Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-05
The Great AAntic Barge Canal from NawYzz to florida
VIII 60 through much cozntEy Ike A1S

and the whole remainder consisting OF
about two-filths OF our country, includes
the arid lands, where the average precipi
tatlon Is only twelve inches, The other
tract Is the region of the deserts, the
mountains and OF The reclamation prot
ects. 1t is a country OF few we'll watereo
spots, but also OF extensive tracts which
are bone dry.
where the Rains Go.
Nevertheless, we have, all told an an
nual rainfall equal to ten Mississippi
rivers. We have measured the quantity
and know that II falls. Where does 1t
go? I shall ask these high-browed SCI
entists to tell you the story. Here again.
MCGEE is the best authority. His mind Is
so sharp that II can split a raindrop, and
his vision so clear that no can follow
the drop TO the skies or to the bowels
OF old mother earth. He divides the
rainfall into three--the run-off, the fly
off and the cutoff One-third of all the
water that falls, says he, flows klto the
sea through the rivers and the smaller
streams. This is the runoff A smaller
amount soaks into the soil and saturates
the rocks and finds its way into the
sea by leaking out into the streams. This
Is the cutoff. The remainder which is
by far the most of the supply, evaporates
and goes into the air to fall again as
rain. This is the ny-off. This is the
water which in connection with that
from the oceans loads the clouds and
drops again upon the land.
The fly-off is so large that II you could
freeze II into cubes a mile square II would
I nNaN ~
York to Detroit. The run-off, IL so frozen
would make such wall 800 miles long,
and the cutoff. or the water which sinks
into the SOIL would make one long enough
to reach from Philadelphia to Boston.
our Underground Waters.
In addition to the water which falls
every year, we have another great sup
ply underground, which has accumulated
and is fed by the rain and snow which
fall from time to time. This water is
always moving, but the amount Is so
great that 1t Is equal to the entire rain
fall Of the United States for seven years
or to the run-otf for twenty years. There
is so much of II under the surface Of
the earth that 1t has been estimated that
Il It were equally distributed It would
wrap around our globe an envelope of
water ninetly-six feet in thickness. Nc
Gee estimates that the amount Of water
which lies under the United States TO a
depth Of 100 feet would, II It could be
raised TO the surface and held there,
cover our whole country to a depth OF
seventeen feet. He estimates that 1t
contains II 900 cubic miles OF water, or
enough to build rampant OF ice two
the Mississippi valley from st. Paul to
st. Louis and on to New Orleans,
This underground water runs from the
surface, as in the case of swamps and
marshes, TO hundreds Of feet, and even a
thousand feet, below the surface. All
the cracks and openings OF the rocks are
filled with water, and there are porous
rocks which take up water like a sponge.
In these about one-ffth Of the whole vol
ume Is supposed 20 be stored 1t Is this
water which feeds our artesan wells and
other wells. II Is this that feeds the
plants In great degree, and this that FUR
nishes the larger part Of our table sup
ply In some places this water is pumped
up and used for irrigation and In others
1t flows on being tapped and altogether
II Is very valuable Congress will be
asked not only TO conserve the forests
that they may act as a sponge to retain
this underground water, but TO hold It
back in other ways.
Regulating ia" Rivers.
These schemes OF Uncle Same for con-
trolling the water supply embrace the
whole United States They provide for
the regulation OF the flow OF the rivers
and OF stnndardizing them They pro-
vide for great reservoirs along the Mis-
slsslpp, Ohio and Missouri. They treat
OF drainage and irrigation and Of the
development OF our water power. They
also include the making, by means of
canals, OF a great system of interior
water transportation, which shall sup
plement our railways, and reduce freight
rates to the merchant and the consumer
According 10 DIR. McGee, the scheme
means an annual saving in transporta-
ton charges alone OF more than three
quarters OF a million dollars for every
day Of the year, an annual saving In
flood damages OF tl5OOO0,O0O per annum,
and saving In the washing away OF our
soils OF $500, 10000 every year In addition
TO this there will be an enormous profit
from the water powers created, and
altogether mighty decrease in the cost
OF living should follow.
Our Inland Waterway.
The plans for this development have
been worked out IN connection with the
commission OF inland waterways and
with the bureau OF soils OF the AgricuI-
tuTal department Senator Newlands and
the committee OF rivers and harbors have
had the matter under discussion, ana ia