faced with the repetition of these circumstances. The fervent prayer of the citizens of this community is for your successful presentation of the facts that long needed relief might be accomplished. Gratefully yours, RALPH TUCKER, Mayor. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 5, 1960. KERMIT FLESCHER, In care of Congressman Fred Wampler, Best of luck in your mission. Need for this work in our area cannot be stressed enough. WIANT'S JEWELERS. KESMIT FLESCHER, TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. Chairman Vigo County Wabash Valley Association, care of Hon. Fred Wampler, Congressman, Sixth District of Indiana, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: The Honey Creek Dyke and Ditch Association comprising 3,000 acres near the Wabash River has been plagued with flood damage many times in the past few ears. We of the association hope that the committee in Washington will be ympathetic to the plea of the Vigo County delegation, in the asking for Federal unds, to help remedy flood damages and establish a watershed protection proram in the Wabash Valley. ERMIT FLESHER, ■ Care of Fred Wampler, ERNEST HARLAN, Secretary. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 4, 1960. 'ongressman, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: We hope you stress the facts for the Public Works Appropriation Committee hat we need help here in Wabash Valley. This high river means a late start br farming and no guarantee the river won't be much again before crops are arvested. Sincerely, Mr. and Mrs. ROBERT DUNLAP. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. KERMIT FLESHER, Is Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Thousands of acres inundated by yearly flood. We need help. EARL H. VOGES. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. KEMIT FLESHER, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Wabash flooding hopeful for success in appropriation for flood control. MABY ALICE FLESHER. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. KEMIT FLESHER, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Urge all efforts for flood control appropriation Wabash flooded. LAVERN MCCOMBS. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 5, 196 KERMIT FLESHER, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: We want to be counted as favoring flood control program advocated by bash Valley Association. Best wishes for your efforts. INDIANA STATE BANE TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 4, 196 KERMIT FLESHER, Wampler, Congressman, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: The small watershed protection program would be the answer to the erra flooding of the Wabash River and its tributaries. We are in dire need Federal financial assistance, to carry out the logical coordinated planning the river basin-which would be the answer to our ultimate aim. Re Wabash Valley Association project. Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, BURCH HARLAN TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 5, 1964 We need for planning and construction in this area for requisition navi tion steam polutiou abatement and flood control as of great importance this district. We are again experiencing flood conditions at this time. PAITSON BROS. CO., INC., KERMIT FLESHER, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960 The Wabash Valley really ne The project you represent would be the largest help this community has e had when you think of the loss every year. help. LESTER SPENCER, 640 Swan Street, Terre Haute, Ind TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 5, 1960 KERMIT FLESHER, Care Fred Wampler's Office, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Sorry I could not attend meeting with you but want you to know you have t full support of this community on anything done toward soil conservation a flood control. Seems that more time and money should be spent on these projec and less on trying to get the moon and filling the ocean with missiles. KERMIT FLESHER, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, PAUL D. HAAS, VCC-WVA Director. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 5, 1960. Sincerely regret unable to be with you at the most important meeting of th House Appropriation Committee. However, I wish you the utmost successi securing funds for flood control of the Wabash Valley partially in Vigo Count as you know our members have been asked to volunteer each year to sandbag th Eadequate levees along the Wabash in attempting to save homes and property. It is our sincere desire that permanent flood control projects be installed to protect the property of our citizens and our members as well as to provide employment for construction workers in this declared critical unemployment area. GILBERT BOSWORTH, President, International Union of Operating Engineers Local. TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. CARL HALE, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: Wabash Valley flood control situation critical. Funds urgently needed. Good DONALD L. STEVENSON, Agency Manager, Farm Bureau Insurance, Vigo County. CAEL J. HALE, Care of Congressman Fred Wampler, Fosse Office Building, Washington, D.C.: TERRE HAUTE, IND., April 6, 1960. The people of the Wabash Valley have lost two crops of the last three. They Beed all the flood control they can get. JOHN OXINDINE, President, Greenfield Bayou Association. Mr. WAMPLER. I will say I am very appreciative for all the assistince I have received from the members of this committee, in the guidince and counseling you have given a new Member of Congress n trying to combat this situation that is most needed in the Wabash Valley. Mr. CANNON. Thank you very much. