The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-03-17
National Drainage Congress, Meet.
ing in st. Louis in April, De-
mands Federal Commission.
Break Nearly 1000 Feet Wide at
Beulah. Miss, Repaired; Nov
ing Pictures impressive.

Chicago, March 16.--Reports re
ecived at executive headquarters II
Chicago Of the National Ora nag,
Congress from the lower Mississipp
river tell OF day and night efforts b,
the citizens. the leyee boards. gov.
efnment engineers and the railroads
t, repair the breaks In the levees
and prevent further breaks and the
inundation Ct more Thousands al
acres of farm lands
Fearing o possible repetition or
the disastrous and, record -breakfng e
floods of last spring, nothing is be-
ing left undone to safeguard people,
live stock and property
After almost superhuman effort
a break of nearly 1000 feet in widtl,
at Beulah, Miss, has been partly re-
paired" says Philip r. Kellar, Sec
rotary OF the executive committee,
For some days the flood poured
through the crevasse like a mighty
river, overaowing thousands of acres
and causing the residents on planta-
tion to fee to the high lands.
Flood in Mov'ng Pictures.
'At first news Of the break we
hurried a photographer from Chit
cago to take moving pictures. whieh
will be exhibited at the third meet
Ing Of The National Drainage con
gress in st. Louis April 10 to IL,
They will be object lessons ef the
necessity for Immediate actien by
Uncle Sam along comprehensive
national lines to protect his citizens
from damage and loss Of life through
the action Of his own rivers. The
photographer has reported and has
returned to watch developments.
"Day and night the levee board. |
The government engineers and the
Illinois Central railroad have been
working TO fill the crevasse at Beu-
Iah and strengthen the other places |
In the levee that are feared to be |
weak from the strain of last years !
food.
Twelve hundred carloads of stone
and 10000 cubic yards of earth
we're dumped between piles driven
along the break at Beulah. In six
lays the men laid four and half
niles OF railroad track. This was
necessary to drive the piling and
iaul the material for the fiji. Al
complete new levee is being built
tbout a mile and half back from
he original levee as an additional
protection.
Each Break Costs $1,00O,OO0.
Every time the levee breaks
llong the lower Mississippi river II
neans-each big break--the loss OF
approximately a million dollars. /
alling upon the farmers and tho
aiiroads, the levee boards and the
United States engineers corps in
harge Of the river.
"The floods have already started
own the Ohio. the upper Mississin.
i and the Missouri, and all along
he Mississippi, Cairo to New Or
cans the people are quietly. hui
anestly, getting ready for d bitter
ght to protect their lands ana
ONES and lives. ii
THE National Drainage Congress
prosecuting a vigorous campaign
have the United States create n
-ational Drainage Commission.
loroughly equipped with funds ana
over to devise and put into effec.
comprehensive national plan To
cal with the question of floods, pro-
sction of lives and homes andt
lrms by flood storage and adequatat
outlets that will solve the
roblem as a unit and not by pork
arrel' methods.
It's position is that this Is a ma !
onai necessity and a national duty /
n tho nuh1ic watfaro - ~,