Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-31
MISREPRESENTATION mENT1oN
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
TIE DEBRIS INVESTIGATION.

Nights ana Mining DeDflS met last OaJuruay
evening in the Senate Chamber.
w. Il. Hall, the State Engineer, testified
relative to the construction Of the dams in
the Bear and Yuba rivers etc. He said: 1t
hasbeen thought that the plan of constructing
brush dams on . sandy foundation is not a
safe one, but such Is not the case. The
dams On the Yuba and Bear have reservoir
spaces above them. In the case of the Bear,
an area e 900 acres. The Yuba dam is
constructed SO as to be expected to hold
back ell the debris which will come down in
the next three years, and the Bear river dam
will arrest al the sediment which will come
down ia the next two and three-quarber years.
It has been expected from the first that
these dams would sink and that water
would run through them. It Is also charac-
teristic of the construction of these dams that
q deposit VIII be below as well as above them.
Witness explained his testimony by the aid
of coloIed drawings Of cross and longitudinal
sections OK the dams, and Rad authorities on
engineering, etc, to show that the eonstruc-
ton Of the dams on the Yuba and Bear were
sustained by excellent precedent.
Resuming, he said all authorities agree in
ranking the brush dam TO be one OF the best
for construction on a sandy base. L maintain
that our dams are safe. They may sink and
were expected to sink. They may sink more
than we expected, but they will not sink
sufficiently to endanger the utility Of
the dams. The sinking is caused by the
sands below them becoming charged with
water The sections of the dams which have
sunk viii, when repaired, be the strongest
sections There is a brush dam on the San
Joaquin river which is built on a sandy
bottom The food waters have been flowing
over it for the last ten years. The first year
It sank 60 q considerable degree, but since
then it has only sunk some two or three inches
per year. and is repaired at slight expense.
In conclusion l will say that the plan of these
dams has received the Endorsement of such
distinguished engineers as General Alexander,
Colonel aierdell and Captain Eads. The plan
did not originate with me, but is modifca-
ton of the plan suggested by these gentle
men. Ii the drainage system were to be
continued, | should expect to see a dam
erected Oh the American river within the
next four years, also one on the Cherokee
within the next two years. The dams on the
Yuba aud Bear are but the commencement
OF a series OF dams. l should think that the
present annual expense If keeping IN repair
the dams row on the Yuba and Bear rivers,
80 rs to hold back the debris until the reser-
voirs above them were filed, would be from
one.quarter TO one.siXth OF the original cost
OF the dams, 1t is necessary for the improve
ment OF the Sacramento river to construct
levees along It's banks. The levees on the
Yuba and Bear were intended more to pre-
vent the spread Of the debris than for the
benefit OF the rivers. Cuts exist all
along The Sacramento river, and are
growing deeper every year, and the
reclamation OF The lands cannot be left to
indiyi luaIs. L is too vast an undertaking.
I did not suggest the doing of any work on
the upper Sacramento. The expansion OF
The dams ~ sinking does not cause any frac-
ture IN the structure. Souncings have been
made on She Bear aud Yuba. On the Bear
river the depth of the deposit varies from five
to twenty feet on a line Of the old bottom
level and from ten to twenty feet more on
the old river channel. The sands viii rest
[ believe, in the Yuba river for distance OF
eight miles above the dam. The deposit in
the Yu5a 10 last January was four feet in
depth iu some localities and in others q de-
post two iset in depth in a space of
considerable area. IN my judgment the
drainage systsm, if carried ont to
completion aS designed, win free the 5aera-
ment9 and Feather rivers Of these deposits,
enlarge their h5oi-carrying capacity, and
hold bacE tde great mass Of debris which
comes down the Y uba and Bear for the next
fifteen or twenty-five years. The brush in these
dams VIII grow, and in the course of time
viii. I thiuk, form living hedges across the
rivers. The present hight of the dams can
he doubled ct far less expense than was oc-
casioned by ths original construction, for the
reason that excavations, etc, wonld not be
required.
c. j.. Rhcades, a civil engineer residing in
NarYsvile. end the resident engineer of
Drainage District No l. next testified: The
dams oa the Bear and Yuba rivers were CON
structed uuder my immediate supervision.
made an exEIni ast;0n day before yesterday of
the deposit of slickens at the dams. The de
post above the dam on Bear river, by actual
measurement, varies from Is inches to . feet
6 inches, and extends back for distance of
from two to three miles. The deposit on the
Yuba Is much greater than on the Bear, and
averages in depth about three feet, The
amount IN both instances IS very consider sbly
more than leo beebsrrowfuls-many thou
sand times. Il extends back for several miles.
The deposit grows narrower and more shall
low as It runs back At the Bear river dam
there ara sJ present niue settles varying IN
width and dsuth. The average hight OF the dam
was eight feet y zen originally built. The dam
still exists and the sinks or settles could be
repaired for 1--WE per cent. at the extreme
limit, ard the dam would then be in better
condition than ever. Work could be COM
meEced rs soon as the water lowers-in two
months perhaps. The present storms and
ConseQuer5 high water may cause other sinks,
but cannot possibly wash away the dam. 1t
would not exceed s., 600, in my Judgment, to
repair Tie Euba dam so as TO put 1t IN first
class condition. The dam on the Bear, even
If uot repaired, would TO large extent sub
serve TIE purpose for which 1t was
intended. viz: the checking of the debris.
So also would the Yuba dam. 1t is
the plan Of the dams that some of the
debris shall, scour out the river channels. At
the north end of the Yuba dam there is an
opening in the earthwork connecting the dam
with the bank Of about 500 feet The widest
sink In The Bear river dam is 20 feet | did
not include the damage in the earthworle on
the Yuba IN my estimate of the cost of re-
pairing the dam. The expense to repair the
opening wopld be about 81 900.
W. II Parks replied to a few interrogatories
put by the committee, which were of no ma
terial import.
The Chairman then announced the close of
the investigation, so-fsr as the examination
of witnesses WAS concerned, and the commit
tee adjourned.
CRY LIBRARY REPoRT.-The Superintend-
ent of the City Free Library makes the
following report for the past week: Total
number of books issued during the week. 793.
OF these there were Of fiction and juvenile,
66l history, 80; biography. 10; travels, 81 !;
miscellaneous literature, "a; poetry and
drama, 6 /; theology, 9; science and art, %
average number issued per day, 126; av-
erage number Of readers per day, 81. The
last purchase of books viii have been on the
shelves three months on the first of February,
and will thereafter come under Rule 4, by
which worrs Of fiction may be retained two
weeks snd other books three.
POLICE CouRT-In the Police Court, on
Saturday, Lo Foo was fined $50 and 10 days
imprisonment for keeping an opium den. j.
Chambers and Tom Shields were fined $40
each and to be confined in the City Prison
for 10 days. Philip Cook, arrested for OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses, was dis
charged for want OF prosecution L.. Cor
corsn. battery, same. c. H Spear and 5.
w. Smith, libel, continued till February LIST.
Jim Brown, petty larceny. pleaded guilty,
and sentence continued till the olst- BOP
Purcell and Dave Cunningham, drunk, hned
$40 and costs.
CoamERc1AL.-Th Governor Dana de-
parted for the upper Sacramento Saturday
with the bsrge Also. both light. No other
boats were reported since Friday afternoon,
the high water delaying their movements.
TIE PARTISAN" Corset can now be had at
Hale's AS usual they are at bottom figures,
and offer 1t at the reasonable sum Of 90 cents.