South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-01
FEDERAL CONTROL
IS NECESSARY To
PREVENT FLOODS
Engineers Who Went Over
Ohio Districts Find Much of
the Loss Was Due to Arti-
fetal Contraction.

WASHINGTON. oct 1.-Immedi
ate legislation TO place under federal
control the construction Of all bridges
and their approaches and 10 prevent
encroachments upon channels in trib-
utaries on navigable rivers was rec
commended in a report submitted to
Secy. Garrison Tuesday by the board
Of army engineers appointed TO in
vestigate the floods which devastated
the Ohio valley last spring.
Artificial contraction of river chan
nels and their adjacent food plans.
which caused the disaster. the board
declared can be prevented only b.
systematic. comprehensive control by
the central government without inter
ference from the state authorities.
The report written by Lieut. Col.
Francis r. Skunk. and transmitted
through Brig Idier Gen. Rossell. chief
OF the army engineers. was given gen
eral approval by both Secy. Garrison
and Gen Rossell.
The board has been much i'm
pressed in its examination. said the
report. by the evils Of divided con
troll Of the water courses. The OBJ
structions which have been placed
along the various streams ought never
TO have been put there, but since the
control of rivers is in the twilight zone
between the speCtres Of federal and
state authority. it was developed that
what was anybOdys business was no
bOdy's business and no effective au-
thority has been exercised by any
body"
These rivers (Ohio tributaries) are
feeders of a navigable stream and
have an important effect on the regime
of the Ohio river and it is the opinion
of the board that the authority OF
the United States should be exercised
TO prevent encrOaChmentS upon them
exactly as in the case of navigabe
streams. The board further urges
that immediate steps be taken to eX-
ercise such authority, since bridges
and other structures are TO be rebuilt
at once and there is evident danger in
several places that they may be re-
built in an obstructive manner"
Describing the conditions in the
flood territory. the report said:
Building lines have been pushed
forward into the streams. bridge abut-
ments have been carried out beyond
proper limits. piers so placed as TO
further choke the channels. and deck
bridges v ith insufficient vertical clear
ance have been used instead OF
througl br4dges at proper elevations.
OI lHt hoOu pldluS. CllleS anu lpWllS
have been located as to act as dams
and railroad embankments have been
carried from bluff TO bluff All these
by banking up the water above them
caused differences Of level which de-
velOped currents of high velocity,
which caused the unusual damages Of
the floods. such as destruction OF
houses and bridges, tearing up streets
and loss Of life"
Board Approves Plans.
The board approved food proven
ton plans tentatively worked out
from Columbus. o. but pointed out
that unless a means of escape for
water delivered to the lower reaches
were provided the food would merely
be transferred from one point TO an
other.
This indicates" the report con-
tinued, the necessity of adopting a
comprehensive plan for the SciotO
valley. to which plan the special pro-
jeCts for the various towns must be
accommOd ated Columbus. Dayton
and Hamilton have provided for such
surveys as are necessary for their own
particular purposes. but so far as the
board knows. no comprehensive sur
vey is being made that includes all Of
the information necessary for solving
the problem Of flood control Of any
stream in the Ohio river basin"
The board reported that It was not
present prepared to recommend means
of preventing the occurrence Of high
stages in the rivers due 10 excessive
rainfall. A site for a reservoir near
kenton. o.. was examined. but the
engineers believe prospects for sites in
other parts of the Ohio basin. notably
PENNSYLVANIA. West Virginia and Ken
lucky are better and recommends fur
Their investigation. They also recon-
mend that the work of formulating a
plan OF doOd control be entrusted 70
the army engineers at Pittsburgh who
n1rnnA,- har.n To Ken IN The r,rnhIer,,