Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-04
Engineers

The Corps Of Engineers was start
ed in the fiood-control business by
the 1927 Lower Mississippi disaster
that cost 313 lives and 1894 mil
lion. Congress decided that floods
were a Federal concern. and the
Army Engineers were put to work
on lower, Mississippi flood-control
projects. They also were ordered
to study the Nationwide flood
problem.
That's about where things stood
until the 1896 floods in Eastern
United States. particularly the Ohio
Valley, which cost lot lives and
$270 million. Congress promptly
put the engineers into the food
control business all over the coun-
try.
They've been at 1t ever since.
The engineers see their job
stemming from the Diane disaster
as three-phase one. 1t started
when the waters begin to rise and
will not end for several years.
The Emergency
First. the engineers pitched in
with their normal emergency pro-
cedure. They did rescue work,
emergency repair on dams and
levees. and gathered data-even
the Washington headquarters Of
the Corps Of Engineers was on "a
hour duty.
This was an extraordinary flood.
so the engineers, as part Of the
Army, helped civil authorities by
bringing In Bailey bridges, water
publication units, sandbags and so
forth. They removed debris, tore
down sagging buildings. rechanneled
rivers, made temporary repairs to
public buildings and communica-
tons nets.
All this work is still going on.
Flood Projects
Phase two will be augmentation
Of Q fiood-control program that
already has been approved by Con-
gress. About $500 million worth of
projects IN I'VE New England States
has been authorized over the last
nine years.
Money has been appropriated for
only $50 million worth Of these
levees. dams and reservoirs, how
ever.
If the whole $500 million pro-
gram had been completed when
Diane struck, millions of dollars
and scores Of lives could have been
saved. The projects which had
been completed proved Of great
value. For instance 10 projects,
including levees and food walls at
Hartford and East Hartford, Conn.
cost $l9.5 million, but saved an es-
timated $33 million In damages in
this one food alone.
None Of the completed projects
failed in the recent floods. nor were
they taxed to capacity. Dams held
back the water where they should,
and levees had height to spare.
The built-in margins Of safety
proved effective.
Complete the Proerom
The engineers are anxious to get
on with the rest Of the program.
but 1t. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis,
chief Of the Corps Of Engineers.
cannot say just which projects will
be recommended to the Bureau of
the Budget for the next fiscal year.
He is confident. however, there
will be step-up in construction.
THE public supports nood-con-
troll works strongly after they have
experienced such a food" he told
The Star. II have complete con-
fldence the American people will
demand an acceleration now in the
development Of water resources
both flood control and conservation
of water supply"
But" General Sturgis added.
peoples memories dim. In few
years most people will have for
gotten this flood In the past,
when disaster has been forgotten,
the will to build has diminished.
I hope-and believe-that there
will be no falling of Of effort this
time"
The next year or two will be