Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-10
MANSON VS.. PAYs0N.

An engineer, being asked what could
have induced Captain Payson to take the
position he did relative to the future navi-
gability of the Sacramento river and the
relation of mining deposits to its present
deplorabie condition, replied that it puz-
zled king, once upon time, to ascertain
how the apple got into the dumpling.
Here comes an engineer, however, whose
views raise no such question.
Mr.. Marsden Manson, now of the Har-
Dor Commission, is a competent engineer
who has received an Endorsement of ca
pability by Colonel Mendell himself,
whose assistant he once was. He was
some years ago ordered to investigate the
condition of the Yuba and Feather rivers,
with respect to the accommodations resulting
from hydraulic mining. Acting in that
capacity, he became acquainted with the
regions Immediately affected, and with the
laws which control the deposits. In an
interview with a Call reporter, Mr.. Man
son says:
The sediment is OF a variety of kinds and
from variety OF sources. In food the water
viii cut into a bank and dislodge a stratum of
clay or II Will flow over an Indian sand mound,
where also are accumulated the cobbles that
nave been used in the heating of water and
force them into the channel Then. too. in
January the heavy rains viii pour down and,
coming ne time when the grounds are lust
ploughed. necessarily bear away considerable
alluTium. But. though there are these different
materials TO be considered in the aggregate
n N pf fant IaY,s
ton OF whether these alone would work any
distinctive injury IL must be said that all other
sources sink into insignihcancc when compared
with the results due to hydraulic mining. The
other sources had doubtless been going on for
ages, but so far as depth and character OF the
water was concerned there had been no change
The natural flow of the rivers would take care
from year to year, OF any excessive natural de
posts. believe now that if the mining were to
cease, the securing of the waters would again
clear the streams, but 1t would be slow work,
and. as IL must 80 as the flow of the rivers and
graVitatlon exert their influence, the deeper
bays cannot escape the inevitable tendencies
He believes that the lighter materials
will he found largely deposited in South
ampton Shoals, and along the edges of the
bay. The actual status to-day is not
known because there has been no chart
survey since 1879. He describes the pic
ture OF desolation in the valleys of the
Bear-and Yuba yividly, and gives us some
idea of the vast accumulations in the
Feather, Yuba and Bear, and adds that no
number of floods can wash clear the desert
like lands and restore their original fertil-
lty, or bring back to the owners of the
land the prosperity "they had reason to
l.
could make it." He refers to the official
report, relative to restraining these deposits
and declares that the evil to be the
sequence of hydraulic mining has not by
any means yet been reached.
There are immense quantities of detritus yet
70 come down when the circumstances favor
9ole 10 Is march occur. | am now answering O
letter % friend in which | tell him that mat
tiers VIII be much worse before they are better.
can see no preservation from the certain re-
SUITS unless these restraining walls are built.
AaTysvllle must otherwise be absolutely buried
ana ruined. Ultimately the same fate will be
snsie1 ny the localities further down. 1t is
difhcuit TO predict where the evil will cease 10
long as the material holds out, SHOWS melt aud
rains fall.
That the Government under engineer
ing direction can secure the retention Of
these deposits, and prevent their descent
into the Sacramento river in larger part,
if net entirely, Mr. Manson evidently
believes, as do all thinking men. But for
that belief it would be utterly futile to
battle against the continuance of the cause
of the deposits; it would be useless to at.
tempt any reclamation of the river, or any
salvation of the bay of San Francisco; but
for this belief it would be wiser to now
abandon the situation and consent TO the
filing of San Pablo bay, and, in time, the
lower bay. But there is matter prece-
dent 10 any entry upon til e work of reten-
ton, which must eventually be en-
gagged in. That condition precedent
is the cessation of the cause
of the evil. Upon its heels follows this