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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1908)
c TUB OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 23. 1008. OVERFLOW OF RIVERS CAUSES GREAT LOSSES Tremendous Damage Done Each Year Especially in Mid- die West Havoc of Eloodi of , 190-Waste of Vai- liable Resources. By FREDERIC J. RASKIN. XCopyright. X908, by Frederic J. Haskln.) The recent devastation of cities and farms by the waters of the Ohio, lrnnAt TaA nt ICnwt rivers nlapaa more TiTiaiy uviurs uo mo uti mat the people" of the United States lose by flood each year aa average of $100,000,000.; Two weeks ago the 12,000 Inhabitants of Armourdale, in Kansas City's packing house district, had to abandon, their homes as tha . . I , I . H iv. v water backed In. Down tne vauey or the Big Sioux 100,000 acres of farm land were laid waste the early part of June. .Cedar City, Mo., saw its population move out en masse when the Missouri river left, Its banks on June 14. Two thirds of the bottom lands within sight of Jefferson City were under water, with wheat fields swamped in from six to 18 Inches of water a million dollars loss to farmers. The usually, harmless lit tle Saunganunga surrounded Topeka with water on Jane 13, and wrought havoc next only, to that of the flood of 1903. ' . , The Columbia, encouraged by heavy rains and melUn snows In lta liMd waters, rose until the pumping station cf Wenatchee, Wash., was carried away, and lumber Interests , were greatly threatened. m jtmpona, mb -sha, and ita tributary, the Cottonwood, brought the worst flood that section !)ias experienced. The tar northwestern tlood plain suffered most. Continued rain and anow of early June days set the rivers and creeks rushing from 'their banks, telephone and telegraph 'communications were cut off and trains on the Northern Pacific were tied up for 10 ' days, ; Anaconda, Butte , and iHelena were cut off from the rest f the world, until the old-time pony 'express was revived to meet the situa tion. Mines In that region were closed mud business operations In the city suspended. At Missoula a.g-iantmill was injured to the extent of ISO, 000 or more, and communication with Spokane cut off for days. . . , And so on through the list of floods that hare recently swept a wide area f the country in the west, the lowlands of Arkansas and Texas, the valleys of the Ohio and of the rivers on the At lantic slope. In the trail of each over flow has come loss of property In the : shape of crops, homes and stock, and sometimes loss of life. In the trail of all has come a greater and a more abiding loss In the shape of eroded mountain and hillsides, oorraded river banks and silt-choked river beds. And greatest of all has come the great waste of water that rushes unimpeded toward the seas, depriving the earth of the moisture it needs for the summer and fall crops, defrauding the rivers of the Water necessary to maintain . that van current and deDth throughout the years, eo necessary to ' the support of that great trafflo which the nation hopes to see on her inland waterways. Deplorable . Wast. j AIIU vim Ul'lWI U W ...... B -, the thing which Is a sad commentary on our national thrift and Intelligence, Is that the greater part of this great waste and Incalculable loss Is our own fault. The headwaters of these over flowing rivers He among the moun tains which, in the beginning of things, a wise creator set with forests that were designed to. conserve the winter snows and vernal ' rains, and then re lease them later through underground springs and rivulets to the thirsty val leys below. ' The river courses lay through plains set with -trees ana un dergrowth that would hold the water from an overflow and keep. It safe In the tDoncre of fallen leaves, the roots. end old fogs, until such a time as the winds or tne soil asicea it again.: Man, In his misguided Idea, of pros- rerlty, is denuding the slopes of their rees aa rapidly as human and mechani cal agency can eriect it, ana when tne nows and heavy rainwater find no abiding places, as in olden days, ana rush down the valleys to bring death and destruction In their wake, this same man stts and wonders at the dispensa tion of a providence that will so inter fere with his material prosperity and happiness! As the first settler of the country, the white man began the work of deforestation as a protection to his home from Indian ambush, and as a means of acquiring tillable land. Later, be did It to acquire needed building ma