The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, July 28, 1916, Image 6
ECONOMIC FLOOD CONTROL
IS THE NATION'S PROBLEM
For years, 01: more, mankind
lot* wretdled almost with
the problem. To prevent river*
from bursting their hanks. Inundating
flu- land, ruining croiw, destroying el
ties. and cla lining Iiuiiimii live* Is (?im?
<if t IvilUlltlon's oldest endeavor*. And
,v??t. during February, Ibltl, tin* South
el |H'ilt>n<4'd another of It* i|fvtt?litllii?
deluge*.
The IIixhIn of the lower .Mississippi
Valley ii IV us old us thi> waterway it
si'lf, and becoming in??r?* cosily y<Mtr
after year as this rich delta region
Is dcvelo|>e<|. So commonplace Iiiis the
inniidatloii of the valley l?ecoiiie that
it no lodger |N?sse*s(?s especial news
value and therefore receives little more
than passing attention hy the press, of
the Fast. North and West except on
tluiw* occasions when condition* are
extraordinary and aU'ecf the whole
country.
The flood zone of the alluvial region
Is as ureal a> the eoiiihlued areas of
Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
and ( 'oiinect lent I Miring the spring of
MHU. when the le\ees Innke, more than
lU.ooo sipiare miles of laud, an area
as great as that of Switzerland, was
converted into n veritable sea. Much
has been said ahout the relation he
I w een forests and Hoods. There Is an
Impression that the cutting of our tlm
bored' areas has bepn dirccllj respon
sible for the serious deluges of recent
year* It Is reasoned that under nor
mal eruditions the iiumos formed hy
decayed leaves absorbs large (plant I
ties of water during heavy downfall's
and thus prevents excessive drainage
into the rivers, while the heavy blanket
of snow In the North melts gradually
when protected by trees, but produces
floods when unshielded from the direct
rays of the sun. For these reasons
reforestation Is strongly advocated hy
many as one of the most feasible ways
of obtaining flood control.
The argument on Its face ap|>ears
fairly reasonable, ? but there Is another
side to It. In bhe lirst place our his
tory does not hear out the contention
that forests prevent floods. At the
time of the Uehelliou we had vast tim
bered areas, hut regardless of this
some of the worst floods the valley
has ever known occurred between 1ST?M
and VW17. according to government
records. Furthermore, we have au
thentic data describing heavy floods as
far hark as 171N.
< Mi the other hand there Is a plan
for I lie construction of impouudiuir res
ervoirs. to hold back f he IIo(m| waters
and cmildc their use for irrigation and
power purposes and the Improvement
of the rivers during their periods of
low water. It is argued that Hood*
should In- handled from the sources >?f
the various t rihuta iles. rather tli?ni l>.\
1 1 1 1 1 1 d i u l- ? lev ? ;i long ? t+rn ? lower Ml- '
sisvippj This method has nearly a>
many adherents us that of reforesta
tion. and if feasible from an engineer
Ing and economic standpoint would ,-i | ?
pear rather attractive, opponents of
I i-Ik* i *1 ;? n | m kin f out several of It* serious
pIlHStm, llOWCVVI'.
It seem* unite rea*oiiahU? tluil the
construction of tut additional outlet or
two uo.iilil materially assist the river
in carrying ??It It" surplus volume of
water it in I thus enable II to remain
within It- hunk* during crucial peri
od-. The plan I* our whtotl llUK long
heeii adv oca t I'd, hut like nil of the
schemes so far advanced. It has Its
opponents. StU'h it plan If carried out
w ttiilti probably reduce levee heights
and lessen river depths. Tlte hitter
might prove very umledrahle heeaiiHO
of its |NiHslhle Influence upon nnvlga
t Ion. One of tin* major ?l HIW'iil t leN;
however, wotthl comi' In controlling
such nil outlet and preventing tin* main
stream from Itelng diverted Into It.
This misfortune might isvur If, the ve
locity of tin* (low were greater in the
outlet tluin In the river Itself.
We ootite lo the so-called, comprehen
sive plan for llootl pi'otertion whlrli
amounts to a proposal that the ipies
t Ion he handled in 11 hrotnl. thorough
manlier ami seltleil once and forever,
The .Mississippi Klver ami all of Its
l rihuta rles. according to this Hrheme.
would he taken as a unit, removed
from polities and plarrd under the con
trol <d' a Federal commission. as was
done in the ruse of the Panama ('anal.
