The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-22
Shall We Helm Ourselves?


losses in the Ohio valley estimated
at 500, 100000. one fifth of thu
amount required 20 mild System
of reservoirs for source control OF
the rivers, which would forever pro-
teot the nation from river overhows.
Pittsburgh has suffered losses
amounting to more than 100000
in the last ten years, an even mil
lion dollars annually, and every
other low city in the valley was
damaged in proportion to size.
The recent flood, it is estimated,
did $10,000,000 worth of damage
in the Mississippi valley alone This
does not include the losses suffered
by Cairo or the Drainage District
It cost Cairo $4,000 to fight the
flood and it Is now planned to spend
half a million dollars to safeguard
against a repetition OF the flood The
physical damage suffered by flood
stricken communities is not the only
loss suffered Floods invariably are
followed by losses of business. The
loss suffered by business in the re.
cent flood probably will amount to
ten times the damage to property.
The Mississippi, Ohio and Mis-
souri, rivers have been overiowing
with painful regularity for year!
and it is reasonable to believe that
the total damage, If an estimate
could be obtained. would run int
nine numbers, and possible more. II
would take only ten floods like tn,
overflow of 1907 TO bring the dam
age total to a billion dollars and
this would be for the Ohio valley
alone. With ten such foods in the
Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri val
leys what would the losses amount
to.
It does not seem credible that d
nation as progressive as the United
States would suffer such monstfoHg
losses without even trying to find Q
means Of prevention. It is true that
the government has spent millions
of dollars for levees, but beyond
this 1t has not spent a nickle to find
means of permanently harnessine
the rivers The accumulation o!
past developments Is damning evi-
ldence against the t'impregnable
levee system, There was never A
levee constructed that is absolutely
fmpregnable. Some of the levees
have held back the rivers thus far
but God only knows when the ele
ments will conspire in the makina
of floods that will wash over the tor
Of every levee existing today.
II is only in recent years that any
attempt has been made to find a pre-
tentative of foods The cry in thu
past has been for temporary protec-
ton. Our fathers cried for tempo
rary protection and that is why we
still are suffering. We must meet
the issue face to face some day and
il we start now it is highly probable
that we win enjoy the fruits OF our
labor.
Pittsburgh has given up the i'm
pregnable levee plea, because it be-
lieves that no levee could be con.
structed so as to give absolute secur
ity. Pittsburgh has spent s125,000
in an investigation Of the reservoir
system and has decided in favor Of
this means of food protection. II
such system would be satisfactory
TO Pittsburgh it certainly should b.
good for Cairo 1t would therefore
be wise for Cairo to join hands with
Pittsburgh In lighting for the New
lands-Bartholdt River Regulation
bill,
This is an age of great achieve
ments. The Hudson river tunnels
the New York subways, the Panama
canal and the stupendous national
water-storage works now being built
IS the work in evidence of the ma
tion's progressiveness, and it cannot
be conceded that the nation is in
capable Of creating means of pre-.
venting floods
The National River Regulation
and Flood Prevention Congress will
be held in New Orleans for two day.
next November. This Congress viii
be held for the purpose of uniting
the forces for an organized demand
on Congress for the immediate en-
actment OF the Newlands Rive,
Regulation bill, which is entitled
A BIIL-To create Board O
River Regulation and to provide /
fund, for the regulation in the ait
Of interstate commerce, and as /;
means 10 that end and to provid
for food prevention and protection
and for the beneficial use Of 400,
waters and for water storage and 70