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

place in this report. may remark, however, that
nothing which has been said 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 certainly
such as the State might with propriety, in my
opinion contribute towards, the great bulk OF the
| work is such should be paid for by the
| property in the drainage district where waters
are TO be purified and carried away"
Five possible sources of revenue carry out the
works were thought of and considered First, the
General Government funds second, State AVIATION;
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 nayigable
streams, and that, having sanctioned mining, she
! should bear the burden of it, evil effects
say, Mr.. Speaker we all understand these points
| thoroughly but do all know how long the Gov
| eminent may be in taking hold of the matter?-d0
we all know that it may be ten years before we get
| the Representatives from Maine, New Hampshire
and Vermont to unde. stand and appreciate this sub
| ject? God knows, Mr.. Speaker il appears to be
bard enough to getthe here from
| Los Angeles, san Luis Obispo and Alameda coun-
| ties counties within our Stateto understan that
there is community OF interest in this matter which
| We cannot ignore Look at the efforts that have
been put forth 10 get Congress to take hold of the
| subject See our representatives there strug
| Cling to get our necessities recognized and then
reai in the teegraphc dispatches OF few days ago
that the altry sum of = 900 the total amount
authorized or appropriated for all the rivers and
harbors on this coast. Why, sir, there won't be but
$50 900 to be expended in this particular valley
amount ridiculously small that it might 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 since the civil war
closed To restore the lower Mississippi to its navga
bic condition. 1t almost ruined by the fortunes
of war-the sinking of vessels, formationof bars de
struction of its levees and banks. Do you know and
| do the members of this House know, sir, that this
| begging, petitioning and memoriazing, from in
terests thirty times as great as We have and much
nearer Washington has as yet produced no results?
hat Congress has temp0rized with the matter, had
| examinations and reports made and commissions
appointed, but works of improvement carried on?
| The works at the mouth of the Mississippi which
| has resulted In the deepening of channel and
| the reduction of export freights to an aggregate
amount Of So 100000 yearly for the great Mississippi
| valley were only sanctioned by Government after
private company had contracted to accomplish the
desired result before 1t received its pay. Yes sir,
| had it not been for the energy, the indomitabe
! pluck of James B. Eads, ships drawing more than
| ten twelve feet of water could not enter
where, as it is, the deepest draught ships in the
world-as large or larger than can enter our own
noble harbor of San Francisco sail up the
| Mississippi 10 New Orleans.
Can we, with this example before us-can we,
| Mr.. Speaker, can any member on this fiOor-say
that it would not be suicidal to wait for Govern
meDt aid in this matter OF our debris trouble? say,
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 err
We ali believe that the General Government should
contribute the bulk OF the to hold back these
| sands or otherwise dispose of them, and improve
| the river channels And hope we understand that
the only way TO get anything doneis to manifest
independence, start 1t ourselves and keep pray
Ing.
am reminded here, Mr. Speaker, of fable l once
read in that good old collection attributed to ESQ
of old. about the g Lark and her nest of Young
ones" So il is with the State Of California When we
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 Going some
thing to prevent calamity befalhsg 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
stolen say that there was necessity for passing
the Act TO promote drainage, and that the necessity
exists to this day for its retention as ever
We come now TO the:second query in the engineer
ing phase of the question:
20 Can this great engineering problem be solved!
Really, sir, this is question Tor engineers to
swer and not We ourselves. This profession Of civil
engineering is an honorable and learned one and
It's members have accomplished great things in this
world This profession has Its literature. its re-
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
for years in the past Within this Capitol build
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 Instituts 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 unfavorable andthe accounts OF them have
been kept and published for the benefit OF the civil
engineering prof ssion.
Have read these books, sir Have we studied
them? Has any member ON this floor gone through
the 2i volumes OF the annual reports Of the French
Department OF Engineering and the go volumes Of
the German Polytechnic Journal and the 10 or $50
volumes Of the British Association of Engineers 10
be found in the Mechanics Institute Library in san
Francisco? will venture to say, sir, that not one
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 criticise my law if he
to take up my brief and find fault with arrange
ment; If he were to cut AID slash at nv exceptions
call to account for nv transcript of record on
appeal, even though he were my cIieut sir, if he
were to tell me that he had no hopes my Winning
his case, that had led him into Il 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 | feel that If
do not deserve it myself perhaps some one 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 Measurements, heard more foolish
opinions advanced, and more unjust criticism put
forth on this question than | 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 city
grade for US is a civil engineer We forget that
there are doctors, so there hospital stewards,
and searcher5 Of records as well as lawyers The
surveyor is no more civil engineer than is
boy high priest, searcher of records lawyer, or
a hospital steward doctor
Now, owing to the general misrepresentation on
this point there is lack OF appreciation of the opn
ion OF real engineer, and Willingness to advance
unframed individual opinions to controvert those
founded on previous study and search for preced-
ents OF which we as body will some day assuredly
feel ashamed
But to our question: itself Can this engineering
problem be solved
The engineers tell lis that this is dual problem
the first part TO hold back the sands the second
part to rectify or enlarge the rivers so that they
can carry the waters Of ordinary floods.
The question Of holding back the sand resolves it.
self into two secondary queries Can dam be
built where desired thar will stand the floods! viii
such dsms have the Effect 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 eXperienca shows that they have
sunk at points where they rested over 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
Hood agencies that have ever been known in this
State. Sir, am credibly informed that there never
has been 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
portuntY for settlement and cousolidation-built in
great hurry and BY men without special expert
in this peculiar class of work, the only wonder
is that they not swept away to the last stick OF
timber and twig of brush. Suppose such were the
case, would that be conclusive argument that
brush dam C uld not be built there to stand an
sweT, no, sir There was never a great engineering
work undertaken but that had some set backs. some
partial failures. While lawyers try cases before
the Courts 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. tan we expect him TO gain
every point; to secure judgment in every case
1t IS not reasonable to expect snch results and we
must not be swift to condemn when Pluyius takes
exception to ruling of the court and a dam sinks
or washes out for short distance. Why, sir there is
a sotrock passed through in driving the ST. Gothard
Tunnel that has caved in several times, notwith-