Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-22
DEBRIS.
SIXTH DAY OF THE TRIAL OF TEE
DEBRIS CASE.
Testimony Of Captain Albert Foster Re-
| sumed-C. W. Clarke on the
! Witness Stand

The slickens case-the People VS.. the Gold
Run Ditch and Mining Company-was re-
sumed yesterday at $50 A. N. in Department.
No. 2, Judge jackson Temple presiding.
Captain Albert Foster, for the plaintiff, re-
sumed.
Cross-examination-(T Mr.. Catlin)-The
depth of the water at the hulk of the Cora,
at the foot of K street, is about Is feet. The
water is now IS inches higher than it was at
low water this summer. The old Navig alton
Company removed their ways from the
American river about 1858. They used
Fisherman's beach in the building of the
Comanche. When they moved to the Yolo
side there was good depth of water at that
point. The river channel was quite straight
at that time. The shoaling in front Of the
city first appeared in front of r street. Hay
cock shoals were felt by the larges. steamers
in the early days. We first commenced
landing at the R-street levee in No
vembsr, 1864. During the summer of
1864 the water was quite low. The fill of the
channel in front of the city is quite extensive
The bottom in front of K street is quite hard.
The deepest place in the river in front of the
city at present is not more than twenty feet.
THE FRUIT TRADE
During the last ten years is much greater
than the ten years previous. During the last
five years there has been more fruit shipped
than during the five years Immediately pre-
ceding. The San Joaquin is navigated by
stern wheelers. don't know Of any side.
wheelers on that river. The inland COM
merce of Oregon is mostly carried on by
stern-wheelers, but am not sure bat that
side-wheelers also navigate the Columbia.
1t was later than 1868 that we first encoun-
tered trouble at Haycoek shoals. The Cora
was under water seventeen days near Walnut
Grove. The water was not particularly high
at that time. 1t was carrying a great guam
tity of sediment. There was no current pass.
ing through the cabins. The Cora was
sunk once before two miles below Clarks.
burg in the fall of 1877. She did
not fill with sand or sediment then.
She was not under water so long at Clarks-
burg SIS she was at Walnut Grove. The tule
basin extending from Knights Landing to
Cache slough drains off now about as fast as
at any time formerly. A map was here
the various sloughs on the west side of the
Sacramento river My impression is that
there was levee built along Elk slough to
protect the land from tule water. Grand
Island has been leveed with strong, substan-
tial levees. The levees while they stood
caused the river to carry more water. They,
however, have never stood high waters. In
1878, and also last inter, the levees first gave
way OH the slough, or west side. The land
from Cache slough to Sutter slough is quite
low, and when oveIfowed the water is deep,
and large waves form which destroy or wash
the levees. Wood Island is opposite Rio
Vista. Three-mile slough ernpties into Hens
ley slough.
Redirect examination-(To Mr. Cadwal
ader)-The greatest securing Of the river is
during high water. The raj ing Of the river
bed causes the water to reach greater hight
and is the cause of the levee destruction
The R-street leves was in dagger of destruc-
tion by waves three or four feet high in the
back wster during the winter of 1873. It
took very lively work O. the part of the cit
liens TO save the city at that time from being
flooded. TIE break in the lsvee was
BELOW THE CITY.
And was very large. The current that passed
through WIS very rapid and strong. The
break was not easily repaired. The current
wss so strong through the break that piles
were broken off. l was offered $4,000 to
close the break. but declined it. as [ did not
think it possible to do go during the high
stage of water. The country YVES q >oded be-
low r street to Freeport from that break.
Immediately below the break the de.
posit was sand. In fropt of the
break was hop fisld, and bacl,
OF that orchards. In early times there was
about four feet of tide at The head of Grand
Island. Now there is only about eighteen
inches. There has been repeated attempts to
levee iu Grand Island, but all have failed.
General Williams and Mr. Kerchival were
largely engaged in leveeing. At the lower
end Of Grand Island the levees were very
large; think they had a base Of fifty or sixty
feet. From Fremont to Cache Slough there
are
MANY BREAKS.
If all the breaks were measured tie asgre-
gate would exceed a mile. The breaks be-
tween Sacramento.and Freeport, on the cast
side OF the Sacramento, have all been re-
mento is about four inches to the mile. The
Y treet leyee has been built since 1878. The
Fern and Mesick breaks caused the overflow
of all the country south Of the Y-street levee
last winter. In 1873 the water and sewage Of the
city was pumped over the R.street levee. La
the winter Of 1881 pumping again had to be
resorted to, and the pumps were situated on
the Y-street levee The water in the Sacra-
mento has been clearer this year than last.
Ii the water was clear, and not
charged with sediment, it would have
tendency TO scour cut and improve the chan
mel. Have known the river to scour out to
the depth of twelve feet during ore high
water. l believe that this securing of the
channel continues the length of the river and
the debris deposited
INTO THE BAY.
The qIicksand is owing constantly, and
very noticeable during low water. II rolls
and shoals, and forms what we in steamboat
two water. gauges at the city front. There
was difference between them of two feet
and nine inches.
Recross exanination-(To Mr.. Catlin)-I
remember that the water inside the
city was pumped over the R-street
levee into the river some years age.
The lands flooded by the water from Mesick,
Fern and Lovedsl breaks, were also flooded in
1862, and l think it was higher then than
the recent food In the winter of 1867 and
1868, and in 1852 and 1858, this same country
was flooded. The steamer Dover last winter
went into the tules on the Yolo side of the
river. She was engaged in picking up rail.
road material, and one time was loaded with
upwards of 200 tons Of iron, bes ides the ties.
She went into the tules through break
about one-half mile south of the Fern
break. She could have gone due west
ten miles. The current was not strong in
the tules. The water above the railroad was
two feet higher than that below. The rail.
road acted as a kind of dam. Between
Sacramento and Davisvilie there was about
two miles of trestlewolk through which the
water could escape. All of that country was
oyeriiowed in 1862 / think the water 10 1862
wss higher below Sacramento than that Of
1881. In 1862 the San Joaquin was also
higher than last winter. The steamer Orc
piled between Sacramento and Sw;ngles last
winter for two months, carryingmail and pas
sengers.
OF the Sacramento river from Sacramento to
Steamboat slough at food times is four inches
to the mile. The distance by river from this
city to Collinsv;lle is about seventy miles,
Rio Vista is sixteen miles this side of Collins
vile. Clarksburg is eighteen miles from
this city.
Redirectexamination( Ito Mr.. CadwaIader)-
When the Dover went into the tules last