Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-18
DAILY RECORD.UNIgN SERIES,
VOLUME IO-Ni AsSER I5a.

nsedeu some amendment. But he did appear
10 advocate reclaim ton and yet proteci hydraulic
mining lie believed the hill aimed correctly and
mad the right kind of principles He did Lot be-
neve the scheme unconstitutional, and reviewed the
oili TO explain why he so held. He looked at the
matter from different standpoint than that which
can be taken by an employed attorney-he viewed
IL from the position Of Que who had studied the mat
ter as lawyer and a land owner and one who had
the interests OF the whole state at heart CTo Mr..
Chamberiain@ @As to the cost that depends on the
Engineers plans. II they take in only re seryoirs
and dykes, IT will be small; but if they include
cut through the Montozuma hills and the DIVER
sion OF streams, then the cost will be great To
dyke the river will not be great undertaking
Colonel Mendell addressed the committee, and in
answer TO host Of interrogatories outlined he
various plans thought Of to attain the desiNd
ends The chief Of these is to retain the detritus
in the mountains, and to dyke the rivers and pro-
mote the few of the matter to the tide yaters
All plans comprehend large expenditures-lesssin
the mountains, however than in the valleys On
the Yuba it might take $4,000 per year;
on the Bear river something less. The re.
lief canal he did not think mpracti-
cable. tOthers thought differently Diversion
OF the upper waters Of the river would be injurious
that OF the lower waters would be beneficial San
Francisco harbor is receiving the deposit Of course,
but at present shows no particular change. If
channels are kept clear harbOrs not in much
danger. They depend for value upon the depth of
the entrance. Thus far the San rancisco bar has
not been affected as TO depth of water, but the de-
position of detritus in the ay is in the direction
of lessening tidal influence at the entrance and
that tends in all to lessen depth at the
entrances, but row long it will be before
San Francisco harbor Is affected cannot now
be stated. be gave the figures showing the cubic
yards Of detritus brought down and deposited
lands thus far, which aggregated betwt 143 oeo,
0CO and 14i 600, 600 cubic yards. He believed that
the whole cost Of the system whch may be adopted
to drain and claim will be reasonable measured by
the value of the object sought 10 be attained The
144 Geo 600 yards Of material in the canyon of the
Yuba must be brought lower down hy some flood or
and hon tha oft ha
more serious than it now is. He read from his
notes to show the proportion of eoarse and fine de-
posit in the Yuba. In the main Y Yubs, above Yuba
Mill there are a. 500 900 cubic yards Of detritus.
The continuous flow Of detris to San Francisco bar
Dor, kept up long enough, must soil the harbor,
combined with other causes. Hydraulic mining is
the main cause of the present condition of the
Sacramento river from the Feather down. IL
the debris is restrained in its flow the rivers will i'm
prove under treatment, and will improve
without works below. He believed the scheme Of
improving the rivers practicable, and that the eN-
pense is not an insuperable objection. He had
United States money now that he had thought of
applying to improving tn; lower river, but with the
constant flow of sand he had about concluded it to
be useless. The proposed restraining cams will not
keep back all the sand but enough guarantee the
wolk being done. He was willing to spend the pub
lie money on the work. such was his confidence in
it. He knew the water to be shoaiiDg at Mare
Island but he did not know how much of it is to be
charged to hydraulic mining.
At this point the committee adjourned until Mon
day evening next at 7 p. N.
The Senate COMMITTEE, upon consideration of the
same sub ject heard the statement of George Cad
waader in relation to the matter in which he
stated that there two great rivers in the world
that carry graf amount Of sednnent-they are
the Nile and Mississippi. They carry about one per
cent. detritus. Our Sacramento and tributaries
carry from three to four per cent. In November
last the State Engineer reported that 1t was i'm
practicable to carry on system OF drainage sep
arate and apart from the debris question. There
is river in the United States that could receive
and dispose of the amount of debris passing in the
Sacramento ualess it be the Niagara. Mr. AIlardt,
in his report of Investigations made during the
past season, says that there has already been
162, ,000, 600 cubic yards suced out into the luba
river and its tributaries, and the amount now
lodged in the canyons will not exceed u o0o, 900
cubic yards, and the balance has passed down.
Over Is. 600 acres Of valley land on the Yuba have
been utterly destroyed by DEBRIS and converted in
to willow jungles, and similar amount has also
been destroyed Bear river. The bed Of the
Yuba at Marysville has filed up to the level with
the city, where there was &C channel for naviga
tion of 20 to 22 feet in depth. This debris is de-
stroying the best lands OF the State, and not only
the sacramento river Havigable st cam, but also
the bays into which it enpties. There are daily
WASHED out by the Yuba mining operations 81 ,OG0
cubic yards from the mountains, out OF which at
least 25 900 cubic yards axe carried down upon the
agricultural lands and INTO the river channels. Mr..
