Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-14
TIE YUBA DAM.

The writer yesterday visited the dam on
the Yuba river, and found the condition of
things pretty much as heretofore set forth
| The river has fallen to ordinary hight, and
there is not near SO much water Just above
or just below the dam as there was soon
sitter the recent rain Yet there is much
water above the dam, at many places six or
seven feet deep, and there are no islands
visible in the lake except shoals of recent
deposit, that rise above the water about
two or three hundred feet up stream from
the dam. Near the north end of the brush
dam, as previously stated, the great pres
sure of the water caused the dam for a
distance of forty or fifty feet to sink down
four feet, apparently without breaking or
injuring it. No water ran under the dam,
else it would have washed it out. A few
days ago a current three feet deep went
pluneing over this sunken place, yet it had
no effect upon the structure. Now that
the water has been lowered the volume
escaping there is much smaller, being but
few inches deep, yet it forms perfect
cataract. That the structure successfully
resists such force is a good Indication,
and it looks as if the stream could safely
be permitted to run over there all winter.
This is not to be done, however, for Super
intendent Drake has sixty men engaged in
building a wingdam of earth sacks and
brush in current four feet deep, to turn
the water away, so that more material
may be put upon the sunken portion, until
it shall be as high as the rest of the dam.
There is another slight sink on the south
side, but no water flows over it. This algo
will be brought up to the usual grade The
depth of the deposit already made on the
tow and slope OF the dam is about four feet
all the way across. It seems as if there is
not the least danger, now, of the water
forcing an outlet under the dam, or of
washing any part of it away, because the
deposit is SO great and the water SO
high that the surplus coming down in
flood time can more easily flow over the
top of the dam and with perfect safety
In regard to the dam, and the view
of many people concerning it, the
Suffer Banner of to-day says: We have
heard it asserted by numbers of people
that the dam would not answer the purpose
for which it was constructed. How much
of an engineers education these cavilers
have ever had, we are not prepared to say,
but to hear them talk, we are free to say
that they think they know all about it.
We confess to perfect ignorance in that
branch, and knowing that the State pays
salary to man who ought to know
something of the science, we have been
willing to allow all that work to fall to
him, feeling sure that if be failed, he was
liable. Then he has called to his assist
ance other eminent engineers, one Of whom
has worldwide reputation, and they have
all agreed that the style of dam placed
upon the Yuba and Bear rivers is the best
for the purpose intended. Now, if these
men don't know what to do, who does !?
We believe they do, and we are not going
to cry out failure, until we see the thing
fairly tried, and We are also going to allow
for any failures that contractors may have
made in the construction of the dam. -
[Marysville Appeal, December 10th.