Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-04-01

areas, causing the most disastroul
GODS Of history, or very ifreguIarIy
SO that but slight damage will b,
done. One thing is sure, namely
wherever river flood-pIan now ex
lists 1t has been covered with water
lists 1t has been covered with water
from that stream. II 30 in the past
why not in the future, and why moi
have greater combination OF heavy
rain than ever before and a greater
food than ever bsfoFeg 30 long ii
we remain in such gross ignorance
concerning the profound laws 81
meteoroiogy just that long VIII We
be In Hike Ignorance Regarding the
probabilities Of unfatofabls combih-
atoms which produce destructive
foods.
1t seems most improbable that eli
matte conditions have changed to any
considerable degree IN recsnt times,
or that they will change within the
next thousand years sufficiently TO
have much influence on floods, and
even should they change the new
conditions are Just as liable to be
worse as to be better. 1t is the duty
Of the scientist. therefore, to look at
matters Just as they are. From this
standpoint 1t seems practically GER
tan that occasionally excessive floods
will come which will be 50 great that
any and all the works Of man will be
powerless In the prevention of great
disaster Such an agent,,of destruc-
ton should be looked upon in
measure as we look upon earth
quakes and tornadoes and volcanoes,
natures great process for modifying
and identifying the surface of the
earth, and man should avoid their
disastrous results principally by
keeping out of their way. 1t should
not be considered a mark Of the
highest degree of intelligence DELHI
erately to put ones self directly in
the pathway of such a manifesto
ton of natures forces.
The above general statements re-
fer to major or excessive floods. A
great many minor foods occur which
are less destructive in their action
and which, in q measure, certainly
may be modified and made less Sc
we're. Three different lines of i'm
provements or methods have been
suggested, commonly called the res
ervoir method, the channel straight
ening method. These may be con-
sidered separately.
Reservoirs.
Flood prevention by the reservoir |
method is believed in by those who
consider 1t feasible to build many |
reservoirs throughout the drainage
area of stream so that a portion of |
the rainfall water may be caught in |
the reservoir and doled out leisurely |
to the streams under the control of
man. 1t is argued that 1t is the last
portions of the rainfall added to
rivers which cause the floods and
that, therefore, such portions as may
be held in the reservoirs will in de-
gree. keep the "last portions from
entering the stream and thereby pre-
vent the flood. But the facts are
that such reservoirs are filled with
the first part Of the rainfall and not
with the last part, and the water
caught in them, IL let alone, would
be the first to enter the streams, and
probably would be well out Of the
way down stream before the last
came. Could we build reservoirs
with drawgates SO that we might let
the first storm water run through
them and then close the gates and
hold the last RAINFALL they would un-
doubtedly be Of service.
In the arid and semi-arid districts
where the rainfall is under twenty {
inches per annum, some of the most
severe local transforms occur. The (
ground is usually dry and hard and
parched, and the transforms are SO (
excessive that large proportion Of |
The total rainfall runs off the surface /
and down into the streams causing
local floods. In such reg
ons reservoirs would be most SER
giceable because they could be built
70 as to hold q larger fraction of the
and in q degree would COM
'ensate for the excessive rapidity Of I
precipitation. In climates such as is
general throughout the Mississippi
valley, however, It is doubtful about
he reservoir system exerting a very {
lppreciable effect. The tendency,
however. would be in the right direc-
ion and we should combine all meth
ID which have the proper tendency
In order that in the end We may have I
he greatest influence.