Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-11-29
DEBRIS.
NINTH DAY OF THE sLIcKENs CASE IN
COURT.
Further Testimony About the American
River from Early Days to Date-Ef-
fscts of Sand and Sediment.


The slickens csse-The People VS.. The
Gold Run Ditch and Mining Company-was
resumed at $50 A. NJ. yesterday, Judge jack
son Temple presiding.
w. T. Knox sworn ito Mr.. Hart)-I
have lived in Sacramento since September,
1850. Came to California in September,
1S49. When I first came to the State
crossed the American river near where the
Twelfth.street bridge now stands. It was a
clear stream. with a hard, pebbly bottom.
The banks were very bluff, and from fifteen
to twenty feet high. The bottom of the river
was comparatively level and very firm. l
constructed two buildings. in 1850. on the
American river, at what was called Whites
ferry. That ferry was about opposite Twenty
eighth street. I noticed that the water of the
American river became very muddy and was
laden with slickens about 1852. I was Levee
Commissioner of the City OF Sacramento for
three years. I noticed particularly during
that time the condition of the water and the
channel of the American river. found by
observation that the river chanael was
FILLING UP RAPIDLY
Each year, caused by the water bringing
down large quantities of sand and sediment.
It has been every year constantly filling up
with sand. After 1862 the levees were built
to the hight Of four feet above high-wa er
mark, which would bring the levees to hight,
according to our gauge, of twenty-four feet.
We found, few years later, that the con.
slant filing in of the channel necessitated
our raising OF the levees five feet higher.
In 1851 and 1852 resided in this
city, not far from the present Court
House. I resided there until after the
food Of 1862. During the foods of 1862,
went up the American river as far as Brighton
on steamboat. The first high water in the
American usually scours out the channel for
a few miles from the point where it empties
into the Sacramento. The American usually
rises several hours before the high water
comes down the Sacramento. The deposit
from the American into the Sacramento DUR
ing food times is very great. The new
mouth of the American was mostly made in
1867 and 1868. The Sacramento river is par
TALLY filled up with sand and sediment every
high water. [ have seen steamers and various
kind of vessels moored in the mouth Of the
American river. The water was very deep
at its mouth. I was at one time engaged in
rafting logs to that point, where sawmill
was situated. The old mouth of the Ameri.
can was filed up with sand during the floods
Of 1867 and 1865. A very large bar, fully a
quarter of a mile wide, is opposite the old
mouth of the American. This bar entirely
fills up all Of the original channel of the Sac
The sawmill at the mouth of the
American was in operation during the year
1858 Steamboats, could get up very easily to
the mill. The water was clear and there was
no obstruction to navigation. The water
along the banks was from ten to fifteen feet
deep at low water, and the banks rose twenty
feet above that From the mouth of the
American river to the bridge the old channel
is entirely filed with q sandbar. This sand
d
deep water, and navgased by the largest yes.
SELF. This bar throws the waters of the Sac.
over on the Yoio side, 81 d clear be-
' ond the original channel of the river This
bar shoals, and vessels cannot land on it at
any point l unfortunately was one of the
Drainage Commissioners appointed by the
Governor. | have seen the very largest class
of steam and sail vessels navigating the Sac
river and m0ored at the Sacramento
wharf. The bed Of the river, on An average.
at Sacramento city is fully
TEN FEET HIGHER
Than it was in 1850. This sand is constantly
down the river. I have noticed this
onward movement Of sand since the 60 ,ds of
1862. The waters previous to that time were
clear, and very good for all domestic pur-
poser. In those days we did not have to
filter the water. Now the river water is so
laden with sediment and sand that it is un6s
for domestic purposes unless it is settled or
filtered. The filing up of the bed of the Sac
ramento river has almost destroyed the drain.
age of this city. The sipage water within the
city increases each year, and the difficulty of
getting rid of it also annually increases. A
great many blocks in the lower portion of the
city are submerged every wirter. by
this sipage water, and sometimes we
have to resort to pumping for
three months OF time. All this trouble
is caused by tbs filling up OF the river chan
mel. The sand deposits and channel filings
are destroying all of our natural and artificial
drainage canals. The pumps have been used
both at the R-stTeet aud Y.street levees. The
Y-street levee where the pumps were stu.
ated is twenty feet wide on top and six or
seven feet high. There was more water in
the floods of 1862 than il those of 1857 or
1868. The north levee was,the only one that
was raised until last year. The cost of the
levees in 1867 and 1868 was about $50, GOO.
The firm Of which [ was one of the members
had a contract to construct them. Prior to
1862 there was a small levee, three or four
feet high, along the bank of the American as
far as Thirty-first street. Such a levea would
afford no protection new An ordinary food
runs over that levee six or seven feet deep.
Cross-examination (hy Mr.. Catlin)-[ The
witness was shown a map of the city Of Sac
and asked to locate the levees which
he had been describing. Witness pointed
out, and described all of the levees that had
been built since the organization of Che city.
Witness also located the different canals that
had been constructed, and the various
changes in the American river channel since
lS49. Witness. continuing: The American
river in many places near the city is filled up
with ssnd fully to the hight of the original
soil. do not mean to say that during high
water all of the deposit in the American is
swept into the Sacramento. There is during
high water
ENORMOUS QUANTITIES
Of sand carried by the swift current into the
river. In 1867 and 1868 the high
water covered all the land outside the north
levee, as far as the beet sugar factory. When
the Sacramento is very high the water in the
American is Stacked as far back as Twenty
eighth street. The water-works were con-
structed in 1852 or 1858. Water was origin
ally pumped into q large tank or reservoir.
About eight years ago the Holly system was
adopted, and now the water is pumped direct
ly from the river into the mains. The water
for several years past has to.be settled before
it is good for drinking or cooking.
Mr. Catlin-Is not the water good to drink
in its unsettled state
Wituess-I am told that the large amount
of sand it carries aids digestion and is good
for dyspeptics.
Witness (resuming) )-The low land south
of the city was all covered with back.w water
during the foods of 1873 The break at
Lovdall's occurred about 3 o'clock A. N, I
was at that time Street Commissioner. /
Immediately had the openings in the R-street
levee closed, and kept this back.water out of
the city. Snodgrass slough. where the canal
from the city discharges, is about twenty-five
miles south of Sacramento. was one of the
Levee Commissioners at the time the canal
was constructed at the mouth of the Ameri-
can. There was no bar above the old mouth
of the American prior to the making Of this
canal.