The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-30
LAND OWNERS
MEET AT MARKS
Flood Control Would Divert COldwa.
ter and Tsllahatehie Rivers
Benefit 5000, 600 Acres.


to Ya.oo City and east from the Y
& NJ. v. Railroad to the hills, would
be benefited by a vast reclamation
project considered by gathering of
plant crs and land owners here this
afternoon.
This project involves damming the
Coldwater River and the diversion of
, its flood waters through canal into
the Mississippi River by way of Horn
Lake, and the diversion of the flood
waters of the Tallahatchie Rive.
through canal extending from the
neighborhood Of Datesville at least
to the vicinity of Greenwood and per-
haps farther south.
Prominent Men Attend.
1t was an assembly of powerful
men who gathered today to initiate
the movement. w. B. Burk and P. H
Starks of the Lamb-Fish Lumber
Company were here, as was Bob Car
rier CT Sardis. Others included the
following: DIR. H. w. Crenshaw, Cren-
S'od~e and W. r. Taylor
of Sledge. S. F. Jones and o. C. Neill
:. -4.enwood, Richard Cheatham of
Walls, former Congressman George
W. Fithian of Newton, Ill.,, S. B.
Fithian, of Falcon, j. w. Kerr Of Saw
age, +. ". Cannon of Senatobia, R.
A. Cox of Marks. And there were 9TH
ers in number sufficient to fill the cir
cult courtroom. Judge Denton of
Marks presided, while Mr.. Kirby of
Tunica acted as secretary.
L. L. Hidinger of Memphis, vice
president of the Morgan Engineering
Company; Willis Ayres of Memphis,
Jacob A. Harman of Elliott & Hartman
Of Peoria. ILL.,, A. L. Dabney and L.
w. Mashburn of Clarksdale were the
engineers who gave opinions on var
ious phases of the project. Mr.. Hid
niger through the connection of the
Morgan company with the Yazoo-
Coldwater Drainage District; Mr.
Harman, through his connection with
the Yocona- -Tallahatchie Drainage
District, and Mr.. Dabney, through his
former connection with the old Talla-
hatchie district, led in the discussion.
AS now projected, it is planned to
dam the Coldwater at point about
five miles east of Lost Lake, then di-
vert the waters of the river by means
Of creeks and canal into Horn Lake
and thence into the Mississippi River
The outlet of the canal would be just
south of the station of Lakeview. Ir
'',is manner all the vast volume OF
! >od water which now pours from the
/ lis into Coldwater and thence into
| the Tallahatchie to flood the level al.
/ iuvial plains Of that stream and the
:, azoo, would be diverted by short
route into the Mississippi.
This same effect would be increased
further, it is contended, by running 6
| canal from the point near Batesville
where the Tallahatchie energies from
| the hills, south to the neighborhood oil
| Greenwood, or even further south
This canal would just skirt the
foot of the hills, so that some exca
vation and the construction of certain
| levees on the west side Of the propos
ed watercourse, would enable con
/ finement of the flood waters to
! channel right against the foot of tn
hills, which would form the east banl
| of the canal. This canal would alb
sorb all the flood waters from tn
hills, while the normal channel of th'
Tallahatchie would be able to TAX
care of the water originating in tn
delta through which it flows, withou
overspreading its banks.
| Whether or not these two project
are to be put into operation througl
single agency yet is to be deter
mined. They were laid before tn
gathering here today separately bu
with an explanation of their combin
ed effect.
Will Hold Another Meeting.
It was the sense of the gatherin
THAT another meeting should be hel
by residents of the south end Of th
interested territory, probably 9
Greenwood, and 8. F. Jones and O.
tNeil1 Of Greenwood, and Mr.. Jones Z
Belxoni were appointed committe
to ascertain sentiment in their end q
the proposed area. II it Is favorabl'
= big meeting il to be called. TO whic
all interested in the project will be il
vited-
BY that time the engineers probs
bly, will have calculated the cost IN
completed 1t least tentatively the
plans for accomplishing the work on
lined.
That eompIetion of this plan to tai
by the throat the hills streams whic
periodically inundate tie a1luvi'
plains Of the Yaxoo Valley with the
torrents, win mean millions of dolla1
to the residents u the territory
n 4