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1960. CHARLESTON HARBOR WITNESSES HON. L. MENDEL RIVERS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HON. JOHN J. RILEY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM Mr. CANNON. Congressman Rivers of South Carolina. Mr. RIVERS. Mr. Chairman, I want to apologize for asking you to hear me at this late hour. An emergency has suddenly come to our attention in Charleston, the most accessible seaport on the Atlantic coast, the most accessible, 6 miles from the ocean. You can turn a ship into Charleston Harbor and you do not need a pilot. A few years ago they built a very large hydroelectric project up the river from Charleston, diverting the river with the largest watershed east of the Mississippi, south of the Niagara Falls and they run that water through by Charleston. Because of t unprecedented rains, about which my distinguished colleague, M Riley, can tell you, the unprecedented rains, never, Mr. Chairman, the history of South Carolina and of the Weather Bureau, have had the rains which we have had in the last 18 months, in additi to the most devastating storm ever to hit my section of Americ in my lifetime. Mr. CANNON. That is rather a startling statement. Mr. RIVERS. It is a startling statement. Mr. CANNON. You think it breaks all recorded records? Mr. RIVERS. The Weather Bureau reports to us that we have nev had more water since there was a Weather Bureau. That is : amazing statement. The water that comes out of the Tail Race Canal of this hydr electric dam runs through Charleston, dumps normally 10 billi gallons of water into the Atlantic Ocean, 10 times the amount Ne York City would consume but the unprecedented rains have ev aggravated this condition. I met with the maritime group of people on Monday of this wee the Maritime Association of Charleston, with the pilots and all t interested people and asked them to give me a memorandum, whi I want to turn over to you. The water that comes out of this lar manmade lake up there, which dumps so much water from the hydr electric project does two things to Charleston Harbor. It has i creased the rate of flow of the current in Charleston Harbor from normal 2 knots to 6 knots. Now, 6 knots tide is a lot of tide. It also has dumped unprecedent real estate into the harbor. The silting is a very serious proble Mr. Riley has a map of the area. The Army Engineers made this of Charleston Harbor. Here the Atlantic Ocean. Here is Charleston. On a west wind blowir the water out of Charleston Harbor into the ocean, there is fre water all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Silting is out of all reaso I don't understand why the Army Engineers have not caught it. am not here to criticize. I am here to ask for help. The Army h asked this year, Mr. Chairman, for only $525,000 in maintenanc They have told me just now that they will need, in addition to tha $1,100,000 for this year, making it $1,600,000 for maintenance. The is to keep up the statutory 35-foot depth in the harbor from the ocea up to the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Mr. CANNON. The map we have before us which has been supplie by the maritime group indicates that it is within 3 miles of the US Naval Polaris Mission Base. Mr. RIVERS. Yes. Mr. CANNON. Mr. Riley. Mr. RILEY. Is it not true up to this year Charleston Harbor ha been one of the most economical to maintain on the Atlantic coast Mr. RIVERS. It has been. Mr. RILEY. There are some unusual circumstances that brough this situation about this year. Mr. RIVERS. I do not want to criticize the Army and Navy. This situation came to my attention very suddenly. I am quite familiar with the Navy's requirements down there. Now the commercial interests tell me that the 35-foot depth is seldom ever available because of this. The large tankers coming into Charleston have to discharge outside the harbor and come into Charleston light. That is almost an insult to the history of Charleston that a ship cannot come into our harbor. It is a terrible thing. I have letters from all the shipping industry-Standard Oil and the rest. I have one here from the Charleston Pilots Association, a very old organization. Charleston was founded by the British in 1660. I am talking about commercial tonnage now. I haven't gotten to the military tonnage. We have over 6 million tons, or 63 million tons of commercial shipping coming into Charleston. That is how much arrived last year. Our customs collection commercially was over $10 million. That is just from customs. This is a serious thing as regards utilization of our harbor. In addition to that the most amazing weapons system that has ever been contrived by human intelligence is the Polaris weapons system. Mr. Chairman, the Polaris weapons system is the most amazing family of weapons that has yet been devised. To the credit of this great committee you have given the Navy unlimited funds to develop that missile. You deserve the thanks of the world for Polaris. Along with the operational reality of that missile, the Navy had to build a base for which you gave us adequate funds. On the first of this month that base was completed in Charleston and the reason it was put there is because it would put their ammunition depot 3 miles above the navy yard. It had to have certain characteristics which Charleston alone possessed. Mr. CANNON. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. CANNON. Back on the record. Mr. RIVERS. This thing has come up because of these unprecedented rains, I presume, and we need the help now. That is why I asked to come up here and tell you about it and file this for the record. Mr. RILEY. Will the gentleman yield? Is it not true that the State of South Carolina has floated bonds and has spent $20 million of its money for the development of facilities? Mr. RIVERS. Yes. The State of South Carolina has furnished $20 million in dock facilities. Mr. EVINS. Will the gentleman yield? Do you have a firm figure that you need or desire that you are requesting that is put forth in your statement? Mr. RIVERS. The Army engineers tell me they would require $1,650,000 initially in annual maintenance and approximately $1 million as compared with $525,000 included in the budget for 1961. That is the Army engineers' estimate. Mr. CANNON. May I say, Congressman Rivers, that in my opinion the future safety of the Nation depends on the nuclear-driven missilefiring submarine. I think nothing else could save this Nation except the nuclear-driven missile-firing submarine. Mr. RIVERS. That is right. Mr. CANNON. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) |