Till- eon Id he arrotupllshed h,v con
gress. which at the same time would
set up a well-defined policy and estah
llsli a continuing fund to insure it he
lug carried out and maintained.
All of the rivets would la* handled
from their sources to their mouths in
w hatcver manner hest lltted the gen
eral method of control. Tim present
hnei* system would he completed, and
standardized from one end to the oili
er, and henceforth intelligently main
tained. To guard It and the river, the
hanks would be protected with revet
ments. Tills would prevent them from
caving and coui|h>1 the stream to main
tain Its present course. Furthermore
source stream control ? which amounts
to the establishment of reservoirs along
the upper readies of the various riv
ers ? would 'he worked out so as to
conserve some of the surplus water.
In the regions where It can he done
safely and economically, for jnnver and
irrigation puriwxses and to somewhat
lower the crest of the ttoods. ? Sea rle
lleudee. In August Popular Mechanics
Maim /. inc.
i:.\ (Jov. Martin Ansel of tJreen
\ III**, has accepted an invitation from
the national evecutive committee to
make speeches for Wilson in the doubt
ful -lates. This will he Ids third
speaking tour in the national cam
paigns. ha viui: spoken for Krynn iu
I Pi is Miid for Wilson in IPl'J.
rm Tlmr-day afternoon the twelve
\car old son ot' Mr. Sain Williams,
w 'ho live- ahoiit live miles from Neeses.
wn>. -truck hy light nliig while walking
in hi- father'- yard, and in-tautl\ kill- i
ed.
VOI NO liA?V KI1J.HU.
Party of Five Youug Pwplf Ml Wllh
llridK?.
*?*,* *
A long distance telephone message
from Ware Shoals Monday to . tho
< ? vtllt* Dally New* stated t hat Mltw
Neva I >ii Hum, h??sI twenty oiic In dead.
Ml ms I i ?i . i < \ >m. dlghtl.v iM i m i ell anil
Hoy Jackson hurt about the head, an
It result of tho colla|iso of a bridge
Monday evening tit ahont half |?aMt six
o'clock. The three |?crsym< named with
Ml mm Evelyn Dallas and C. U. Oliver
wi'iv nut walking, and went out u|mmi
a rock bridge. supposedly weakened hy
the HM'eut It f>;It wiittTM of Saluda rlv
Of. to look at tin* stream. The struc
ture collft|N*ed. and the entire party
fell about feet. Miss Kvclyn Dallas
and Mr. Oliver M'H ped Injury. MInh
Neva I Mi 1 1 ii m died at half past ulne
o'clock,
Miss Neva Italian graduated In June
from the Woman's College of Due
West. She and her winter had planned
to leave hooii fyr a house party In
(Scorgla. The live young people, all
of Ware Shoal*, were ont for a Sun
day afternoon stroll when tho tragedy
occurred. The community wax over
east with grief hy the accident. All
parties concerned are well known In
Wa re Shoals. Miss Cobb Is 41 daugh
ter of the su|K?rlutciiilcnt of the mill
here. Messrs. Jackson and Oliver ft re
employes in the office of the mill here.
Mr. Dallas, father of two of the
vouim ladles, Is a merchant at Ware
Shoals. I,aureus county.
The accident occurred ahont one
quarter of a mile from the town. The
bridge was an did structure, and tho
regarded as safe hy the podustrlauN,
gave way almost Immediately after (he
party walked out U|>on It.
Information In regard to the sad
accident, was obtained from Mr. Oli
ver, who was unhurt. The two per
sons injured are not thought to he suf>
ferlng from serious wounds. Miss Cobb
Is hurt about tlie head and in the side,
Keniberts News Note#.
Itcmhert* S. July l/4.? Close ob
servers of the weather knew last
Spring when the unprecedented
drought was here that the other ex
treme would come. Like all other sec
tions we were hard hit by the hurri
cane which raged here for hours.
Crops went down before it and are He -
verely damaged.
People here surely are sorry that'
Kershaw County had it so hard In the
loss of her bridges and flue croi>s on
the river lands, but the energy of her
people will soon reopen the ways of
travel. These disasters come from
time to time and the wise way Is to
prepare to meet them In a way that
they won't damage us so much the
next time. If the river was straighten
ed the water could go to sea more rap
idly and with darns the line river
lands could be saved. With the aid of
< ? it l/i 'i is tho Cnlted States government
could soon straighten it and then the
lands which are minus of wealth could
be made very productive.
