Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-24
RIVER SURVEY TO
BE STARTED BY
WAR RDEPARTMENT
Secretary Woodward to AS
sist Navigation Scheme by
Furnishing Data
WILL LEND EVERY AID
Advisability of Making Sus-
quehanna Navigable to
Be Determined


That actual work on the pre-
liminary examination and survey of
the Susquehanna river from Har-
| risburg to the mouth with a view
to determining the advisability of
its improvement by the Federal
Government for navigation purposes
is about to begin was made known
to-day in letter addressed to
James f. Woodward, Secretary of
Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania, by
Col. j. ]. Loving of the United
! States Engineers Office in the War
Department.
Provisions for the preliminary
examination and survey were made
in the river and harbor act ap-
proved March 2, 1919, but it was
not until to-day that it was learned
that such an early start on the ac-
tual work was contenl plated.
Col. Loving wrote to Secretary
Woodward pointing out that it was
his belief that much of the data
needed by the Government authori-
ties was already compiled in Penn
sylvania, principally in the Depart
| ment of Internal Affairs and he in
quired as to whether such data
could be made available for the
Government engineers in preparing
their report In reply Secretary
Woodward told Col. Loving that
the Department of Internal Affairs
will be very glad to lend every as
sistance possible in this work aud
| invites you to call upon it without
hesitation for cooperation and as
sistance."
In his letter, Col. Loving said
orla y,
be mprehensive, information and
data under the following headings
must be compiled:
"1-Physical characteristics of
the river, including discharge at
various stages.
"2-Physical characteristics of
the Volley and watershed
"3-Population of contiguous
territory.
"4-Industrial development, re-
sources, and output of contiguous
territory.
"5-Present navigation on river,
if any: commerce handled.
H6-Output of the coal and iron
! fields of Pennsylvania that may
| reasonably be expected to be handl-
ed on the Susquehanna river, if
navigable."
Regarding the physical charac-
| teristics of the river, Secretary
| Woodward referred Col. Loving to
| the State Water Supply Commits
sion. On all of the other points the
| Department of Internal Affairs will
| be able to offer the bulk of the re-
! quired data.
The Bureau of Topographic and
| Geological Survey to be established
in the department shortly will be
| of considerable help to the Federal
! authorities. The bill creating the
bureau was. passed by the last
Legislature and approved recently
/ by Governor Sproul. During it's
passage through the two branches
| of the General Assembly the bill
! was known as an administration
measure and it was the Governors s
! idea that such a bureau should be
| maintained in the Department of
Internal Affairs at all times so as to
be in position to give information
and make surveys which would
| prove beneficial to the State as we'll
as to the National Government The
bureau takes the place of a Topo-
! graphic and Geological Survey
Commission which had been in ex-
! istence for. number of years, and
| all the information held by the
commission will now be turned over
| 10 the bureau "nen IT. is organized.
Data concerning the physical char
acteristics of the Susquehanna val
! ley and the watershed about which
Col. Loving inquired, will be sup
piled in full by the bureau.
Likewise the various bureaus in
| Secretary Woodward's department
will be able to supply the Federal
authorities with information re-
garding the population of the con-
| tiguous territory and especially
about the industrial development,
resources and output of the territory
| which is considered of vital i'm
| portance by the Federal officials.
| Information will also be supplied
| by the department on present navi-
| cation on the Susquehanna and in
conjunction with the Department
of Mines, information regarding the
output of the coal fields that may
be expected to be handled on a
navigable Susquehanna will be
given.
to-day that as soon as the Washing
ton authorities are ready for the
specific information he will see to
it that they get it. He will give
instructions to the various bureaus
which will compile the data that no
time is to be lost in getting it to
Col Loving. The Secretary is deep
ly interested in a navigable Sus-
quehanna and on numerous occa-
sions since coming to Harrisburg has
indicated his desire to cooperate
in the work. ...