The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-27
THE HORRORS IN TIE EAST.


It is shocking to read OF the awful
disasters by wind, water. and nre IN
the great Mississippi valley. They rise
to the proportion OF National ca
Iamitv, fully iustifyine the appeal OF
| President Wilson. It was supposed
when the first accounts OF the great
storm south of the Ohio river, with its
ravages. were received that the storm.
which was described as cyclone, would
be but of temporary severity and would
pass Of in the usual manner, with no
long-continucd series Of disasters. But
that expectation was disappointed, and
| it turns out that the storm occupied a
vast area and centcrcd not where it
first was supposed TO center, but was
embraced in a wide swing, reaching
Omaha on the west and now doing its
worst damage in Ohio and Indiana. The
ravages of the wind aud water were in
deed terrific. and reports Of the death
of thousands of people, with destruction
of property that can only be estimated
in millions, and quarter of r million
people homeless and destitute, bring
close to rs disaster of unparalleled
proportions and Of unexampled breadth
and devastation. And Utah people are
prompt in proffering sympathy and ma.
terial aid.
In the face Of these awful elementary
disturbances man is Just as helpless in
his civilized state as he was when he
y Hor y, ho al
subject to destruction by like storms.
There is absolutely no protection for
mankind in such circumstances And
yet, there are some things that man
can do. There ought not TO be any
such thing as the breaking of levce
such as destroyed Dayton. Ohio. Levees
on river such as the Miami ought to
be made absolutely safe. Modern en-
gineering science, honestly applied, is
absolutely efficient in making bridges,
dams, and levees secure. 1t is only in
the older and less scientific construc-
ton that these works Of man are a
danger to man himself. We do not
speak now of the tremendous pressure
upon the levees Of the lower Mississippi,
which man so far has not been able
absolutely to protect, but In case of
comparatively small stream like the
Miami there ought not to be any doubt
about the safety of a levee, and in
general there ought not TO be any
doubt of the safety Of a bridge or
dam.
These repeated floods in the Ohio
valley have been a cause Of affliction
year after year ever since the settle
ment of the valley and the building OF
cities along the banks Of the streams.
The Tribune has been urging for
many years that it would pay as an
economic proposition, to say nothing
about the saving of life, for the COM
interested to put in retaining
dams that would impound the food
waters at their upper sources, and so
absolutely control the destructive
floods that have been so damaging in
the Ohio valley. 1t is only recently,
however. that any attention has been
paid to this suggestion, The Newlands
bill providing for precisely such con-
troll passed the Senate at the last ses-
sion OF Congress. We hope that it may
pass the present Senate and receive also
the concurrence of the House and the
of the President, for it is
high time this great remedial and pre-
ventive measure were undertaken. To
continue longer the absolute helpless
ness from expected floods in the Ohio
valley, (these foods coming every winter
season,) is An imbecility of which the
American people are not guilty in their
ordinary walks of life, nor should they
longer he guilty of it in this, for the
way is perfectly plain TO prevent these
annual Affections, and the way Of pre-
vention being pointed out, aud, besides
meeting every other point, it will pay,
should be taken and pursued until the
full remedy is applied.