The cotton crop is goiirz to be light,
irrespective ? ? f government or other re
port. Corn is damaged much. These
INSURANCE
The Williams Fire Insurance Agency represents
the leading Insurance Companies doing
business in the State.
^Ve will insure your property against Fire,
Tornado, Lightning or Burglary
Country property whether mortgaged or
unincumbered.
Automobile owners against Fire, Acci
dent or Damages.
A ?
Live Stock against death from any cause.
Plate Glass, Bonds of all kinds, Health
and Accident.
Williams Fire Ins. Agency
Camden, South Carolina
' ? ~ v ' - - , : -
two rr<?i>n are the staple one* of the
South ami when they full the country
f?>els It. lVa>> ii ml potatoes Mil fair
to i'. alright
The writer had the pleasure ??f ell*
Joyllitf one day hint week the Hue hox
|?i t j< I it > of .Mr Thomas Smith, of t lu*
lien I tilt *eetloii. He In a tine farmer,
as hi* crops mIihnv, i i ? ?t \\ i I hstandlng
they were hit ha ii I hy tin* storm. Mo
also -Mil w his good friend, Kev. .1. \V.
Smith.
Mlsse* Kate Aloseley aud Hell Harp*
or. ??f Sumter. who Imvo l?een visiting
? in the (triilah neighborhood -hare re*
I turned home.
St MTF.lt SIKKKKKI) IJTTLK.
Itriilgro Over lihu-k Itiver Kepairtii ?
Jlamage Kslinmltsl tit AIm>uI $MN>.
Sii| K'l* v ls? n* I*. M. Pitts stated thl>
morning that Sumter comity hail been
let i'tr tfght hy the recent storm ami
high water. It had not suffered near
ly so much as (Marefidon. Florence.
Williamsburg; or other adjiuent conn
ties. where thousands of dollars would
have to he s|x>nt In replacing and mak
ing repairs on bridges and causeways.
Mr. I'ltts estimated the total loess to
Sumter county at about $'5tMi. All of
the damaged bridges and causeways,
with the exception of the Hudson
bridge over Lynches river and a bridge
over Itaftiug t'reek near ilugood,
would be repaired by noon Friday and
! in good condition for crossing.
I .Mr. I'itt* stated tha> two of the
[ causeways over Itlack Hiver had al
rettdy been repaired ti ik<l the third
j causeway w ould be repaired by noon
i Friday, giving citizens op|M?rtunitv to
j cross at the most convenient cause*
way on the river. The bridges and
! causeway generally were little darnag
' ed and the repairs were made Just as
j soon as the water subsided sutllciently
to allow work to be done. A cause
way on the new road from McBrlde's
I ero>isng to Trinlt.v and Shiloh was
j washed out and this would nut be re*
i paired for several days. ? Sumter Item.
I
*50,000 OFFERED ON WILSON.
Hughes I tetters Shy and Only Willing
to (?ive Odds of Six to Fitf4>.
| New York. July lit. ? The refusal of
i the New Jersey Progressives to Indorse
Hughes. with the' presentation of Pres
ident Wilson's Mexican policy l?y See
retary Lane ill The World Sunday,
brought out a large amount of Wilson
money in the Wall Street district yes
terday.
Kdward Mctjuude. wln> handles most
of the big com missions on the Itroad
St reet curh market. re|>orted that he
had received commissions from various
parts of the country to wager about
*:><).< km > on Wilson at odds of 1 to
Several New York Stock Kxchange
tirms which have heretofore backed
I Mr. U ughes" lufve switched ahout. lie
j^aid. and are willing to place their
| money on the President at the odds
j quoted.
Hughes betters were extremely shy,
and the very best iwhls they would of
fer were ?; to r?. Kven on that basis
there was only a small amount of mo
ney to be obtained. A week ago the
odds 1 1 noted on Hughes were 'J to 1.
and some betting was done at that li
gure. particularly by Stock 1'xchange
house- Their willingness to buck Mr.
Wilson, -o miinifest yesterday, was
looked 1 1 poi i .is an attempt on their
part to hedge.
CHOP LOSSES ON STATE FARMS.
