Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-05

nothing which has been said is to be interpreted
meaning that see no way of accomplishing the de-
sired end except by state work; on the contrary,
while some of the devices necessary are certainly
/ such as the State might with propriety, in my
opinion contribute towards, the great bulk OF the
work is such as should be paid for by the
| property in the drainage district where waters
are to be purified aud carried away.
Five possible OF revenue to carry out the
works were thought Of and considered: First, the
General Government funds second, State axatlon;
| third district taxation fourth, assessments for
| land benefits fifth, assessments for damages on
miners water. We all know perfectly well of the
| principles upon which the General Government
might contribute toward this work namely, that it
| is necessary for the preservation of her navigable
| streams, and that, having sanctioned mining, she
should bear the burden of it. evil effects.
say, Mr.. Speaker, all understand these points
| thoroughly but do all know how long the Gov
eminent may be in taking hold of the matterY-do
| we all know that it may be ten years before get
| the Representatives from Maine, New Hampshire
and Vermont to under and appreciate this sub
| ject? God knows, Mr.. Speaker, il appears to be
nard enough to getthe herefrom
Los Angeles, san Luis obispo and Alameda coun
ties-c0unties within our State--to understang that
there is community OF interest in this matter which
we cannot ignore Look at the efforts that have
been put forth to get Congress to take hold of the
subject See our representatives there now strug-
| Cling to get our necessities recognized, and then
read in the Geographic dispatches OF few days ago
that the altry sum OF $4,000 the total amount
authorized or appropriated for all the rivers and
y,
$4,000 to be expended in this particular valley an
amount SO ridicuougly small that it might as well
aim st not have been appropriated at ALL
Sir, we do not know that the great Northwest
| from the Alleghanies to the Rocky Mountains and
from New Orleans to the Great LakeS-has been in
| terceding with Congress ever since the civil
closed restore the lower Mississippi to its navga-
bic condition 1t was almost ruined by the fortunes
OF war-the sinking of yessels, fornIatiOno bars de-
struction of its leyees and banks. Do you know and
do the members of this House know, sir, that this
| begging, petitioning and memoriaizing, from in
terests thirty times as great as We have apd much
| nearer Washington has yet produced resultsg
hat Congress has temporized with the matter, had
| examinations and reports made and commissions
| appointed but works of improvement carried en-?
The works at the mouth of the Mississippi, which
has resulted IN the deepening of one channel and
| the reduction of export freights to an aggregate
amount of IS 100000 yearly for the great Mississippi
valley were only sanctioned by Government after
private company had contracted TO accomplish the
desired result before it received its pay Yes sir,
| had it not been for the energy, the indomtable
! pluck Of James B. Eads ships drawing more than
| ten I twelve feet of water could not now enter
where, as it is, the deepest draught ships in the
wOrid-as large or larger than can enter our own
noble harbor of San Francisco can now sail up the
! Mississippi 10 New Orleans.
| Can we with this example before us-can we,
| Mr.. Speaker, can any member this toor-say
that it would not be suicidal to wait for Govern
meBt aid in this matter OF debris trouble? say,
Nr. Speaker, 1t would be sulcdll; say 1t would be
| foolish And when the Legislature one year ago
considered the matter it thought so too and passed
| the Act to promote drainage
We all want Congress to take hold Of the mat er.
We ali believe that the General Government should
contribute the bulk OF the means to hold back these
| sands otherwise dispose of them, and improve
| the river channels. And hope understand that
the only way to get anything done is to manifest
independence start II ourselves, and keep on pray
| ing
| | am reminded here, Mr. Speaker, of fable once
read in that good old collection attributed to Kop
of old. about the I" Lark and her nest of young
ones. Soft is with the State OF California When
have determined to do something ourselves and have
accumulated sufficient energy and determination to
| do it, then, Mr. Speaker, the debris question will be
solved, for we are not waiting on our neighbors.
In view of these points, sir; in view OF the fact
that there existed great necessity for doing some
thing to prevent calamity befallsg the farest val
| ley of our State; in view of the fact that il We
waited for aid from Washington We might in the fu
ture be found locking the door after the horse was
stolen say that there was necessity for passing
the Act 10 promote drainage and that the necessity
exists this day great for its retention as ever
We come now TO tne!second query i'll the engineer
| ing phase of the question:
90 Can this great engineering problem be solved!
Really, SIT, this is question FOR engineers to an
swer and not We ourselves. This profession Of civil
| engineering is an honorable aud learned one and
its members have accomplished great things in this
world. This profession has Its literature, its
ports; just as that of law or medicine. The civil
| engineer who leads his profession has at his COM
mand the result OF experience the world over, and
7
ing in the Library Of the State scores of works
! giving descriptions OF what has been accomplished
| IN the way Of river improvements in other lands,
| and the Mechanics lnstiluts Library contains hun
| dreds of volumes bearing upon the same subjects.
