Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-08

1he report OF colonel VI. Ii. Menucll,
United States Engineer, to the War De
partment TOR the fiscal year ending June
80, 1884, contains the following:
Reference is made to the accompanying
,, report of First Lieutenant ). W. RoeSSler
for the details of the operations of the
snag-boat Seller on the Sacramento river
No work was required or done on the
Feather
The Seizer was in commission 175 days
during the year, and removed and destroyed
,13S snags and 50 trees. \ brush wing
dam was built at Moons Island, and re-
pairs were made ON the dam at Calls Bend.
The scraper was used with effect to in
crease the depth over bar just below Sac
ramento, and at Six-Mile Bar, above that
citv The autumn stage of the river was
unusually low, nevertheless Il lowwater
! depth of 30 inches was obtained from the
| head OF navigation to Butte City, feet
! from Butte City to Colusa and fully teet
| from Colusa 10 Sacramento, These depths
| are greater than have been previously
maintained, although the river was much
| lower The benefits of systematic attention
are now being realized in greater depths
and consequent increase of draught OF
! barges, with larger treights and lower
! prices. The benefits resulting from past
! operations are given i'll Lieutenant ROesS
! ler's report III the language of the agent OF
one of the steamboat companies. During
the past three years, which is the extent OF
service of the SeZer, 1854 snags have been
removed and destroyed, 9l5 trees felled, and
five wing-dams have been built over the
lines Of the Sacramento and Feather rivers
and Georgiana slough
Ii has been remarked in previous reports,
3 e
permanent banks capable of resisting the
action of river currents i'll frcShets cause the
channel in the river above CoIusa to change
position not only from year to year, but
often during the same season. If the river
could be held between firm banks perna-
nent improvement would be possible, but
the cost of establishing this condition of
things is so great, that the proposition can
not now be entertained. The most expedi-
ent treatment is that now pursued, namely,
70 maintain in commission during the
greater part Of the year q boat equipped to
destroy srags, TO scrape bars, and 10 build
Wing-dans, when the necessity arises
But for the opeTatiun Of the Seizer the
river above Coiusa would now have become
unnayigabic, and navigation below CUlusa
would have peen dangerous.
1t is proposed to continue these opera
tons with the funds asked for in this re-
port.
The aggregate of the appropriations made
for these rivers, beginning March 5, 1879 is
$40 600, of which there has been expended
$194 963 81
This river is in the customs district of
San Francisco, at which port there was
collected Sc, 81 $50 in the past fiscal year.
MONEY STATEMENTS.
July 1, 1855 amount avaiabe.........ss25 1866 50
July l, 1884, amount expended during
the fiscal year exclusive of out
standing liabilities, July l. lSS3....... 2O,4So IA
July l. 1884 amount available ,O36 G6
proved July ), ISS4..........,......... iO,eoo 90
Amount available for fiscal year end
ing June so, 036 66
Amount that can be proftably ex-
pended in the fiscal year ending
June 81, S1p,cO %
COMMERCIAL STATEMENTS.
The following is the estimated amount of
traffic on the Sacramento river (nOt includ-
ing the trade from the Feather for the
period from July 1, 1883, to June 80, 1884,
In addition there is considerable trade in
fruits and vegetables on the lower river,
and in general merchandise on the upper
river, for which it is impossible to obtain
any record
Tons
!. Sacramento Transportation Company -l6i, ,029
, Central Pacific steamers .............. IS SO
3. San Francisco Steamboat and Trans
portatlon Company 1855
20 4s5
OF this amount 70,S76 tons were wheat
and barley shipped from points above Sac
ramento city.
Amount of wheat and barley moved dur
ing the period from August l. 1882, to Au-
gust l, 1888, 100, 30 tons.
Estimated crop for 1881 to be moved by
steamers, 135, sol tons.