Supt. (irifTith of Penitentiary Tells of
Damage In Wind and Water.
Columbia. July 'J'l. ? I ?. J. (irittith,
su|K'riutendeiit <>(' the state pcnltcn
tiar\ . -aid ye-terday that the recent
floods had w rought havoc on the State
farms, destroying about ."?<mi acres of
corn and ahout acres of peas. The
cotton <Toj. also was affected. about
1 r?t ? acres being very badly damaged
by the wind. The portion of the crop
which was completely destroyed was
on the low. swampy land, the hill sec
tions not suffering except by winds.
owing to the interruption of com
munications. the amount of damage
to the dykes on the farm could not
he ascertained, but it is certain that
the loss in this direction is heavy.
('apt. liritlith said that five of the
eight convicts who esca | km! from the
State farm <>n the night of June ?"!(?
had been recaptured.
CANDIDATE MARKS STATEMENT.
A
? Political Advertisement i
At the meeting in the opera house
on last I'ridav afteriUH?n in regard to
the I. rid ge iine-tion i ex presses I myself
as being opposed to the passage of
any bill in the Legislature which would
provide for :lii i>>iiiiiio' of bonus with
out submitting the question to the
voter- of the county in an election.
I was nwn> when the ti r ~t meeting
was held on the bridge question. and
when I went to the' 'meeting on Friday
1 did not Intend having anything to
say at all. 1 was led to exprcsM my
self as it is mv opinion and strongly
my opinion that as a rule voters should
express themselves U|h?ii the issuance
of bonds for their county. 1 still he
lleve in that principle and always
shall.
However a calamity has befallen us
and an emergency confronts us. We
are now without the bridge that is
absolutely necessary to connect the sec
tions of our county, and which vitally
affects our coumK'tioiis with the rest
of the state l?y highway. TheTe can
hardly it" any serious dispute among
us but that we must have the bridge
replaced, and that we want It done I
as quickly as possible, and it is beyond
question that the county would vote
for any Itomls for the purpose over
whelmingly. After h closer thought as
to the situation I believe It is one In
which the county will l*> l**st served
by that <-ourse which will give us relief
the qnlckest In the present distress.
Therefore while I believe there
ahould as h rule be an election on the
Issuance of bonds by a county, I be
lieve this Is m n emergency which war
rants such course as will give us the
bridge the quickest, namely the author
ization cf the necessfcry bond* by the
legislature, and I shall advocate snch
a course.
T. K. Trotter.
1
_ r/\T T SHOULD
you m
Vacation in August
v 4 ' 5 ..
Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence,
Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, Ausable Chasm!
Lake Champlain, Lake George, Saratoga
Springs, Hudson River, New York City by rail
and steamer. All these points in the vacation
land are included in
The Gattis Tours No. 4
August 2-24, 191?>
Personally conducted and chaperoned by Mr.
and Mrs. C. H. Gattis over the entire trip. Very
low rates including all expenses from any point.
Write for itinerary and other particular*
GATTIS TOURS
Tourist Agents, Seaboard Air Line Railway,
Raleigh, North Carolina.
Every other car on the road is a Ford ; more than j
half the cars bought this year will be Fords./There's
a mighty good reason. Ford cars are filling a place
in every field of human activity. Cost about two
cents a mile to operate and maintain. . Better order f
yours today! Runabout $390; Touring Car $440;
Coupelet $590; Town Car $640; Sedan $740. All
prices f. o. b. Detroit. On sale at >
Kershaw Motor Co.
Phone 140
Camden, S. C.
J. W. McCORMICK, Prop.
E. W. BOND. |
McCORMICK & COMPANY
A
. ? H
Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
. j_j a ^
Nik'Jit Phone 28. AMBULANCE SERVICE. Day Phon? 1*.
Country Calls Answered Promptly Day or Night' j
The Relishable Kind of Soda
roR.
' m
v.,
is the kind we serve ffOffl
our fountain-? cool, cheeriofl
thirst-appeasing:. The
drop and the last are equ^l
ly pure and tempting? P*"!
fectly delicious. FlsYortdl
to suit all tastes and
and just enough ice cretin ?l
make fyfOsftively reXieihwl
at all hours. This is tjjl
healthiest drink one can W|
in the Summer time and u*e'|
wise the most economic*'- I
"tr~ rt- rfl -r
CAMDEN
Phon? 78.
Spero Beleos,