 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by this station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Army engineer our story is entitled flood waters a tale of courage and scientific skill backed by years of thrilling experience in the continuing battle of the rivers by the United States Army engineers our first act curtain in just a moment but first young man why not let a thought for tomorrow be your thought for today right now your United States Army needs qualified technicians in such varied and interesting fields as radio radar meherology photography and many many others yes you can be trained to do a job and acquire a skill that will be of great benefit to you for the rest of your life you can also take pride in the fact that you answered your country's call in time of great need why not let a thought for tomorrow be your thought for today visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station and enlist in the United States Army and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production flood waters quite an outfit the army engineers give you cold pure drinking water out of a lister bag before you know it sling a bridge across a gully or pontoons over a river before you can think of the right word for the job busy guys sometimes they're busier in peacetime than in war that's a fact talk about service to your country if there's one bunch who serve their country all the time it's the United States Army engineers cast your mind's eye over continental United States note the fine coasts the great harbors on both east and west admire the forested beauty of the Appalachians earthworks ranging from Georgia to Maine gas but the awesome granite peaks of the Rockies and the Sierra's battle-minted bastions that divide the continent from Mexico to Canada this spectacle is the glamour of a continent and in between so unobtrusively in between lie two-thirds of the nation a star house for the world here is the golden grain of Kansas in Nebraska the rustling corn stalks of Missouri and of course of Iowa the Russet orchards of Ohio and Indiana the clover of Kentucky the cotton of Mississippi and Alabama this is the richest farmland on the earth deep black fruitful and overall within all the life force of it all is the silver lace like fan of the rivers call them by their names those rivers the lovely names that flow silver on the tongue like flowing water Ohio and Missouri Illinois and Warbash Canadian and red Cumberland and Tennessee Platon Arkansas Yellowstone and Washedaw Monongahela and Allegheny add them all together add their history their cascading waters out of the mountains to the east and west run them all together into the greatest of them all the loveliest in tradition and in liquid sounding name the Mississippi these in their tributaries from mountain streams to deep-flowing highway for the steamboats these give life to the Great Valley life and sometimes despair destruction and death where that makes black headlines in the spring that clutches at the hearts of valley dwellers with blacker fear flood the rivers loose out of their banks out of their containing walls drowning the countryside sweeping over the levees the levees banks of earth and concrete built by man to help nature miles and miles of seawall up and down the valleys along the rivers whose hands put them there whose brain planned them whose genius devised these bulwarks on the rivers the Corps of Engineers United States Army was first called upon to function in the conservation and development of streams for navigation under authority of an act of Congress approved April 30th 1824 in addition to improving waterways and harbors and safeguarding navigable waters the Corps of Engineers has been called upon to build highways and railroads and plan the development of streams in the interest of flood control hydroelectric power development pollution control and conservation to plan the development of streams in the interest of flood control the answer is in a half dozen words the Corps of Engineers United States Army all things have their beginnings somewhere perhaps deep in the shadows of history 1824 is 128 years past and yet the Corps of Engineers dates back well before that June 16 1775 me it resolved that there be one chief engineer for the army in a separate department and two assistants under him by authority of the Continental Congress June 16 1775 the Department of Army Engineers created by act of Congress the news was welcomed to a man named Washington for the next day June 17 1775 dig a hole carry the dirt dump it here if it made a difference where we jump perhaps it does I didn't volunteer for this army to dig holes and carry dirt you'll have plenty of chance to use your musket for it if you don't dig the holes and carry the dirt chances are a British musket ball to dig a hole in you I know but I don't see the plan you don't have to get these earthworks for they want them Colonel gridley has a plan gridley who's he chief engineer it said he chose this hill because it's easily defended commands all-broston maybe he's right about that hunker hill was never much good for anything else right so get busy with that shovel friend hey British aren't gonna wait for you you know and if we hold this hill general Washington have time to organize against them the first job of the army engineers in the first real battle of our