The Detroit times., 1914-05-18
Need for Flood Protection Most Urgent

falls OF Niagara running dry, VIII TO
veal TO the world immense beauty
health and wealth scattered by cleo
trical and chemical means all over
the country. while the grandeur OF tns
Whirlpool rapids, unchanged and nm
dimineshd. will have higher esthet'
ic value, deeper meaning or beau
~ than they can possible have TOT
us. The world will then smile al
the esthetic scruples OF SO many well
meaning people OF our own time ana
will wonder what all that talk or saw
ing natures beauty was about"
The various attempts that have
been made in the past TO increase the
amount of water at Niagara Falls Tor
power purposes have given the au-
thorities at Washington a very clear
idea or the situation, and II may be
said that any attempt 10 destroy the
falls viii be vigorously fought by the
American Civic association, the Ma
tional Federation OF Woman's CLUBS
and other organizations which have
fought for the preservation or the
scenic beauty OF the falls Ii Is felt
In the nations capital that the pow
er problem in this country Is not so
pressing as TO take away from the
people one OF the few remaining won
derful spectacles OF nature. The
chemists who know so much about
economic problems have evidently not
calculated the opposition that Will
come to their plans from the thou
sands OF sentimental young people In
the United States, For where will
the honeymooners go if Niagara Falls
hpCnmaQ drxy
A miracle in federal government
has just come TO light-army engi-
neers report TO congress that there 10
one section in the United States
where the people do not care 20 have
Uncle Sam improve their river IA
cilities. AS rule. any part OF the
country that has creek or run Is
always willing TO allow the federal
government to spend all the money
1t desires, but the people living In
the territory drained by the historic
Potomac river, from Washington 10
Cumberland, Md. distance OF l95
miles, not only refused for the most
part to attend the meetings held IN
several villages, but In one instance,
at Harper's Ferry, several days after
the time set for the meeting, the
citizens sent TO Washington a pro-
test against the Improvement on the
ground that it would not do the town
any good.
This Is the modern answer OF the
representatives OF one OF the oldest
TRANSPORTATION routes in the United
States, for In the days OF George
Washington, and largely through his
interest, the canal between Washing
ton and Cumberland was planned as
the main artery Of commerce TO ex-
tend into what was then known as the
west. It was in 1872 that Washing
ton, a member OF the house or bur
gesses OF Virginia, secured an act by
that house providing for the opening
OF the Potomac river from tidewater
at Washington TO Cumberland by pri-
vate subscription and lottery. but as
Maryland did not pass a similar act
nothing was done at that time.
In 1888, when the agitation for the
improvement OF the Potomac river
was resumed, largely through Wash
ington's efforts, the "Potowmack
Company" was organized and con.
struction began. An arsenal was es-
tablished at Harper's Ferry. at the
mouth OF the Shenandoah, at Wash
ington's solicitation, and was main
tanned there until after the Civil war.
This company used the river where
II could. and constructed lateral ca
nails 10 get around the falls and shall
10 m
1928, the present Chesapeake a. Ohio
canal was constructed.
This canal is now being operated
as a private concern and Is shipping
yearly from Cumberland TO Washing
ton about 10000 tons OF csal. The
army engineers in their inves ,Iga-
tions found that the famous water
way, perhaps better known in its day
than some of the present trunk lines
OF railways, has an Indebtedness OF
more than s27,000,000, state liens ag
gregating $25,000,000, the balance or
the indebtedness being judgments and
claims. The engineers also give IL
as their view that the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad Co. is in reality in con-
troll of the canal. However that may
be-" says Col w. c. Langfitt OF the
engineer corps, at is a matter OF fact
that the rate on coal from the mines
to tidewater is $1.65 per ton, whether
by all rail or rail and canal"
The secretary OF war has, in view
OF all the facts, recommended that
the improvement be not made on the
ground that the benefits resulting
would not be commensurate with the
great cost