terial, fuel, etc. : ' Xa Three Centuries. In the three centuries of his progress S ad axe man and pathmaker for com merce, he has in his lsrnorance increased the flood evil from a practically neg ligible volume to Its present startling strength. With Old World lessons in flooded areas below naked hills fresh in his mind, he has nevertheless proved little better than his Indian neighbors. It was the Indian who first deprived America of Dart of her forests. Scien tists tell us that the great prairies of the west were once foreBt lands, from which the prehistoric American burned the vegetation wiien gathering . nuts, destroying trees on 1 countless acres through countless centuries. At the Restaurant COB3T2S TH33LD AJTO COUCH STS. OFXJT DAT ABO WIGHT . Dinner From. 11 a. m, to S p. m. Chicken Soup. Free With Ma!s Lettuce 10V . "Sliced Tomatoes" 10s4 Chicken fealad, Mayonnaise Dtesuing . ................. .20 Fried Razor Clams. ... 15, Fried Halibut .i ........... . .'.154 Fried Shad , 154 FTled Tenderloin of Sole, Tartar Sauce .. ( .154 Fried Salmon .. . . , .. . . .. , 204 polled Mackerel. Drawn Butter... 30e teamed Little Neck Clams. . .204 Clnm Boullllon, with Toast.. . ...154 Hoi led . Bocf Tongue and Spinach, ,204 t hicken Pot Pie.., .,...30o Scrambled Calves'. Brains, i-. 254 J'orJt Spare Ribs and New Cabbage, 204 Veal Kaunage and Cauliflower,;.;. 204 Olympia Oyster Patties. . u, .. . 254 Cmall Tenderloin Steak ald Onions 254 Cold Ham and Potato fluted. yv.204 Pork Tenderloin, New Potatoes. , 254 fhort Ribs Beef Spanish 204 Piokled Pigs' Feet and Potato - PaHd ... . . . . . .........,.. .204 Codfish In Cream..., .,-.15 orneJ Beef Hash nnd Egg;j,4,.154 Jee.f 6tew and . Vegetablus. i-,. '.154 pork end- Beans.-;-. ... .... .iv,. if 154 Half Spring Chicken, on Toast..,. 50e J:omt Chi-ken with Pressing. S04 l-.oant Veal with Pressing. ....... ..204 3 ;odt Pork with Pressing. ...., .204 lioant J-Jeef with Brown Uravy.r, ,le ) oast painb with Mint Sauce. .,..204 F li'd incumbers , . . . . , .......... 104 (rvo tJntons ..................... &C jtK.,iwH.s 54 ' Plcklod Beets 54 Nnw 1'otaioes In Cream..., ...... ...54 Nfw ('Hhhage .......... f ......... 54 f !itiwl.crrlts snd Cream. .i , 1 04 1 ii Itasp1ierrls and Cream. ... .u 04 ((niwlxrrv ihort Cake .....,104 Urswberrv lee Crfm 10 Ciiife, Kread snd Hutter and Potalows f With All Mesls. j IMnlng Room for Jjidios . iPtimcr iioin 11 a, . to p. m, i foot of the Appalachians the flames paused, because the vegetation was damper there and less easy to destroy. With the increase In floods comes the yearly Increase In danger to the ripar ian cities of the nation. The earliest cities were naturally built' on water ways to secure the needed transporta tion facilities. Eighteen of Illinois 31 biggest cities are on rivers, IS of In diana's 18 biggest ones, nearly all the leading onen of Missouri, and two-thirds of those of Pennsylvania. Over half the population of Iowa is riparian, and in Olilo there are not over a half dozen big cities In the uplands. Of 355 cities lying below the "fall line" of eastern rivers between New England and the 100th meridian,. 104 degrees, with an ag gregate population of about 6,000,000 are river towns. All these cities, through their churches, pray weekly for deliverance from war pestilence, fire, flood and famine, and through the ex ercise of modern Invention and discov ery havs proved their ability to suc cessfully combat all but one. The flood problem hps not been met and grows bigger every year. Dwellers by aUvera, Dwellers In these river towns and In the valleys have learned to expect a flood at periods of three, five, or, at most, ten years. The more Intelligent, those who have really awakened to the gravity of the situation, are asking gov-! eminent aid In defending themselves against these floods. They ask for great Storage reservoirs at the head-1 waters of the principal rivers, where the surplus from tiie thaws and spring rains can be held and sent down the rivers later on, -in the west, diverted to the Irrigation projects. j They ask for the building of levees and cut-offs on flood plains as a tem porary measure, but above all they are asking for a preservation of the for ests on mountain and hill, and a careful; reforesting of all denuded slopes. I The total area of the watershed of the Mississippi Is 1,269,000 square miles, and during great floods It dis charges 2,000,000 cubic feet of water every second. It carries an alluvial de- Fostt that nas formed new land from orty feet deeo at Omaha to 300 feet, deep at New Orleans, cover-, Ins 80.000 sauare miles, a surface the size of the state of Montana; with an average of 170 feet of alluvial soil, and using material stolen, unchallenged, from the hills and farm lands. The yearly decrease of the habitable part or the whole earth la reckoned at . 