Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-15
Plan 70 CREATE
| GREAT RIVER
WESTERN BANKER WOULD RE.
CLAIM ARID LANDS ~
CHANNEL.
BLACK HILLS 70
THE ciMARRoN

BLACK HILLS 70
THE ciMARRoN
Originator 81 Scheme sussssts Use Of
Panama Canal Machinery In Digging
Course Of Ne Stream Across Vast
PIains-AAany interested In Prejset.
Results Outlined.
Much interest has been created In
the west BY the suggestion Of J. G.
Hopper, president Of 4 bank at Ness
City, Kan. that = new artificial river
be created through the great arid
plains Of western South Dakota, Ne
braska, kansas and Oklahoma.
The plan in brief II to use the Pan
ANA canal machinery to dig river
running from the Black Hills In South
Dakota to the Cimarron river in Okla
homa, crossing other rivers on via
ducts. This in itself 10 q stupendous
Undertaking, but ono that could be &C.
romplished. BY emptying into the
Cimarron river, which In turn pours
Its waters into the Arkansas just
above Tulsa. Okla, the matter Of navi-
eating the Arkansas would be helped
TO a great degree, as 1t would double
the volume Of water In that river.
The Rocky mountains. 600 miles
west Of the main channel. form the
source and west watershed terminus
Of the Missouri river, the largest and
longest tributary Of the Mississippi.
Paralleling these mountains Is broad
plain 800 miles wide by 700 miles long.
containing 100000 square miles of the
richest, deep, fertile soil to be found In
America.
Almost Q Desert.
This vast area. now the home Of the
Jack rabbit. prairie dog and the prairie
wolves, with its eastern border dotted
with farms and cattle ranches and the
cunning American pushing over its
broad expanse. attempting to carve
out homes. presents a panorama only
appreciated by those who have travel.
ed over the territory.
Here IL an empire. rich In every ele-
ment that goes to make up happy and
prosperous American homes, save only
one-water-yet the average rainfall of
eighteen inches. added to the annual
freshets Of the accumulated winter
SHOWS that race down through this
country on the way to the sea. carries
death and destruction for those who
live on q half million acres OF low
lands. II these food waters could be
stopped in this semiarid region and
used for irrigation. chaos would be
turned into order. destruction into
helpfulness.
II a plan can be inaugurated to hold
these flood waters this vast territory.
now containing but three people to the
square mile, now producing only rough
feed for cattle, would invite twenty
Ave more people to the square mile
from the crowded east, turn hundreds
Of thousands Of American consumers
into producers and thus reduce the
high cost Of living.
Here is territory comparatively lev
el. where whole congressional town
ships can be turned into one field with.
out the loss Of an acre. Sections OF
land are 30 level that, standing upon
one corner, a man can be seen on any
part Of the section. Yet the engineers
compass reveals the fact that as you
approach the mountains the increase
in elevation Is seven feet to the mile.
This rise in elevation, together with
the smooth treeless surface, conveys
very rapidly the rains that fall into the
small rivulets, hurrying the water east
on its way to death and destruction.
Flood Prevention.
1t has been amply demonstrated that
channel improvement alone for food
prevention is a failure; that bikes can
not be built high enough or strong
enough to conf1ne the waters to their
natural channels. It is time to turn to
something else--that is. the construc-
ton Of reservoirs into which the sur
plus water may be turned and from
which 1t may be taken for the purpose
of irrigating the dry lands and for
making power, universal need in the
industry Of the country.
Build a system Of artificial lakes.
beginning at the Black Hills, in South
Dakota, extending through the states
Of Nebraska. Kansas and Oklahoma.
made by the damming of the numerous
streams traversing this country; con-
meet these lakes by an artificial river.
Thus food in the north can be con-
veyed down this great canal, distribut-
ed into the different lakes and reser-
voirs 80 formed, thus using the once
dreaded and destructive food waters
for the service Of man, while the low
land farmer tills his soil without fear
Of molestation.
The dams constructed across the sew
eral rivers would be 30 arranged as to
let the water pass as needed to regu-
late the channels Of navigable rivers.
thus promoting commerce. As the wa
ter needed passes through the en-
cineer's aperture in the dam power
can be taken for the creating of cleo
tricity for general use.
Tho artificial lakes formed would be
stocked with 6sh. feeding the thou
sands OF people who would live in this
country. AZ further prevention Of
food waters the borders Of these lakes
would be set to timber adapted to this
country. and while this would assist In
holding back the waters It would serve
as great parks and forest reserves for
the pleasure and elevation Of the pso-
al