Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-02
DEBRIS DAMS AND LEvEEs.

leyees below: The dam on the Yuba river Tor
retaining the detritus is already considerably
advanced in its construction. 1t Is not
located at De Gusrre point, as formerly con-
temnlated. but about two miles below, and
about eight miles from Marysville. The river
ia very much wider at this location than at
De Guerre point, and the capacity OF the stor-
age basin will be correspondingly Increased
The dam being constructed will be lO,O00
feet long or nearly two miles. 1t Is COM
posed of willow and cottonwood brush and
gravel. Sufficient gravel is used to weigh
down and hold the brush in place. but the
structure is not made impervious, the object
being to retard the velocity of the water and
thus cause it to throw down its sediment.
which will be done among the brush and
above and below It, and the whole Will soon
become solid mass and indestructible. The
dam is being built from four to twelve feet
high, according to the present surface of
ground. The immense storing capacity OF
the depositipg basin formed by the construc-
ton of this Dam will be seen when the hight
and length of the dam is considered, and the
fact that the width of the basin is about the
same as near De Guerre point, where by ar
abrupt turn of the canyon 1t narrows to only
about mile in width. There are between
three and four square miles of storage room
1
point, but it is expected the filling IN from
effects of the dam will extend far above that
locality. The fall of the river from tue point
to the dam is about five feet per mile,
and even if the deposit in the river were to
only fill in to water level, it would cover
the area to the point, but 1t is ex-
pected and established by experience In
such cases that the slope in the river bed Is
not materially changed by the deposits I'M
| no Of
that the elevation of the bed of the river at
that point is maintained up the stream.
Thus. il the deposit at the lower end OF the
basin or at the dam fills in to the hight OF ten
feet, the deposit will fill in and the bed be
raised at De Guerre point and above nearly
the same and the slope of the river remain
unchanged. This will make the effect of the
dam extend far up the river and capable or
| containing vast amount of mining detrltus.
This is the only dam that will be QUILT upon
the Yuba river the present season. Next
year or the year after, should this dam have
become ineffective from filing up, it can be
built higher, as the location will permit
still higher level of the river. After it has
thus in time been built as high as practicable
and entirely filed up, then it is expected
/ that dam would be built across at the next
available point above, which is De Guerre
point, where dam could be raised from the
/
would prove sufficient for many years to
| come.
On the Bear river brush dam
similar to that on the Yuba river
is being constructed at point for
merly known as Johnson's crossing, about
four miles above the railroad bridge. This
dam is about two miles outside the foothills,
although the ground there is somewhat
rolling. This dam will be about 900 feet
] wiz Ia IN no lini of ba
flow deposit at that point, and will be built
about the same hight as the dam upon the
| Yuba The work upon this structure is also
well advanced The fall of the Bear river
Immediately above the dam is about six or
seven feet to the mile, and very extensive
depositing basin is secured. In addition to
the above work the levees on the Y uba and
Bear rivers are to be repaired and strength
ened to prevent the lateral spread of the
sands. The banks Of the Feather river are
also to be reconstructed at various points
where washed and cut away, and where
the river tends to leave its chan
mel at several points below the
mouth of ths Yuba river. Works will be
strengthened and constructed to prevent the
| spread of flOodwaters from the upper Sacra-
1nento river in Colusa, Suffer and Yolo
counties, and also the levees on the west side
of the Sacramento below the mouth of the
| Feather river. AT this point the extended
| breaks from which so much water runs into
| Yolo basin will be built up and as nearly
closed as shall be deemed advisable. They are
not to be entirely closed this season, but will
| be so far built no as will confne the
waters az much be safely done,
/ so as to effect securing out of the channel
Of the stream. The banks of the Sacra-
mentc, which are cutting badly in several
places, are also to be protected and correc-
tons made, one of which is that of the left
bank Just below the city. TIE American
river is also cutting in towards TIE Sacra-
raento city levee and destroying its channel
! Just above the railroad crossing, about
! Smiths gardens. Necessary steps will be
taken to prevent further cutting in this To-
cality.
This is a general outline of the work which
it is intended to accomplish the present season.
| State Engineer Hall will go to morrow to
Wheatland, and from there visit the works
upon the Bear, Yuba, Feather and upper
Sacramento rivers, and stake out and give
Instructions to work now being done.
| CALVARY BAPTIST SocIAL.-There was a
large audience in attendance at the Calvary
Baptist Church social last evening, and the
entertainment was well received and highly
enjoyable in every respect. The following
programme was very successfully presented
and literally encored: Instrumental duet,
'sGypsy Polka" by Misses Strong and Lit
tlefeld quartet, "Sweet and Low" by
Misses Benedict and Strong, Messrs. Parker
and Kerlin recitation, by Robert w. Pierce;
vocal solo, True to the Last" by Miss Jen-
ME Woods recitation, by Charles Flint; in
strumental solo, "Qui Vive Galop, by Miss
Martha Littlefeld; vocal duet, Swallows,
Pretty Swallows" by Misses Benedict end
Strong; instrumental trio, by Frank Palmer;
vocal solo, 1.-The Musician and His Harp"
by c. l.. Crabtree; recitation, by G. NJ.
Gray vocal solo, . Birds in the Night, by
Miss Anna Benedict dust, cornet and piano,
Fantasia Brilliante, by c. l.. Crabtree and
Miss Littlefeld; chorus, Good Night" by
the choir Among the special features Of the
programme were the cornet solos by Mr..
Crabtree, which were finely rendered. After
/ the literary and musical exercises bountiful
! supply Of refreshments were served and par
taken Of amid highly social chat and re-
union lasting till half-past 10 o'clock.
TELEPHONE EXTENSION NEEDED. The tel
ephone system of the city, which is such a
convenience and affords such facilities for the
transaction of all kinds of business, could be
greatly improved by placing an instrument
in the Western Union Telegraph Office. OF
course the failure to have such an instrument
In that ctiice Is not the fauitof the telephone
company. bat is the fault of the telegraph
Office. The relation sustained by the tee-
graph company to the community is of
such character that proper regard for the
customers of that offce would long since have
induced the telegraph managers to connect
with che Office of the telephone system in this
city, That this has not heen done is prob
ably owing to the fact that the telegraph
company does not propose to patronize any
institution not under control of the local or
Pacific Coast managers Of that company
The company still adheres to the bunglesome
and unsatisfactory district signal-box sys-
TEN, which has long since been superseded,
and which occupies about the same relation
to the more modern methods of commuuica-
ton that one Of Pharoahs chariot wheels
would to the modern sleeping car.
WHAT SAN Francesca PAID-Some in
quiry having been made concerning the pro-
portion Of the State taxes paid by the city
and county of San Francisco, inquiry at the
State Controllers Office yesterday resulted in
the following figures being obtained as show
ing the amount Of State tax paid by San
Francisco for State purposes, and the total
tax paid by the entire State, San Francis 70
included, for the twenty-ninth, thirtieth and
!. ~ r-,.tb Eas,al