The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-01
INVESTIGATORS OF
FLOOD DISASTERS
SUBMIT REPORT

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control by the central government without
interference from the state authorities
The report, written by Lieutenant Col
onei Francis r. Skunk, and transmitted
through Brigadier General Rossell, chief
of the army engineers, was given gem
eral approval by both Secretary Garrison
and General Rossell
Board Impressed
1.-THE board has been much impressed
in it's examinations" said the report, "by
the evils of divided control of the water
courses. The distractions which have
been placed along the various streams
ought never to have been put there, but
since the control of rivers is in the twi-
light zone between the spheres of federal
and state authority. 1t developed that
What was anybody's business was no.
body's business and no effective authority
has been exercised by anybody
These rivers (Ohio tributaries) are
feeders of a navigable stream and have
an important effect on the regimen of the
Ohio river, and it is the opinion of the
board that the authority OF the United
States should be exercised to prevent en-
croachments on them exactly as in the
case of navigable streams. The board
further urges that immediate steps be
taken to exercise such authority, since
bridges and other structures are to be
rebuilt at once and there is evident dam
ger in several placesst that they may be
rebuilt in an obstructive manner"
Conditions Described
Describing the conditions in the flood
territory, the report said
building lines have been pushed for
ward into the streams, bridge abutments
have been carried out beyond proper linn
its piers so placed as to further choke the
channels and deck bridges with insult
ficlent vertical clearance have been>used
instead of through bridges at proper ele-
vations. On the flood plains cities and
towns have been so located as to act as
dams and railroad entertainments have
been carried from bluff to bluff All
these by banking up the water above
them, caused differences of level which
developed currents of high velocity which
in turn caused the unusual damages of
the floods, such as destruction of houses
and bridges, tearing up streets and loss
of life
The board approved flood prevention
plans tentatively worked out from CO.
lumbus, o., but pointed out that unless
means of escape for water delivered to
the lower reaches were provided, the
flood would merely be transfrrd from
on point to another.
Need Comprehensive Plan
This indicates" the report continued,
'the necessity of adopting a comprehen-
sive plan for the Scioto valley, to which
plan the special projects for the various
towns must be accommodated. 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 survey is
being made that includes all of the in
formation necessary for the solving of the
problems of flood control of any stream
in the Ohio river basin.'
The board reported that 1t would at
present prepare to recommend means OF
preventing the occurrence of high stages
In the rivers due to excessive rainfall. A
site for reservoir near Kenton, o.. was
examined, but the engineers believe pros
poets for sites in other parts of the Ohio
basin, notably Pennsylvania, West Vir-
ginia and Kentucky, are better, and
recommended further information. They
also recommended that the work of for
mulating plan of flood control be in
trusted to the army engineers at Pitts
burg, who already have taken up the
problem.
In transmitting the report General Ros-
sell suggested that the entire bridge mat
ter could be handled by the army en-
gineers with, a very small addition to
their present forces He also recommend
ed greater cooperation with the interior
and agricultural departments