The commonwealth., 1913-08-08
INTERESTING LEVEE REPORT p
SIGNIFICANT DATA.

The Herald is Indebted to Maj. 7. 6.
Dabney chief engineer Of the Upper
Mississippi District, for a pamphlet copy
Of bis report. HarratHg food events
and tests Of the leyees in his charge
for the past high water season, says
the Vicksburg Herald. 1t embraces
testimony and tests of the utmost
value, for securing and strengthening
the adoption Of the leyee policy by
congress. OF the superior condition
Of the upper district Ievees nothing
need be- said this is a fact Of the food
control problem that is not only familiar
but Of the utmost significance. The
Ob ject lesson Of leYees brought 10 so
close an approximate Of the new and
perfected standard" established by the
past two years floods, is the last wcrd
in demonstration Of their effective and
alI-sufiicent food resisting power; Of
the system Of protection approved by
the engineers. army and civil, which
the Delta dwelIers are striving to at
tain, with the aid Of government ap-
preparations.
The chief lesson Of Major Dabney's
report is the proof it clinches of the
vast saving to be had in a policy of
quick completion Of all Ieeyes to the
standards of height and strength fixed
by the high water marks Of the floods
Of the past two seasons; contrasted
with the destructive CreVasses and
the ruinous piIing up Of costs through
the piecemeaI, pottering methods of
levee building in other districts; com
PEELED by inadequate appropriations.
We have not at hand the amounts of
the high water expenses of these floods
in the years 1912 and l9l3-of the cost
Of the months of struggle and striving
to hold weak Ievees against an unpre-
cedented river volume. Nor are the
exact figures needed for the purpose
we have in view. For illustrating
cost and waste resulting from meager
appropriations it is sufficient to state
the fact that. generally speaking, the
entire sums Of government appropria-
tions, Of the past two congresses, have
been absorbed in salvage and repair Of
weak leyees- practically nothing has
remained for bettering and enIarging
the levees. The districts, besides,
have thus used all Of their revenues,
and increased their heavy bonded in
debtedness besides. High water cam
paigns have in the past two flood sea-
sons probably cost the lower Mississ-
ippi and upper Louisiana districts a
million each, leaving them badly Grip
pied for future Ievee enlargement.
We now turn to the reverse of the
picture to the statement of Major
Dabney of the 1913 flood expense on
his hundred and twenty miles of super.
ior levees:
The materials purchased for the high
water fight consisted Of 100, 500 sacks
at cost of$7, 694.67. Other materials
were purchased to the value of 81, 343. .
IL. The amount expended for high
water inspection, guards and labor,
including upkeep Of the Ievee board
forces. amounted to 500 593 IT, making
total Of $50, 63l. O2. There was left
unused about $1,000 sacks, which are
now on hand, together with unused
lumber and other materials, including
gasoline power boat which cost $367 10.
The value of the unused material,
which il now on hand and stored in
levee board warehouses, amounts to
about $1,000. There were on hand
previously 36, 700 old sacks, valued at
81, 1876. 90. THE NET COST OF THE
HIGH WATER FIGHT IS THERE
FORE $25, ACC, 90,
The contrast shown is as Impressive
as it is painful. The three crevasses
at Beulah, Skipwith and Lake St. John,
alone, which would never have occurred
in levees up to the Dabney district
grades, have entailed cost of a round
million dollars. Could there be more
glarinE, and convincing, condemnation
than this difference in figures in the
costs of maintaining the respective
levee ines-of the governments past
policy of skimping on engineers esti-
mates The amount so wasted in vainly
trying to hold their weak lines would
have sutfced to raise the levees of the
respective districts to standard, and to
safety.
The lesson of the Dabney report is
not featured in complaint or blame. 1t
ia cited as a manifest and conclusive
reason for change of policy; for the
abandonment of the ruinous custom of
pairing down engineers estimates to
serve the purpose of a false economy.
No other argument should be needed than
q stated exhibition Of the vastly great.
er cost, and resulting damage, of the
incomplete over the completed levees.
To make the contrast plain, there
should be prepared a statement of the
past years expenses of the two kinds,
using the reports of the upper and the
lower Mississippi districts for ilustra-