Regarding “Our Controlling Nature,” [Good Intentions, October]: In September 1868, the Eastman Tunnel collapsed and the falls were about to give away. This was due to human and commercial development at the time and had nothing to do with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In fact, the Corps’ St. Paul District, then only three years old, had to lobby Congress to be allowed to help save the falls. At the time, this was not within the Corps’ authority. In the years between 1871 and 1874, the Corps’ St. Paul District, mill owners, and private citizens labored continuously at the falls to avert one crisis after another. The Corps ended up building a dike to preserve this natural wonder. This dike is in place still today and is currently keeping the falls in place.
Shannon Bauer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
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