Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-27
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE DEBRIS INVESTIGATION = SENATE
CoMMITTgE OF MINING DEBRIS.

CoMMITTsE OF MINING DEBRIS.
The Senate Committee on Irrigation,
Water Rights Drainage and Mining Debris
met in the Senate chamber at o'clock last
evening. Charles Coglan repeated his testi-
mony given before the Assembly committee
on Tuesday evening NJ. Davis, Joseph Nc
Cornell and James NJ. Doyle were sworn.
The latter gentleman was examined at length,
and testified az follows visited the Yuba
dam on the 1st Of January last. In my
opinion The embaukment was caused by the
dividing Of the stream, portions of it going
each way, which threw the sediment on each
side. 1t was about three feet in depth Il
is above the dam and was made since the 1st
of January. The triangle is about 100 yards
in size. The settle at the south end was
about 40 feet long the LIST of January. Since
then il has been filed up and very little
water is passing through. The first is shallow,
not more than six inches deep. The third is
about 200 feet WIDE They ara irregular, up
and down. st one point there IS but very
little settle, but at another point above
the dam il Is perhaps lower than the
old bed of the river. At point ID
it is lower than the bed of the stream on
preston is about 200 feet at that point. The
depth of water that flows over that point is
now very difficult to measure. | saw two
worknen cross at that point on raft, after
unsuccessfully trying with gum boots. The
bed OF the river is six or seven inches higher
above than below the dam, but | could not
notice any perceptible difference in the mud
diness Of water above and below, but IN
hole Of water at rest below the first settle,
which has been filed up, the water is so clear
that I drank from it. When water is at rest
il naturally settles. The water was running
at the rate of four miles an hour, and there
was little chance for it to settle. l think the
statements in nay letter were substantially
correct, according to my understanding of
what o dam is. lt is structure to arrest
the Hjw Of the current. This only diverts
the course of the current. The water flows
parallel with the dam until it finds an exit
through the settle or break at the north end.
| still think was right about what | said
about the wheelbarrowsful Of dirt, because
the deposit would have been great above the
dam had it never been constructed, as
it has uniformly settled each year at all points
along the river. | would not try to give any
scientific reasons for this. That would occur
to anyone without explanation. was not
80 certain as to my statement about the de-
post being but seven inches above the Yuba
bridge at Merysville, because the river bed Is
constantly changing. For this reason those
measurements cannot be relied upon
with accuracy. | was approximately cor
rect. / still think the depth of de-
post at the brush dam was not greater
that at Yuoa bridge at Marysville. After my
observations On the 81 of January and yes
terday / am still of the opinion that the
water passing through the brush has caused
. > -5, lfsfr I think Il IL the
water running over that undermines II. My
opinion IS that the only way to prevent set.
Ting Of the dam il to prevent the passage of
the water over 1t, because at every poiat
where the water has passed over it has set
tied more or less. The water, L should think,
was ihrae feet above the dam at the settle
The dam is about four feet high. The water
is running at the rate of four miles | should
not think it would precipitate much slickens
At the north end the dam is about three feet
Of the water Yesterday and day before
l saw about thirty men. working
at the north end, and about the
same number at the south eud.
think now that there has been over 800
wbeelbarrow loads Of debris arrested by the
lau-1hat is. siucs the last rains. The
amount can only be estimated. L have seen
the dam three times. The levee which TANKS
the dam On the south side has scarcely been
touched by water, except close to the dam.
That leyee IS little over mile long from
the upper end TO the dam, facing out on the
plains. At G | would estimate that there
was nearly as much of the old bed of the river
washed out rs the dam has accumulated above
it. At the big break there is over a
foot Of sediment which [ think has been
thrown there by the water rushir 8 around the
end Of the dam.
Mr., Glsscoc,1 here asked the witness
if be thought the Act to promote drainage
should be repealed.
Mr.. Roweil objected.
Mr.. Glascock stated in explanation that il
was said that the witness was opposed to the
measure. He knew to the contrary, and &C
cordirgly asked the question.
Mr.. Watson favored the question.
Mr. Johnson ruled that the question was an
improper one, because it asked for the opin-
ion Of witness about matter of legislation.
Tho Chairman here suggested to witness
that he should let his statement rest there.
His reason for doing this, he said in reply to
MIR. Davis, was because he did not want to
know the feelings or animus of the witness.
He didn't think it was polite or gentlemanly
to ask such questions.
Mr. Psrdee asked witness if, as an expert,
he thou int the dam success.
The Chairman said witness had already
said ii was failure, so be ruled the question
out Of order.
Mr. Parks objscted to the ruling.
bIr Watson asked il he had written his
letter to the Colusa sun from what he had
learned from his own observations. He first
visited the south side of the dam at settle
marked z IN the map. Judge dam was
about 10 000 feet long. Went tenth of the
distance, and from what he saw was willing
to give his opinion. The day was clear and
he could see tie whole dam. Water was only
flowing over dam here and there. If water
had passed over the entire crest without set
tiin. he thought it would have accumulated
the debris, as it was intended by the pro-
isctors. That water never could all pass
Though the brush. 1t must eventually clog
up the brush and flow over. Were it net for
this the flowing over of the water would
probably accomplish the desired result. That
is more difficult to do there than in the can,
yons and mines, because there the pressure Of
thu water washed it out underneath. The
reason no portion of the brush dam haC
washed away was because it was put together
so well. Some little of the floor below tn,
brush might have washed away. HI
did not know. If the dam had all beer
made of brush it would, he thought, all hav
been successful That the excess of wha
ssdiment would have been there if the dan
had not been built would not be much NOR
than 100 wheeibarfows. Immediately below
the dam the sediment was secured out, il
consequence of the water rushing through
the settles. About half a mile he could sc
what he thought the old bed of the river, an
upon a near approach could see that it ha
heen Dartlv secured out. The dam had no
accumulated any. sediment to speak Of Di
not think any Of the old bed had been washe
ont shove the dam. Immediately above an
below the big break considerable of the oil
he'd Of the river had been washed Out
Did not think il the dam was once construci
ed 40 SIS to stand there was any DANCE
of anv quantity of sediment bursting tn
dam. Tie longer it held, the stronger
would become. When he first visited the DIAL
the channels were not in the same place 8
they hsi been ON the occasion of his last vlsi
He did not cross the dam, aud blsed some {
his statements on those of his brother. who
few DAYS before had visited the north sid,
The channels, he thought, were cut parti
througk deposit made since the constructlo
of the darn, and partly through deposit
former years. The deposit was principal
that made there this year. That channel
the south esd was three or four feet below u
old bed of the river. The channel from
C, he thought, was probably three fet
below the deposit made previous
the present season. 1t was about tot
fest from the deposit above the dai
TO the crest of the dam; six inches had depo
tied. which would make a dan AZ feet higi
He did not look to see how high the dam vi
on the other side, but thought it was on
about II feet. Would be astonished to hei
it was feet A great deal of sediment rs
been washed away below the dam. while