Bowie, mining engineer, states in his work that the
North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company
has washed out about 3,250,0t0 cubic yards
u
profit of only g, 232 "a made. Statistics show
that the top dirt of the vast amount required be
removed to get to the pay dirt only pays generally
from TO cents per cubic yard. Leading papers of
the East protesting in favor of maintaining the
navgabe waters OF the rivers and iuterlacine bays Tor
the general uses of commerce. In Nevada county, Of
about 20 900 inhabitants the region were the Yuba
mining il done only about AGO men for all kinds of
work employed in come ton with mining
section Of ditch 200 feet lOnt, leading from
mine, had TO be cleaned out by opening the sand
gates and flooding it off, it is called, three times
each day, the ditch becoming entirely filed that
often. The farm Of Mr.. Chely, on the Yuba river,
which be had cultivated since 1916, was by a break
in the levee in 1876, few hours covered with
white sand up To the third board the fences, and
the entire farm of 400 or SEQ acres entirely ruined.
Other similar cases were stated. Also the destruc-
ton of farms after being leveed by the channel filling
up and the water in the river becoming higher than
the adjoining land, in which case, in classes
OF SOIL if the land lies in such position TO retain
water upon it, il will become lake.
iHE FOLSOM BRANCH PRISON.
The State Prison investigation was resumed, and
the following testimony taken:
Vim. Cowlett was sworn as an expert to go to
Folsom and examine tie work, and report to the
committee to the value Of the work already done.
Mr.. Duncan will accompany the expert on the part
Of Governor Irwin, and Mr.. Jordan on his own be-
han.
Mr.. Hayward was recalled, and stated that the
wages of the stouecutters was So per dsy between
the 2Sd Of May and 26th of August, 1879, and the
total amount paid IVES Sl5, $50 %.
NJ Miles was called. Was contractor fo- bui ding
Folsom Prison. Commenced oct ober 1874, and
continued till September, 1875. Mr.. Ball was
architect at that time. spoke to Mr.. Ball and Mr.
Malone about changing the plans, SO we could
use the stone to better advantage-to use smaller
stone This was about four or five months after |
commenced the work. The matter was brought
before the Board can't the time; it three
four months before | stopped on the contract.
Specifications not altered in accordance with
my suggestions | was simply allowed to smaller
stone. That charge was agreeable 10 Mr.. Boil. |
think the meeting OF the Board at which this WIS
permitted at Folsom, but can't soy positively.
II was simply permission to use smaller stone.
suggested to Mr.. Ball that there would be moIe
extensive notifications made, in not putting
large stone in the cell-wailS and floors, etc. pro-
posed rougher stone Think the Board refused to
modify IN this respect. made other PROPOSE ion
for changes. might have said that smaller stones,
and covered with asphaitum, would be just good
for the roofs for the cells. might have asked him
to speak To the Board about it, but don't remember
He opposed any such changes, as he wanted to make
a reputation for himself. might have said that it
would make saving to me aud to the State Of s2O-
600 to $4,000. | never offered TO give Mr.. Bal, a
consideration for such a change. never offered
5000 or any other amount; never told him that
had to give to Irwin and Melone piece. bad TOO
much respect for those gentlemen to think of such
a thing l read it in the paper that Mr.. Ball had
testified, and / was surprised at the testimony.
There a controversy as to the iror-vork upon
the cells between the Board and myself. l did not
should do in that direction. have no recollection
OF ever taking with Governor Irwin about the
prison matters except when before the Board
may have talked with Melone about changing
the arch:ng of the cells. | remember the adjourn
ment of the Board at Folsom, and its being COM
pIeted at Sacramento that night. | don't know
whether day or two before Ball and | dued To-
gether in San Francisco talked with him at times
about the change in the cells and might have done
the street in that city. might have said that
though. il would save forty fifty thousand dol
lars but of course the State would make consider
able deduction upon my contract. did not say 90
him on Montgomery street; or at any dinner, that
would give him $4,000 for recommending these
changes nor any other amount. might have said
that architects might be put out by contractors or
pois Clans. We were ! q ing jaws right along.
know the Board had no confidence in Mr.. Ball,
and so krowI never would have made any such
suggestion to Mr.. Ball; Malone told me the Board
had no confideuee in him; my bondsnen were
sued on my contract after let the job, and they
got judgment against the State for about 81, 600
b lieve andi is now in the Supreme Court believe;
the judgment was upon the ground that had hot
broken my contract, and the State lad ] don't
know whether Folsom is healthy place orr not; had
as many as lJ0 at work there at time was q ere
in charge about eleven months; paid MY stone
cutters nearly all OF them "a per day some nly Lad
90 30, and some worked BY the piece; pld them
from Is to . cents per foot; they male So 80, 81
and s. per day.
Mr.. Jordan recalled: Question-How much cap
ital did you put upon The prison woIksi
Answer-Ab ut $4,000, fu nished by me and Mr.