The Bottineau courant., 1922-05-18
FLOODS ON THE MISSISSIPPI

SOHSIGSS duLHUIIASu cOmmlLLee Go
visit the flooded districts of the Mis-
issippi River and ascertain the cause
of the present great floods and breaks
In the levees. was one Of those who
visited the flooded regions between
the Memphis and New Orleans. Thous-
ands Of people are turned out Of their
homes, all prospective crops destroyed
animals drowned, and many buildings
swept away or completely covered
with water. Millions of dollars of dam
age have been done largely the result
of the breaking of the levees or the
earth embankments or dikes built to
hold the waters within the confines
Of the River. These are located sever
al hundred feet back from the River
bed and in places for more than a
mile. Whole counties in three or four
states are now under from s to 30
feet Of water and will be for several
weeks because of the floods from the
headwaters of the tributaries Of the
Mississippi. The waters from not less
than 81 states are now pouring into
this great River, the Mississippi. also
some Of the Great Lakes water thru
the drainage ,crannel at Chicago. The
devastation is terrible in a region one
fourth as great as that of the State
of North Dakota. They will need help
for several months. Fortunately the
Red Cross has come temporarily to
their relief but the country must re-
spond. The levees built in the early
days along the River were not strong
enough to control the flood waters in
a period like that we have Just wit.
messed, but all the new levees built
according to Government engineers
specifications or standards are stand
ing we'll and no strain to disturb them.
In one section of about miles more
than 1000 men We're fighting day and
night to hold the waters of the river
within it's banks and the fight is a
most desperate one made by those
whose homes and all are at stake. Mil
lions of gunny sacks in this short strip
filled with earth are carried on the
backs of the people or in wheel bar
rows up the embankment and placed
on the top and sides of the ,levee to
protect it from breaking.
Build all the levees up to Govern
ment standard, about 26 feet high, s
feet broad on the top and about 100
feet base, including the banouettes
and there will rarely if ever be breaks
to overflow this wonderful country.
1t is estimated to bring the levee up
to standard will need approximately
$28,000,000 and would require three
years time. This is a Government ne
cessity. The nation is interested, for
the waters of all the great central re-
g1ons OF America-from the crest of
the Appalachains on the east to the
tops of the Rockies on the west and
from the Canadian border on the north
to the Gulf of Mexico must send their
waters largely down this channel and
when floods are simultaneous on the
headWaters of several of the tributar-
les and the flooded farm lands of the
west are pouring through open drains
and tiles their great body of water
down this channel, who can say the
nation has not responsibility to
help control it's waters and save the
people of the great Mississippi Delta
from loss if not from total destruc-
ton? Many whole sections along the
River are now taxed about $4.OO per
acre for'improvement purposes, levees
drainage and roads.