Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-05-17
PLAN TO CREATE
A GREAT RIVER
Western Banker Would Reclaim
Arid Lands by Channel
BLACK HILLS TO ClMARRON.


Originator OF Scheme Suggests Use Of
Panama Canal Machinery In Digging
Course Of the Stream Across Vast
Plans-Many Interested In Project,
Results Outlined.
Much interest has been created in
the west by the suggestion OF J. C.
Hopper, president OF 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 Is TO use the PAN
anna canal machinery to dig river
running from the Binck Hills In South
Dakota 10 the Cimrron river In Okla
homa, crossing other rivers en- via.
ducts This in itself IL stnpendous
undertaking. but one that could he nc
complished BY emptying into the
Cimarron river. which In turn pours
Its waters into the Arkansas just
above Tulsa, Okla, the matter of uavi
eating the Arkansas would be helped
TO great degree. as II would double
the volume of water in that river.
The Rocky mountains. COO 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
paralielIng these mountains IL broad
plain 300 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 It's
broad expanse. attempting to carve
out homes, presents panorama only
appreciated by those who have travel
ed over the territory.
Here Is an empire, rich In every Gle
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 TINT race down through this
country on the wayto the sea, carries
death and destruction for those who
live on half million acres Of low
lands. III these food waters could be
stopped in this semiarld region and
used for irrigation chaos would be
7tarned into order. destruction into
helpfulness. H
|. IL a plan can be inaugurnted 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
five more people 10 the square mile
from the crowded cast, turn hundreds
OF thousands OF American consumers
into producers and thus reduce the
high cost OF living.
Here Is a territory comparatively lev
81, where whole congressional town
ships can be turned into one field with
out the loss of an acre. Sections Of
land are so 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 riyulets, hurrying the water east
on its way to death and destruction.
Flood Prevention.
II has been amply demonstrated that
channel improvement alone for food
prevention Is failure; that bikes can
not be built high enough or strong
enough To confine the waters TO their
natural channels. II 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, a universal need in the
industry of the country.
Build 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 trayersing this country: con
meet these lakes BY an artificial river