The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-06-23
TO PREVENT FLOOD
RANspELL WORKING FOR BIG
APPROPRIATION FOR LOWER
MISSISSIPPI.
ASKS s6o,ooo,ooo AT ONCE
Colonel sibert Tells Senate Commit
tee Panama Canal Was Built in
Time Because Money Was
Ready When Needed.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

WdSllQSCOl.-1u SENATE COHul<V
tee on commerce which has been dis
cussing the question of an appropria-
ton to prevent floods on the lower
Mississippi river called Lieut.. Col. VIII
liam L. Sibert, formerly member of
the isthmian canal commission and
who built the Gatun dam and locks.
before it as a witness a day or two
ago.
Senator Ransdell of Louisiana was
directly responsible for the summon
ing of the army officer. The senator
is anxious that congress should ap-
propriate a lump sum Of $60,O00,000
for levee work on the great river, q
sum sufficient to complete the work,
and he wants the appropriation made
at once, and it was for this reason
doubtless that the Panama canal engi-
neer was ordered to appear and give
testimony.
Senator Ransdell must be given
credit for being wise man. He was
not anxious to ask the army officer
witness much about the Mississippi
river, but he did want to ask him
why the Panama canal was built so
successfully and on time.
Colonel Sibert told the committee
that the Panama canal was built on
time because the money was ready
for the work when it was needed and
that the engineers, knowing the cash
was there, went ahead with the work
Of selecting the personnel for each
particular piece Of labor, bought the
machinery and started things moving.
and did this because they knew there
would be no delay in getting the nee
essary money. The army engineer
added that money was the thing which
enabled the government work to be
done properly and within the limits
of, the time set
Congress May Sanction Plan.
It Is possible that before adjourn
ment congress will sanction plan of
work which will put an end to floods
in the lower Mississippi and prevent
the recurrence of disasters which have
caused the loss of many lives and of
millions of dollars worth of property.
1t is certain that an appropriation to
begin the work will be forthcoming.
The only doubt that exists is whether
the lawmakers will commit the gov
eminent in advance to the expenditure
of the additional millions which will
make the labor continuous until the
end is reached.
Senator Ransdell is an advocate of
an immediate appropriation big
enough to complete the levee system
Of the Mississippi river so that the re-
currence Of the floods of other years
can be avoided. The losses that. have
come, 1t Is urged, are much greater
than the sum which will be needed
to prevent a repetition of the damage
in the future. The senator expected
to and probably did score a point
when he summoned one Of the Pana-
ma canal engineers to appear before
his committee and asked him what it
was that put the Panama canal
through so speedily and 50 well. So
it may be that to the success Of the
| isthmian waterway will be due the
completion of the big work in the Mis-
sissfppi valley.
Both army and civil engineers say
the way to stop floods in the lower
Mississippi is to build levees. They as
sert that the immense tract Of low
/ country which the Mississippi river
drains is Ill adapted to reservoir
system for the storing of water; that
this system can be used advantage
ously only in hilly country and to pre-
vent the overflow of small rivers
The great Mississippi river, they say
is a different proposition and levees
1 which will keep the water within the
banks of the stream are the effective
means of preventing disasters.
Only Money and Work Needed.
From what engineers say the pro
lection of the low lands along the
Mississippi river is question OF
money and work only, and that by the
expenditure of fifty or sixty millions
OF dollars the stream can be chained
for all time and the claiming will take
only few years.
Levees, both from an engineering
and layman's standpoint, are simply
banks. Earth is piled along the sides
Of the stream until 1t is high enough
to keep the water confined, no matter
how heavy the rainfall or how rapid
the melting Of the snow. The earth IL
piled up until the rivers banks are
made higher than nature made them
and then the earth is sown with the
seed of the Bermuda grass. which is
tough, wiry and tenacious.
There is of course today q levee
system on the Mississippi river. II
extends for Q good many miles, and
moreover along parts of the river
there are high banks where it Will not
be necessary to do any work There
are. however, long stretches between
levees and between the, natural banks
which as yet are not properly pro
tected,
If congress does what the Louisiana
senator wants it to do, the money for
the levee work will be forthcoming at
once to be used as the work of levee
building goes on. There VIII be a
large sum ct any rate available for a
years work on the levees.
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