Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-04-05
LANES PLAN TO
PREVENT FLOODS
Would Have All Streams Made
Deeper.
BIG RECLAMATION PROJECT

Secretary Of the Interior Explains How
Channels Of Mississippi Valley Wa
terways Might Be Greatly improved.
Too Great a Task For Individual
States to Undertake.
Ffanklln II. Lane. secretary Of the
interior. recently detailed to a corre-
spoudett i plan for preventing such
floods as devastated Ohio and Indiana.
The plan, which presents itself to the
head of the department OF the interior
chiefly MS an enormous reclamation
project. hinges on the deepening and
widening of the channels of all
streams liable to Hood conditions.
Mr.. I.aue hopes to see the idea car
ried ont through the cooperation Of
the federal government. with the aid
Of the states Immediately endangered.
The engineering in connection with
channels Is directly In the hands of
the war department. aud Mr. Lane
takes no exception 10 that. But be-
cause Of its reclamation features the
plan he outlines falls within the juris-
dietion of his department.
Aside from the perpetual protection
against food which he believes his
plan would give to settlers In low re-
gions. there are widespread districts
along the Mississippi and many other
rivers that would be thrown open to
settlement. The land thus reclaimed
from the swamps might 60 Il long
way. in Mr.. Lanes opinion, to REIN
huTse the stntes for the appropriations
they would be called upon to make.
What Constitutes Reclamation.
'The reclamation service" said the
secretary OF the interior. usually is re-
gardcd MS renting TO the arid lands Of
Tie west which are reclaimed by bring
iuy water from the mountains. but in
nnother way reclamation is a great
problem in the Mississifhi valley and
the east. Here. Of course. the land is
not arid and there Is no scarcity of
water. But the water Is to be removed
from the hand. aud that is as tit subject
for reclamation work as that now be-
ing carried on in the desert lands out
west.
The reclamation or these overwater.
ed lands. however. TO be of real value,
'milst be preceded by systematic work
on the channels OF the streams drain
ing the areas to be improved, 1'be dis.
aster nj Dayton illustrates the point
The trouble was simply that the neck
of-the bottle was too small for the wa
ater TO run ont. The rain fell In tor
rents. and With no unobstructed chan.
mel to the sea the water simply backed
up ~ the river banks. The rain
storm. know, was phenomenal and
even with the system | have suggested
would have doubtless resulted In ma.
terial damage aud the loss Of some
lives. But Hood conditions reappear
every spring in some noticeable way.
and my plan would obviate most of
the resulting damage.
A National Problem.
cit will not do for Ohio or Indiana
or even tue two states together to
spend their money generously In clear
ing the beds of the streams within
their boundaries. That would merely
carry the hood more swiftly to the
state lines 10 the south. and the water
would back more angrily than ever
INFO what would quickly be great
lakes. The thing is too large for the
States alone. a harmonious. scientific
system must be worked out by the fed
eral authorities, and the states must
then make their contributions in the
way that will do the most good to the
whole valley affected"
How this cooperation between the
federal ana state governments might
be effected Mr. Lane illustrated by
plans now pending before his depart
ment for cooperating with the state
of Oregon in retaining 10000 acres oil
arid land. The land Is under the gov
ernment's owuership-as the rivers
wou.d he under the governments 1u
risdictioit-and the government cngi
neerS of the reclamation service ar,
asked 20 do the work. The state oI
Oregon supplies the water and contrib
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