revolution June 17 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill but engineering must be learned and learning calls for schools general Washington knew the truth of this and in the weary days at Valley Forge his thoughts bore fruit June 9th 1778 by order of the commanding general three captains and nine lieutenants I wanted to officer the companies of sappers as this core will be a school of engineering it opens a prospect to such gentlemen as enter and will pursue the necessary studies with diligence of becoming engineers and rising to the important employments attached to that profession such as the direction of fortified places and so forth the qualifications of the candidates are that they be natives and have knowledge of the mathematics and drawing or at least be disposed to apply themselves to these studies they will give in their names to headquarters and so it began Washington broke camp at Valley Forge in the school of engineers move north to the storage shores above the Hudson River and there it stayed until the day that Congress made it all official some 24 years later by act of Congress March 16 18 to a core of our terrorists and engineers will establish a military academy for the study of their respective arts in the state of New York at West Point West Point created of and by and for the army engineers their school the first school of engineering in our history the base from which the men went forth to serve their nation in both war and peace yes peace with a battle against nature is longer wider and more deadly with a greater goal ahead than most any battle fought with guns the engineers are in the forefront of this battle and have been there since it first began the chronology is found in acts of Congress the river and harbor acts beginning back in 1820 execution of a survey of the tributaries of the Mississippi west of the river and those northwest of the Ohio River is assigned to the core of engineers 1836 improvement of the Ohio River is assigned to the core of engineers 1850 funds are here with the proof for the survey of the Mississippi Delta by the core of engineers over a hundred years have passed since then over a hundred years untold gallons of water and for bloody wars and yet the work begun in the 1850s is still the foundation of the battle of rivers waged today the commanders in the field that spring of 1857 were captain Andrew Humphries and Lieutenant H.L. Abbott core of engineers United States Army look like a big job burger looks like a mighty big river captain not so big that it won't be controlled someday sir if I may of course burger thank you sir see I come from Missouri around the Valley of the St. Francis River that's why I volunteered for this job sir I thought maybe what we do here might help save our farm sir well I hope it will if we can really measure the possible amount of water flowing into and through this Mississippi River and measure it accurately we'll have laid the groundwork for controlling floods almost forever but fortune was against the engineers that time in the summer of 1851 captain Humphries was stricken with fever he gave up his assignment and when his health returned went to Europe to study flood control over there six years later in 1857 Humphries was back at his job as enthusiastic as ever but this time his enthusiasm was tempered with apprehension what's bothering you Andy the size of the job howl I guess well I've never bothered you before well fools go in I didn't know as much in 51 as I know today well all the more reason than for for peace of mind on a contrary how Andy has shared worry is half a worry well the laws on which we are basing this survey laws of flowing water in natural channels are not based on good enough experience but all through Europe the rivers of Europe aren't the Mississippi basin how there's too much artificial channeling canals and all so the laws of hydraulics for rivers based on European observations may not hold true over here you know you make me feel like a pioneer Andy I guess we are I guess we are at that I wonder if Congress realized that when they blessed the engineers with this project it's possible maybe that's why they gave it to the engineers one year later Andrew Humphries and Hal Abbott had their chance to study the rampaging Mississippi at first hand word came to them captain Humphries message from upriver for you sir thank you howl howl here it is what it's our chance to do a real job message from Cairo Illinois flood crest on Ohio threatening entire city St. Francis River Valley underwater have sent warnings through to Memphis Vicksburg and Natchez can you send us help howl this is it sounds like the end of our work to me it's the beginning we're going to send all the help we can and the men we station in those cities all along the river are going to take daily readings of water level silk content speed of the crest everything we can think of we're going to learn about a Mississippi flood at first hand you are listening to the proudly we hail production flood waters we'll return to our story in just a moment today you young men of America have an excellent opportunity to learn a trade that will assure your future the many fine technical schools of the United States Army our training men in such interesting fields as radio radar meteorology mechanics electronics and many others you can become a qualified