2,600 square miles. It goes to the seas In the form of silt and much cf It can be charged to man's carelessness. Causa of noods. Floods come from early SDrlnr rains falling on frosen ground, from the form ing or sudden ice gorges in streams. from unusual local rainfalls, from land-' slides, and like phenomena, but the usual ones come rrom the lack or means for holding the early spring waters on the mountain, siaes. i ne iiooas or tne Mis souri and Mississippi usually last longest, sometimes from January to July, because of the slow advance of the sun over the widely diversified head waters. Those of the Ohio, "the most terrible on the earth's surface," are usually precipitated suddenly by the re leasing oi an tne snows at once in tne headwaters which lie parallel to the equator. The water released, forms a volume 100 feet high, 600 feet wide and 200 feet long, to be hurled sud denly at civilization. Last spring the loss caused by the ,Ohio floods aggregated over 1100,000, 000, about one fifth of the sum that congress would have to appropriate to purchase the whole Appalachian system of river hea 1 waters, and establish enough reservoirs to hold the spring surplus, and protect billions of dollars worth of property Indefinitely. The geo logical survey shows that the flow of 1,650 square n lies, or thirty-five per cent of the V-aWnge area of the Monon gahela can in stored, and released In dryi weather to Increase the depth of the channel six feet, and Incidentally protect Pittsburg. Fores tat Ion there and on the other watersheds of the east would cause a storage of from four to six Inches more water annually. A mini mum of 2,900,000 horse power Is de veloped In these headwaters everv vear. and, according to the geological survey, fifty per cent or more Is available for economic uses and would bring a rental of S2S.000.000. Br storing the snrina- flooda and releasing them for deepening i for dredging and improving river bedsj would be saved. The government has ! Sttent 130.000.000 imnrovlnr the rivers! of the Appalachian system and Is spend ing 256,000,000 more, expecting to In crease the 16.000.000 tons of freight shipped annually over water routes to a much greater amount. Floods and Business. Floods bear a direct relation to busi ness depression, and the relation to I human suffering property loss and1 spread of disease Is vital. During the 1907 spring flood, 100,000 working peo-1 pie In Pittsburg were rendered idle fori an average period of a week, and many were homeless. The floods of 1847. 1862: and 1883 were followed down the Mis-j sinslppi valley by cholera and other ep-! ldemlcs. In the spring of 1903, 2,000 000 ! acres of Jand were laid waste In the 1 west and '$40,000,000 worth of property destroyed. In 1901 and again In 1901, the southern Appalachian district lost! $10,000,000. In 1883 the loss to Clncln-! natl alone was $1,600,000 and the Mississippi valley suffered to the ex tent of $50,000,000. The flood of 1897 cost the valley $15,000,000, while the flood in the Monongahela valley cost western Pennsylvania $1,000,000. skeletons of former selves, for each na tion in turn has given its forests to mis guided civilisers. Northern Africa, once having a climate of Our gulf states is now ninety-five per cent aterile. Greece is becoming more barren, Sicily is typhus- Infested, France had been dam aged to the extent of untold millions be fore she Undertook to reforest her Mils The Rhone, the Po. the Adlgo, the Ebro, the Guadalquiver, and ' the Marltza, localities were floods, almost un known in the world's dim dawn, now annually threaten to depopulate their valleys. Storage reservoirs have recent- j ly oeen tried by various European coun tries to conserve the flood waters, but all, with the United States, will eventu ally be ftriven to the plan of Mehmet All of Abyssinia who set out 15,000.000 trees on his barren Mils over half a century ago to hold the floods and re deem ls country. I''- s LITTLEFIELD SCORES E00SEVELT SHARPLY 'i (Special niapateb te The Journal.) Chicago, 1 June 27. Theodore Roose velt' and the Sherman anti-trust law wera the objects of caustic criticism by Congressman Charles , E. Littlefield of Maine,, in an address delivered to the member of the Illinois Bar association at the closing session. yesterday after. noon. Referring tenths Sherman law he! it M7u pAToaieja m bd ciiurt 10 snow mat all previous laws with similar provisos had failed of their purpose. He charac terlced the Roosevelt administration as one of "proclamations Instead of per- luiuiuiei in vn niorceraem or ins law." .