Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-16
q OF a MERELY INDICATIVE CHAR
kCTER."

The Commercial Herald aud Ncrket Re
oier of San Francisco says:
IN 1879 State Engineer Hall found the maxi
mum filling in front Of Sacramento to be TWEEN
tytive feet, and the average fifteen feet In 1882
colonel hendell, of the United States Corps of
Engineers, reported to the War Departmentthat
the level of the beds of the luba and Bear
rivers had risen " To an elevation of several feet
above, the banks the streams being held in
ceeds 10 say, mas be taken to illustrate the
ultimate condition of the Sacramento and
Feather rivers under continuance Of the influ-
erces 70 which they are subjected. The Gbdn-
ttoHHteR; Of ex1sipQ cRcHJlels ~ consequence 10
b GpPTeAended." The words here italicized touch
upon one of the most vital points of the debris
evil. They go to explain what is meant in this
article by saying that the damage so far done by
debris is, comparatively speaking. of n merely
Indicative character Who can estimate the ex-
tent of the injury that would follow the obliter
alon OF the channels of the Guba the Bear the
Feather, the American and the Sacramento?
What widespread ruin must result should those
great streams, during a time of flood, leave
their existing beds and dispcrse themselves over
the valley? Once forced from their channels.
no human power could compel them to return
to their original courses or confine them per
inGnently TO new channels Such n disaster
would N once wipe AWAY millions Of dollars of
taxable property out of existence. 1t would in
yolye in ruin countless thousands Of people, and
destroy Tor centuries TO come both drainage and
navigation in the Sacramento valley.
Yet there are to-day intelligent men
who tell us that there is no danger OF the
Sacramento river being destroyed, or of
navigation ever ceasing upon it; that the
idea Of the stream abandoning its channel
IS absurd. But what warrant these men
tlsye for their faith is not disclosed
Captain Payson holds with them substan-
italy, and must, if he is honest, have some
reason for his announced belief We who
live upon the river, and have seen it pour
through its banks; have seen its bed rise
20 the level of the adjacent lowlands;
have seen the direct effects of bank dis
charges upon the channels have the evil
dence Of our senses to confirm the state
ment Of the Market Rcrj7g, that the
present damage by debris is, comparatively
speaking, Of 4 merely indicative character.
The one thing to do now is to appeal to
The Government to interfere, and at once.
We have been over seven years at law with
the hydraulic miners, and still the rivers
fill up and plenty of miners continue their
work of destruction. How many more
years of litigation must lapse before we
shall begin to apply ourselves to the saliva
ton Of the river by actual work upon it
We would check no legal injunction, we
would urge that injunctions to be laid ON
all offending companies and persons
at once and without an hours delay.
But at the same Sine let us memorable
The Federal Government to contribute its
aid It owes to this people the preserva-
zion of the river. IL it finds two interests
IN conflict, both representing heritages of
Che people, it must befriend that one
which is innocent Of wrong, and check
that which so Uses its own as to injure and
destroy its neighbor Government inter
Ference means Government injunction
one that lawyers cannot defeat, delay or
entanglo 1t means that when the Gov
ernment resolves 10 do something for the
stream to restore and preserve lis integri-
~, it will do as it has the power to do. for
bid peremptorily any and all trespass upon
the work it does or contemplates.