Dams have been built OF all sorts and kinds OF
material, on every variety OF foundation for pur-
poses as varied as can be and under circumstances
the most unfsvOrabe, and the accounts OF them have
been kept and published for the benefit OF the civil
| engineering prof, ssion
Have we read these books sir? Have we studied
| them? Has any member on this floor gone through
the ia volumes OF the annual reports Of the French
| Department OF Engineering and the 30 volumes of
the German Polytechnic Journal and the 40 or $50
volumes of the British Association of Engineers TO
be found in the Mechanics Institute Library in san
| Francisco will venture to say sir, that not
OF US has looked into the first book on the subject
not one of US has studied the matter at all.
Now sir, if a civil engineer were TO come into my
Office and undertake to crticse my law if he were
to take up my brief and find fault with itsarrauge
meut; if he were to cut and slash my exceptions,
or call me to account for my transcript OF record
( appeal, even though he my Glen, sir, il he
| were to tell me that he had no hopes my Winning
his case, that had led him into bad scrape, |
should sir, show him the door and invite him out
and hence, Mr. Speaker, when take up this subject
/ OF the engineering problem proper l feel that If
do not deserve 1t myself perhaps else will
deserve before the day is over to be shown to the
door and invited out For do declare, sir, that
] have seen more presumption Of knowledge listened
| TO more fragrant misstatements heard more foolish
] opinions sdvanced and more unjust criticism put
forth on this question than l ever heard advanced
! on any subject by persons who know absolutely
nothing of the QUESTION.
| We are too apt to think, Mr.. Speaker, that the
! man we employ to survey town lot or set a city
grade for US is civil engineer We forget, that
there are doctors, so there hospital stewards,
and searchers OF records as well as lawyers. The
surveyor is no more civil engineer than is censor
! boy high priest, searcher of records lawyer, or
| a hospital steward doctor
Now. owing to the general misapprehension on
this point there is lack of appreciation of the opin
! ion OF real engineer, and Willingness to advance
! unframed individual opinions to controvert those
founded on previ Gus study and search for preced-
ents, OF which we as body will some day assuredly
feel ashamed
But to question: itself Can this engineering
I problem be solved
The engineers tell lis that this is dual problem
/ the first part to hold back the sands the second
part to rectly or enlarge the rivers, that they
! can carry the waters OF ordinary floods
The que tion Of holding back the sand resolves it.
! self into two secondary queries Can dam be
built where desired that will stand the floods! viii
such dsms have the fleet of storing the sands as
/ desired
| To consider the first point Within the past year
a brush dam has been built OIL each the Yuba and
/ Bear rivers, and experience shows that they have
sunk at points where they rested the deposits
in the old deep channels OF the river, and portion
! of one of them has been washed away. These
! dams have been subjected to The most destructive
! food agencies that have ever been known in this
/ State Sir am credibly informed that there never
| has been as great volume of water poured into
the Sacramento valley from all its tributaries since
its occupation by white people, as during the past
month These dams-new structures without OPP
portunity for settlement and consolidation in
great hurry and by men without special expert
in this peculiar class Of work, the only wonder
is that they swept away to the last stick OF
timber and twig of brush. Suppose such the
! case, would that be a conclusive argument that a
brush dam uld not be built there TO stand | an
swer no, sir. There was never great engineering
work undertaken but that had some set backs. some
partial failures. While lawyers Try cases before
the Curtis of men and wrangle among ourselves
the civil engineer rOsecutes his suits before the
court of nature with the elements as special coun-
sci for the defense expect him TO gain
every point; to secure judgment in every case !?
! 1t IS not reasonable to expect snch results and
must not be swift to condemn when Puyius takes
exception to a ruling of the court and dam sinks
washes out for short distance Why, sir, there
a soft rock passed through in driving the St Gothard
Tunnel that has caved in several times, notwith-
standing the ANONYMOUSLY tinlhe that