The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-20
II Seems hM
BY
HEYWO0DBROUN
(Robert Brown batting for Haywood Broun>
BY ROBERT S. BROWN
TiG,rs Snecial Writer

Ts'.s Special Writer
VXTASHINGTOa7. March 2O-Suficent work has
w been completed on the lower Mississippi River
control program to protect the valley in the present
crisis, Army engineers believe.
While swollen waters, fed by the flooded Ohio and
other Eastern tributaries may carSe some damage to
dkes and channels not yet completed, engineers
said that only great flood would bring rear alarm.
The control project started shortly after Congress
adopted the Mississippi flood control act in May,
1928 is expected to be completed next year. More
than $50 million yards Of earth have been placed
protecting ievees. The entire program calls for
ing about $50 million yards
Congress authorized total of 1925 600 900 for the
job. So far 272,000000 has been spent.
T7LOOD control work extends from Rock Island
Il ILL.,, to the Gulf of Mexico, but the greater part
is being done below Cairo, Ill, where the Ohio joins
the Mississippi. back levee of the New Madrid
hoodway extending from Birds Point, Mo-, to New
Madrid, Mo, has been completed. This will protect
southwestern Missouri and the hoodway will pro-
tect Cairo
Levees protecting the Reelfoot section of Kentucky
and Tennessee have peen enlarged with resulting
added safety to tti- region. In Arkansas from New
Madrid SOUTH the ST. Francis basin has been given
protection from oCd aers by construction of evees
along the little river drainage canal ST. johns bayou
and the main stream OF the Mississippi.
Extension and expansion of entertainments on the
south bank of the Arkansas River will help southern
Arkansas ana pdTJS VI lLOulSidIld AIcFSCo III Vic
Yazoo basin in Mississippi have been raised and
strengthened from the bluffs Memphis to
point Just north of the Yazoo River at Vicksburg,
Miss.
A RMY engineers have completed control work
IA along the entire length of louisiana Levees
along Atchafaaya and Red Rivers have been rebuilt.
The Bonnet Care spillway designed to protect New
Orleans, is completed ana can be placed in use
whenever necessary.
The same improvements have been carried to
completion along the main Mississippi wherever
local communities have been able to readJust their
facilities to the higher and stronger levees.
The entire plan of control is based on the con-
structon of levees, great ridges of erth piled up
parallel to the channel and situated far enough
from the river to be safe from caving banks. These
handmade boundaries vary from 20 to 80 feet in
height.
Earth for the entertainments is taken from shallow
pits far enough back from the levees to prevent I'M
foreground percoation which might undermine or
destroy the levees. In instances the parallel
ridges have been built by hydraulic dredges pump
ing the earth through pipelines.
TN certain areas revetments have been built along
mattress extending from the low-water line to near
midstream as we'll as paving above the low-water
line.
Progress on the Federal flood control project has
been beyond first expectations. Almost FL work is
being done by private contractors under Army super
vision.
The program contemplates protection for the en-
tire alluvial valley of the Mississippi