technician trained to do an important job and do it right for full details about an exciting career visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station there's no obligation so plan ahead face your tomorrow today you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of flood waters report to the Congress of the United States and the physics and hydraulics of the Mississippi River by Captain Andrew Humphries and Lieutenant H. L. Abbott it may be stated that laws governing the flow of water in natural channels have been determined which were never revealed before new formulas have been prepared improved methods of gauging the amount of water in streams have been devised this portion of our work exceeded even our expectations furthermore it has been determined beyond a reasonable doubt that the bed of the Mississippi is not formed of a louvial soil deposited by the river but is a stiff tenacious clay of an older geological formation this fact is of the utmost importance in preparing plans for flood protection in view of the work done and the experience obtained under actual flood conditions we recommend the plan of levees it is simple direct and will protect the vast majority of a louvial bottom land in the Mississippi Valley and then we had a war to fight a war between the states but Andrew Humphries never let the battle of the rivers escape his mind for long or the minds of the men of the engineers charged with controlling the mighty waters of the Central Plains with the war behind them the work went forward once again Humphries and Abbott both passed into memory year by year as Congress authorized the funds the engineers fought on driving back the rivers until at last in 1929 Congress of the United States calls upon the army engineers to control the Mississippi River and its tributaries 1945 291 projects are authorized under a river and harbor act through years of history through disaster depression prosperity or war the battle of the rivers whose first blow was struck by two army engineers in 1857 has been waged with outcease and without rest day and night year in year out the water flows cities grew and flourished the forests gave way to open fields the land prospered the nation grew and time and time again time and time again the waters took back what they had given even life itself the pictures of the silent swirling water or the roaring crashing crests the pictures of the rooftops like so many Noah's arcs riding the rivers with their helpless human freight the pictures of the wasted wrecked and helpless land in the Mississippi Valley all became too familiar to the people of the nation 1927 was the worst 20,000 miles of fertile plain ruin four million acres of food destroyed 600,000 people homeless damage in one city alone millions then it was the Congress gave the call the Army engineers must control the Mississippi what a job this is well Joshua stop the Sun we can stop a mere river I suppose who they think we are Moses if we could just see the whole thing at once get yourself an airplane fella lie high enough and it'll all be laid out for you like a map hey that's an idea what's an idea I may ask a leading question lay it out like a map you're nuts am I remember the old Humphrey's Abbott book on the Mississippi sure so they said the bed of the river is clay they were right all right now suppose we build a model sort of a relief map of the valley with the main channels and concrete many then we turn in the water in the same proportion as the model is to the whole valley we can see what happens when a flood comes down hey you may have something there may have something who do I talk to this idea will take dough the engineers got the money and built the model an exact reproduction of the river and the tributaries from Helena Arkansas to the Gulf of Mexico every island San bar obstruction and bend of the rivers was there every detail of those hundreds of miles was reproduced in that 1500 feet of model down near Vicksburg Mississippi and then they turned the water into it I was right you see I was right stop growing and tell me what you was right about you see how the crest come down the valley of course now what happens when it reaches the lower stretches of the river for all those bends and sandbars are it well backs up sure it backs up because the water can't escape through those bends as fast as it coming down okay what happens we slow down the crest you're kidding no one slows down the crest of a flood but we do let it through faster so it won't back up you mean we straighten out the Mississippi exactly we straighten out the Mississippi yes the engineers took over old man river and gave him a face lifting they made him flow a straight true course from Helena to the Gulf removed 120 miles of bends and bars and other obstacles the current moves quite swiftly now when there are floods above Helena the crest moves down the river never backing up and pouring over dams and levees the way it used to and this has been proved true proven before the work was completed proven in the upper valley in 1937 January of 1937 saw six inches of rain fall on the Valley of the Ohio within two days half the years full quote of rain fell in just 25 days and the 24th of January the call went out to all amateur radio operators this wavelength stand by important communications from district of army engineers stand by this is