Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-01
THE DEBRIS INVESTIGATION.

| The Assembly Committee on Water Rights
and Drainage met last evening in room 10 at
the Capitol, Assemblyman Blown in the
chair.
Mr.. Kellogg moved that all further pro.
ceedings in the investigation be dispensed
with, that the Clerk and stenographer be in
structed to make condensed report OF the
| testimony taken before the committee, to be
presented at the next meeting, and that pend
| ing the presentation of said statement no re-
port be made to the Assembly unless specially
| requested.
| The motion was seconded by Mr. Long.
| Mr.. kellogg urged the adoption Of the mo-
| ton, remarking that he believed it would be
useless to hear any further testimony, as ne
| did not believe the report of the committee
would have any influence with the Assembly.
| The members had visited the dams on the
Yuba and Bear, and could judge for them
selves of their condition.
| Mr.. Burns said that he also had heard suf-
| fcient testimony.
| Messrs Long and Chandler were of the
| opinion that the witnesses who had been
summoned and were in attendance should be
examined.
Mr.. Kellogg accordingly consented to
withdraw his motion.
J. NJ. DOYLE was then called ard testified:
visited the Yuba dam ON the ID of January.
The water was low. 1t was settled in sec
tions, but was not broken. The deposit of
sediment at that time above the dam did not
exceed two inches in depth. | saw four or five
settles with the water flowing over them and
break, but could not tell its dimensions.
My observations satisfied me that the dam
had not performed the functions fer which it
was constructed. At subsequent examina-
tion discovered that about 500 feet of the
earth-work at the north end of the dam had
been swept away. The water had backed up
more than at the south end. Hall of the de-
posit had been washed out. The channel had
also washed out about fifty feet wide and to
a considerable depth. On the occasion Of my
visit to the south end l noted the deposit to
be about seven inches on an average, about
the same as it is at Marysville. Saw one
settle about 200 feet wide. 1 could
not measure the depth. as the cur
rent was too swift, and | was unable to
get at it. The old channel, which was about
four feet deep was, L think, nearly filed,
and the old river bed was secured out and
washed away from depth varying from
two inches to four feet. The water was rum
ming in different streams, and the debris
appeared to be from two inches to two feet
in depth and at one place three feet. The
velocity of the stream l estimated at four
miles per hour, except at one point near the
l.
of sediment resting against the dam. The
dam is failure. base my assertion to an
extent upon the language of the State En-
gineer, when In his report of 1880 he speaks
of the water flowing over the dams. 1t ap-
pears to have been the object of the dam to
make the water flow over the crest, and thus
check the velocity of the stream, which, in
my judgment, is erroneous idea
Cross.examined by Mr.. Long l have been
n and civil euOinear fnr cavap or
eight years. L have been engaged mainly in
land surveying and levee building. I've
never had any experience in the building of
brush or other dams. Never even saw them
in the course of construction by other engi-
neers. | decline to answer whether or not |
have ever conversed with any of the engi-
neers or directors relative to the construction
of the dams in the Yuba and Bear. The
language of the State Engineer to which I
have referred was used in reference to stone
dams, but / consider it applicable also TO brush
DAMS | am still of the opinion that on the
middle of this month there were not more
than about 100 wheel barrow loads of debris
caught by the dam Cd the Yuba. would
estimate the utmost capacity of the dam at
present at about three million cubic yards.
| had no instruments with me when | visited
the dam. l do not know If the dam was
built according to the notifications in the
original specifications.
State Engineer Hall was next called, and
gave evidence in rebuttal of Mr.. Doyle, and
also repeated a part of the testimony previ-
ously given by him before the Senate Com
mittee On Irrigation, Water Rights and Min
ing Debris. His testimony was very lucid,
intelligent and convincing, relative to the
theory of the construction of the dams, and
the action of the currents in the Yuba, Bear
an Feather rivers, ETC., and clearly refuted
the exaggerated and improbable statements
made by MIR. Doyle.
G. D. Rhoades, the resident engineer of the
Yuba dam, also repeated in substance the
| testimony given by him Saturday evening
before the Senate committee, and previously
reported in the RECoRD-U UNION. His evi-
dence was corroborative of that CT the State
| Engineer, and went to show that the dams
had been constructed upon scientific prln-
ciples, and well subserved the purpose tor
which they were built.
| Mr.. Mcconnell, of Colusa, amused the
committee for time by ludicro,ls attempt
| at the cross-examination of the witness, dur
ing which he displayed laudable but III
timed desire to obtain discursive knowledge
of surveying and engineering, topics with
which he was not apparently go conversans as
Mr.. Rhoades. -,
| The committee then adjourned, with the
understanding that the investigator was aS
| an end.