Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-28

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has always been perfectly clear upon the
proposition that unless the mining debris
could be so carried as not to I'M ire the val
ley lands, the river channels, and the bays
and harbors of the State, it ought not to
be allowed to enter the streams at all.
Bat recognizing the magnitude of the in
terest which had grown up in the mount
aims, and perceiving the justice of endeav-
oring to preserve all the property concerned,
we favored scientific investigation of the
subject, to the end that if it were possible
some means might be devised for protecting
the valley without stopping the mines.
This scientific investigation was had. En-
inent engineers were engaged to consult
with the State Engineer. Captain Eads
and Colonel Mendell added the weight of
their experience to his. And after due ex-
animation they reported to the effect that
it was practicable to save the valley with
out sacrificing the mines.
The plans which they approved, and
which were subsequently, adopted by the
Legislature, were comprehensive and ex-
tensive. 1t was intended to build dams
in the upper channels of the rivers, to
hold back the heavier material from the
rivers, and to correct and deepen the lower
channels by levees, cut. offs, and other
engineering devices, for the purpose of in
creasing the velocity of the current, and
so enabling it to carry a larger volume of
material down to the sea. 1t was dis
tinctly and repeatedly stated by the en-
gineers that these works would require
several years for their completion, and it
was of course perfectly apparent that until
the whole plan had been carried out
it would be impossible to judge of its
results. The scheme, however, had high
scientific Endorsement. The principles
upon which it proceeded were capable of
being comprehended by all who took the
trouble to study the lucid and voluminous
explanations of them put forward in the
reports of the engineers. All that was
needed was patience on the part OF the
public, until the entire project could be
fairly and fully tested.
But the works had only been begun
about four months when the winter rains
set in. Nothing had been done save
to build couple of brush dams. The
correction of the lower channels of the
rivers, which was absolutely indispensable
to the success of the plans, had not been
commenced The whole undertaking in
fact had but just been preached, and
criticism upon it under the circumstances
was most irrational The proposal to col.
lect part of the fund necessary by State
tax had in the meantime alarmed and
angered the shortsighted and narrow.
minded people who could not see that the
preservation both of the Sacramento val.
ley and of the hydraulic mining interest
was emphatically State concern. The
San Francisco press, with its usual little
ness, at once threw itself upon the side
of these insular folks, and waged fierce
war upon the Drainage Act on the ground
of the method OF taxation. There is no
evidence that any of these papers studied
the problem presented to them. 1t was
enough for them that tax OF five cents
on the hundred dollars was levied, and
that appeal to the seat of their souls
their pockets brought them all to the
fighting pitch.
A hard winter meanwhile tried the new
dams very severely, and parts OF them
proved too weak for the strain. But
though the enemies Of the scheme voCif.
Grated that it was a failure because the
dams had not stood firm at all points, il
has since been declared by Colonel Men,
dell that the dams were not failures that
in fact they were successful ; and that the
principle upon which they were built has
been fully vindicated by the results. Oh
course the claim that the untried scheme
was failure, made on the strength OF the
carrying away of few feet of the dams,
was preposterous. A scheme which has
never been tried cannot be failure. and
the plans Of the engineers have never yet
been tested. The farmers, who seem to
have thought, notwithstanding the plain
statements Of the engineers, that the re.
medal measures were TO produce instan.
taneous effects, were disappointed because
the dams did not do what they were never
intended to do. They, too, joined the
opponents of the engineering plans, and
equally without reason or justification.
The new Anti Hydraulic Association says
in its address that tax has been levied
on the State " to be expended in fruitless
effort to control the debris from the
mines or to prevent further destruction
" to the valley" At this point we must
take issue with the Association. We say
that it has no right to assert that the tax
is or was to be expended in ga fruitless
effort. We say that those who affirm the
effort to be fruitless convict themselves Of
either ignorance or blind prejudice, fol
that it is impossible for any man to pass
judgment upon scheme which has never
been put in operation.
We say further that there is no warrant
whatever for any such condemnation Of
the engineering plans. The opinions Of
people who know nothing of engineering
are utterly worthless upon such subject
but when these opinions are avowedly
based upon mere fragmentary piece Of
engineering work, which is but the begin
ming of a comprehensive system, it is cleal
that they must be not only worthless but
fagrantly unjust The real fact is this
that so far as any trustworthy evidences
exists, nothing has occurred which car
warrant the public in condemning the en-
gineering plans, or in ceasing to believe
that if carried out fully they would pro-
duce all the beneficial results anticipated
from them. They have been condemned
without hearing or showing in ignoranc;
and prejudice but it remains the fact that
they constitute the one rational, scientific
and thoroughly equitable solution of the