Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-25
LEvgE IMPROVEMENTS.
Progress of the work-Its Present Effects
ana Results Anticipated.

the railroad bridge, for reforming and
protecting the leyee, is now well advanced
and will soon be completed. The reconstruc-
ton of the levee, and earth filling back OF
the bulkhead to give the required slope to
the bank, has been finished, and the reVet-
ment work to protect it from washing Is par
tally done. This protection consists in
heavy matted brush covering, securely fas-
tened to the ground. Willow brush is laid
over the surface in a close, thatch-iike man.
ner, the brush being all laid straight and In
uniform direction, with the butt ends of the
brush upstream, and lying horizontally along
the bank. After the first section at the lower
end Of the surface to be covered has been
laid, additional layers in shingle fashion are
extended along the bank upstream, partially
tapping upon that preceding, by which pro-
cess a continuous surface of tops OF the brush
is left to receive the action of the water.
This covering or revetment Is lad to the
thickness of about Is inches, and then fas-
tened in place by wire run back and forth
over it from top to bottom of the embank
ment in parallel lines, with spaces of about
three feet intervening. Two stakes are then
wired together at their heads, and with the
two points placed on opposite sides of the
wire, are driven firmly down through the
brush. These are thus driven at intervals of
about three feet along the lines, and the en-
tire brush surface Is thus drawn down COM
pactly together and made secure. 1t is ex-
pected, and has been ascertained by expert
ence of engineers upon other sediment bear
ing streams, that as the water rises and COW
ers this work the brush will fill with and re-
tain the sediment, and being thus formed into
solid body will become an indsstructible
barrier to future action of the currents.
The spur work Immediately above the
point, constructed for the purpose of break
ing the force of the current along that bank,
and thereby forcing the main flow and force
of the water further out from the levee, has
already proved entirely successful. A great
amount of granite had in years past been
| placed along upon the face OF this point, as
a remedy against the cutting away by the
strong current carried to that bank by the
American river coming in little above and
from the opposite side. This stone-work
even had but little resisting effect, as no
steps were taken to decrease the velocity of
the current on that side, and the earth around
the stone continued to be cut away. The
present spur work is for the purpose of check
| ing this velocity along the shore. and thus
overcome the cause of the previous difficulty,
and aid in protecting the new levee. Several
| spurs have been constructed along IN the edge
OF the river for distance of several hundred
| TeeC ABOVE CflS new anu extending
/ further out from the shore than IN line with
Washington Point. These spurs consist of
piles driven in rows from the bank out into
the river, stayed together with timbers and
small trees fastened close together along the
piles, part of the trees having their tops
downward and up stream in an angle of 40
degrees, the tips laying upon the bottom and
others alternately standing upright. These !
have already stopped all current as far out |
A. a,,l 81.
like pond is the accomplished result. The |
theory that the sediment in the water will |
be thrown down and settle in proportion as
the velocity of the current is retarded, is fully
demonstrated by observations made in the |
still water at this place. Theibrush mattresses
through which the piles for these spurs were
driven have become solid with sediment, and
the tops of the brushy trees which were laid
upon the bottom of the river as above stated, |
have become so imbedded in sand that they
could only be removed with the greatest diff
Guilty, and would remain solid in their pres
ent position if the pile work were removed |
This result has accrued at a time when an
unusually small amount of sediment is being
carried in the water. The river water is now
regarded as freer from its usual muddy con-
dition than mas been previously known foI
many years.
There Is an indentation in the bank line
heretofore contributed to the peculiar cutting
action of the water Immediately below, and
which it is expected under this process OF
depositing sediment, will soon be filed and a
new bank with improved slope formed. This
| filling will be far more rapid during higher
water and food times than at present, as the
amount Of detritus then carried In suspen-
sion is many times greater in proportion to
the volume of water passing. Entire salts
| fac - sad nv q 3 n
the successful results and prospects of the
work in this vicinity. 1t is anticipated that
there will be heavy deposit and filling out
side of the bulkhead along below, as similar
! spur work is to be constructed at intervals
between the bulkhead and the outer barrier.
| The outer barrier is now being constructed. 1t
will be a line of piles driven six feet apart,
and extending a distance of about 800 feet
along the shore, at distance Of 80 feet from
the bulkhead of the new levee. A brush
mattress, Is feet wide and II inches thick,
and running the entire length of this barrier,
| is being constructed and sunk with sand-bags |
upon the bottom, after which the row of
piles is driven along through the center of it,
thus forming base to prevent the current
cutting under the works. Between two and
! three hundred feet of this mattress has been |
constructed and placed in position, and the
piles are being driven. The Washington
| Point work will soon be completed.
| The work of building the levee around the
! Todbunter break, short distance above
Washington, is well advanced and be-
You'd danger from any rains which
may now occur. This work requires
heavy amount OF filling. The
new embankment, which lies in a semi circle
around the break aud deep cut from action of
the torrent through it, is about L, 200 feet
long, The base of the levee is from 70 to so
feet broad aud about s feet wide at the top,
with perpendicular highth of from IL to Ii
| feet. The work is about three-fourths done.
The earth for building the levee is taken from
within the circle, but in some places the
scooping is so deep that water has already
been struck, and it is quite possible that
sutfi cient material will not be obtained from
within to complete the work.
The repairs at English break, six miles
above, are also well advanced and past appre
hension from rain. Nearly fifty men have
been employed there for some time past, and
a large number of teams. An overshoot
apron will be constructed, so as to allow the
water to escape as a relief to the carrying ca
pacity of the river, when the water rises to
about the p foot mark, according to the
gauge at this city
The protection works near V street, below
this city, are nearly COMPLETED, and will be
permanent against the difficulties experienced
there last spring, which if not overcome
would have proved constant menace to the
safety of the lower part of the city,
THANKSGIVING DAY.-This is Thanksgiv-
ing day in accordance with proclamations of
the President of the United States and Gov
ernor of California, and business will be gem
orally suspended throughout the city The
Courts and public Offices and most business
offices will be closed The day will be gen.
orally given up to feasting and pleasure.
Union religious services will be held at II
AN. at the Seventh.street NJ. E. Church South.
Rev. II. IL. Rice will deliver the Thanks.
giving sermon. At the conclusion of the
service collection viii be taken and divided
equally between the Howard Benevolent
! Association and the Protestant Orphan
Asylum. Company G tSarsfelds) will hold
a grand shooting contest at their rifle range
in the afternoon. The company will be di-
vided into six teams of eleven men each. The
contest will be for coin prizes, aggregating
about 500. The train will be taken for the
range at quarter to l o'clock, sharp, accom-
panied by invited guests and the drum corps.
THE GRAND CARNIVAL MARCH will form
at the southeast corner of the Pavilion at the
stroke of o'clock All participants of the
ball viii please assemble in the side hall Tor
the march. The several committees viii