nothing that hu-
man means can do to relieve the situ-
alton. all must admit that 1t is a fear
full condition of affairs, and one which
we of this section find hard to realize.