the message you are ordered mobilized to maintain communications under the chief of engineers in flooded areas you are ordered mobilized to maintain communications in flooded areas the fight was on wires down roads out railroads ruined communications were maintained by amateur shortwave radio men thousands of men fought seepage and sand boils on the levees grimly without rest weary until they dropped citizens and soldiers fought the river side by side below Helena all was well the levees held almost no water backed up into the tributaries of the straightened river above Helena it was bad Cairo Illinois where the Ohio joins the Mississippi felt herself safe behind a seawall 60 feet in height headquarters of the fight was at the office of district army engineer from there the orders flashed and grim faced men rolled into action on the roads of Missouri a few miles south of Cairo how soon can you pack up and get out of here mr. what for the levees holding we know but not for long why not good built wall that living we can't waste time waters 58 feet at Cairo and more coming engineers have to blow the fuse between birds point in New Madrid you're living in the spillway okay soldier I know when I got to get have I got half an hour just about good luck mr. hey soldier don't forget to stop by the Crommits place they'll be wanting to army engineers district engineer Cairo when can you blow the fuse anytime you say sir is the spillway clear as far as we know sir rescue boats will follow the water into the area and blow it now rivers rising here almost 59 feet now yes sir stand by the plunger fellows here we go all set ready fire they blew the fuse plug in the levee at the birds point new Madrid floodway water raced through the gap spreading its muddy flood over 131,000 acres of Missouri the crest raw at past Cairo down the valley but the pressure was relieved not one engineer built levee crumbled the danger was passed the water slowly receded on February 12th 1937 by proclamation of the mayor of Cairo Illinois with the consent of the United States Army engineers in charge I hereby proclaim the removal of all restrictions and requests made as to the leaving and entering of this city and the transmission of business and as the mayor's words returned the city and its people to a normal life by a strange coincidence the marquee on a moving picture theater announced for all to see opening Wednesday rainbow on the river a rainbow on the river yes a rainbow whose colors of the dungary blue and olive drab of the United States Army engineers but this is a battle whose end is not quite yet the waters still flow down from Minnesota and Wisconsin Montana and Colorado Pennsylvania and Ohio and so the work goes on fought on the river banks with concrete blankets on tools Derek's and the ever-present sandbag the work goes on near Jackson Mississippi was going on even as the comrades of these army engineers were fighting out ahead of other troops in Europe the Pacific all around the world for a Jackson with pick and shovel wheelbarrow and gunny sack was building the greatest project of its kind the world has ever seen four thousand five hundred feet it runs east and west three thousand five hundred north and south two hundred acres overall a gigantic true scale model of the central plane of these United States the entire Mississippi basin nature duplicated will be there for men to study and control the mightiest of rivers reduced to size that man can handle turning on and off the water as the rains and snows fall far to the north here on this model homes will be protected lives saved and the valleys kept fertile for the good of the people in whose service this battle is waged by the army engineers call them by their liquid sounding names those rivers who have not all been bound constricted hand and foot as they will be someday in the future call them wash tall cumberland and plat call them illinois war bash manonga healer sing songs of rivers and the good they bear upon their glowing bosoms love their beauty and their silver quiet weave memories around the willows on their banks and romance round their levees yes name them love them and always deep within your hearts remember those who fought more than a hundred years to keep them flowing in their places forever bringing fertile wealth to the great plane of this nation remember the army engineers this message is a vital importance to every American but it's particularly important to the young men who are listening for today the rapidly expanding United States Army is depending on you to do a vitally important job qualified technicians are needed and the army is prepared to train you in one of the interesting career feels necessary to its operation you can become a radio or radar technician you can study meteorology mechanics electronics photography and many others yes the finest technical training schools in the world will be available to you when you enlist in the United States Army why not visit your nearest United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station today the need is urgent this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station proudly we hail is produced by the recruiting publicity bureau for the United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting service this is Kenneth Bangard speaking and inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail