Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-11

worked on the dam. Independent OF brush
the dam contains III, 400 logs, averaging
six inches at the butt ends and thirty.
two feet in length. At the north end
the dam is IL feet high. The river bed rises
at the south end, SO that the dam is there but
a feet high. Over 100 miles of wire has
been used in the dam. When the work was
completed to the river where it flows deepest,
the contractors We're compelled to throw out
willow and sand-bag wingdams to check the
current, to enable them to make and lay
foundation of mattresses. They thus pushed
out into the stream until but 200 feet of gap
was left. They then went above the dam
and ran entirely across the river two lines of
stakes four feet apart. Between these on
Tuesday they threw brush and ON top of
that sand. just above this work they put
on scores Of plows and scrapers, and made
an artificial channel in the sand through
which at the proper moment to lead
the river toward the north end of the
dam. where, as stated, the ground is lower
tnat while the water was filling in that basin
the whole force of men might be concentrated
on closing the gap in the dam.
THE RIVER TURNED YESTERDAY.
Yesterday the elimination of the great
experiment was entered upon. The day be.
fore had been an anxious one. The miners,
as far up as Nevada, had shut off water stor-
ing all they could in their reservoirs, the act
resulting in a fall in the Yuba of four inches
by Tuesday at l P. NJ. Scores of men that
day, from Smartsville and other points, came
in on call of the contractors to increase the
force necessary for the last great stroke at
the gap, which was about one and half
miles from the north end. Commissioners
farks and Searles were early at the ground,
| as also numbers of other citizens from differ
| ent sections. Commi- sioner Knox was pre-
vented by illness from attending Engineers
Rhodes and Dolsen and their aids were pres
emf, as also both contractors, Messrs. Ride
out and Binney, and also Mr.. Turton of Sac
ramento, ard press representatives from
MarysVlle and Sacramento 1t was found
! that In all probability the water
could be turned into the basin
yesterday, and consequentlya large force of
men was kept at work all night, and yester-
day, just before 10 O'Clock, in the presence of
the gentlemen named, the small dam across
! the river above the gap was entirely closed,
| the wlng-da lower down was extended, the
artificial scraped-out channel above the small
dam opened, and the waters of the Yuba be-
gan to flow through it northwesterly toward
the high lands and the junction of the re.
stralning dam and the curved levee. They
reached the barriers little after 10 o'clock,
but sank quickly in the dry sands. During
yesterday afternoon one-half the river was
made to flow that way. Meanwhile hundreds
of busy hands were at work to close the gap
In the main dam, while others piled brush and
sand-bags upon the wiDg-dam, to still further
reduce the flow of water through the gap. 1t
was
FIGHT AGAINST NATURE,
And the river battled calamity for its old
familiar path. It had an efficient aid in the
strong north wind, bit it was not enough
l. Al
mattresses went down, and wherever placed
brush and earth were cast upon them, and
thus new steps across the river from the south
side were made. Meanwhile most of the
river was wandering about in the low places
of the new basin, sinking, as if from sheer
exhaustion, in the thirsty sands, resting its
food in the deeper parts of the reservoir, or
| creeping in small rivulets along the base of
the dam, seeking in vain for clear outlets. It
was evident that the water will have to be
| piled up against the dam several hours before
| it will begin to seep through in any material
quantities. Last night came on with
but little water in the gap, and that
steadily diminishing and the Yuba, it
was clearly seen, will by noon to day
run dry below the dam, and for the first
time, perhaps, in all its history, the stream
will cease to flow by the city of Marysville,
or to pour its muddy current into the Feather.
| Late last nl8nC Lne men were still at work at
their giant task-the throttling of a river.
1t is safe to assume that this morning the
gap is closed, and that by high noon to-day
! the brush dam will be securely built upon
the foundation, before the angry waters, after
filling the basin to the north, can surge back
to their old channel, in the vain endeavor to
escape that way. They cannot. They must
FILTER THROUGH
The dam as art has determined for them and
leave their destroying sands behind. They
must rise, as engineering science has appointed
for them, to the crown of the dam along its
whole two miles of length, and conquered,
broken, discounted, fall in thin, harmless
sheet over the lip of the obstruction, upon
the apron below, and wander away down the
many old courses, sinking in the sands till
their thirst is slaked, beating against the spurs
along the north levee when the floods come,
leaving behind them still more Of their sedi-
ment and finally reach the Feather river in,
let it be hoped, a much purified condition !;
and as to that time will tell.
The plans for the dam were prepared by
State Engineer Hail. and had the approval
and amendments of Captain Eads, and have
been carried out under the supervision of Res
ident Engineer G. d. Rhodes, MIR. Dolsen, of
Mr.. Rhodes corps, being the engineer in
charge at the works. The Commission under
which the whole work has been done consists
of W. H. Parks of Yuba, Niles Searles of Ne
vada and w. f. Knox of Sacramento.