- '-f: Mr. Llttleflelil said but unui . vlctlons had been- secured under the Shrman law since September 1. lftl, a'nd continued:, . - . ; ''It may be that tha nniilitfnrir rll, are lurking in every corner and that .1, "' OI rt wealth abounu, It this be true and they have been goi ing about 'sking whom they may de vour, the extcftt to which the. wlckefl nave inns rar gone unwhlpped of Jus tice borders upon the grotesque." K'::iy-iTmT' ilk. . . , . . 7 v;-: .. ' : :, ;v.., ': ,.-v" ' . ' " i Wm : jj Eilers Piano: House 353 Washington Street Largest Dealers in Talking Machines and Records in the Northwest and the Only Place Where All the Different Makes Can Be Found Side ;by Side for Comparison and Sale." . - . FILM mm . mnr run., MOTION PICTURE MACHINES, PHONOGRAPHS, RECORDS, SONG SLID, FILMS, ORCHESTRATIONS, ETC' We SEUL ond RE1NT CHEAPER Than Any House In!the United States Einipr motion -bgiMe ca 293 BURNSIDE ST.,' BET.FOURTH AND FIFTH. k Pf4or4E MAIN 8458 NOTE We will start you Into the Motitfn Picture Theatre business. Have several desirable locations. Motion Picture 'Theatres earn $500 to ' $2,000 monthly. START ONE IN YOUR TOWN. ' V ' ' :. Illustrated above, includes genuine Edison Standard Phonograph with neat black horn, one dozen genuine Edison Gold Moulded Records Bottle Phonograph Oil Oil can and one automatic brush attachment sent free does not cost you a penny unless satisfactory. Take no rlsksbuy only after a tree trial and without etfpense ioyou. Cut out coupon and send at once today for the catalogue Circulars and full particulars of this Great Offer to readers of The Journal. This announcement will not be published again. Do not delay orders filled numerically as re ceived, and this extraordinary liberal offer will tax our efforts to furnish the outfits. Be sure to send the coupon That Will INCREASE Your Box Office Receipts, and No REPEATERS WE RENT YOU FILMS AT THB FOCL.OWINQ RATES: 2 changes per week, 1000 feet to each change, including song service. $12 3 changes per week, 1000 feet to each change, including song service, $16 4 changes per week, 1000 feet to each change, including song service, $21 5 changes per week, 1000 feet to each change; including song service,: $25 6 changes per week, 1000 feet to each change, including song service, $30 Special Offer to Readers of The Journal V We Pay Freight , Charges- 10 Days Free Trial Eight ; Months Credit , Nolnterest fit Mo. 7 trial readers .T P. O. Address Rec'd. rx. . . ..... ... AY WIDE Eilers Piano House SM Washlnrton Bt, Portland, Of. Gentlemen Please send Cata logue, Circulars, etc., your "free offer" Edison Phonograph to of The Journal. . .no.. ...... . ow RATERS Will Be Made This Season by th 0. R. & N.; SOUTHERN PACIFIC 5 J . cam nr oaaon - - .... i FROM PORTLAND OmWi CMUmi Chicago $72.50 $87.50 SL Louis .... 67.50 , 820 St Paul 63.15 81.75 Omaha ...... 60.00 75.00 Kansas City .. 60.00 i 75.00 TICKETS WILL BS OIT IALS June ,5, 6, 19, 20 July 6, 7, 22,23 ' August 6,7, 21,22 Ooo! for return la 18 flays with top--aver privilege at ploasure within limits REMEMBER f HE DATES For 1st further infortnattaa al . the city ticket offlce, Third sod Waab '' In ft on streets, or write to . WMM'MURKAY ;. General Passtng-er A(nt. PORTLAND. OREGON. TEETH WITH OR WITHOUT PLATES our or cow nom Wa eaa ao yon aatlM Orowa, Brldre Positively Painless Sxtraetia 7rM when plates or brldgea are ordered. ensitlTe taetli h coots removea with- on the least pais. Tea chairs. - Only '.. the most scientific and careful work. BO TUU XM fOITUXS, W A WISE An s ASSOCIATES . " OaV yalBlass SaaUsta. ! raUlaa- Bid, Third and Vasalsftoa ' 8 s.,m. to 8 p. m.; Sundays to 13. : Painless Extraction, too; Plates. 4S.0O. Both Phones. and Main 10l. FREE TREATMENT WE WILL GIVE YOU O.TiE IIONID'S TREATUENT FREE! ." -. If yon have any contracted disor der, blood trouble, rheumatism, of any nervous disease, you will find that our treatment will cure you Eromptly, painlessly and quickly, all and sea us. - Hours 10 a. m. to 8 p. m. Sunday, ' . , 10 to It. . ... : ;'' IMPONDERO -THERAPY CO. : FOBTU.1TD, Ok, . 508 Keronaata Trust aids'. ; ( 1 iri- 13 auHseT -Tll vf JnJ
