Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-19
RIVER ISLAND.
Immense Reclamation Scheme in Pro-
gress-Island Laud-Owners-Etc

Immense Reclamation Scheme in Pro-
gress-Island Land-Owners-Etc.
EDS. RECORD UNION: Having read with
much interest number of articles in your
valuable paper on the river islands, wish
other of them. Ryer Island, formerly
known as Schoolcraft Island, contains
about 1900 acres, and lies directly north
and west of Grand Island thirty miles
below Sacramento forming the eastermost
part of Solano county, and bounded by the
West Branch of the Sacramento river, or
Steamboat slough, Cache slough, Miner
slough and Suffer slough. 1t was reorgan-
lied into District No sol, and a new Board
of Trustees elected July 20, 1887 A dredger
OF the largest size, with all the latest i'm
provements Quilt by the Golden State and
Miners Foundry, San Francisco was put
TO work at the junction of Cache and
Steamboat sloughs on November Sth. and
IS steadily progressing in the work of
throwing up levee from the bottom of
the river at the rate of about one and a half
miles per month.
The hull of this dredger is 4OxSO feet. of
14-inch spruce timber selected at the mill
for the purpose. The engines are 200 horse
power. The swinging boom is I05 feet
long; shears so feet, allowing the bucket
to work to advantage to depth of 80 feet.
There are three 60-foot spuds, raised or
lowered by donkey engine, for the pur-
pose OF holding the dredger firmly in posi-
ton while in operation. The bucket. hay
ing cap 4city of II TO II cubic yards, is in
form OF semi-circle, each jaw a quadrant,
htted at the cutting edge with teeth
which overlap when closed, and are of suf-
1clent strength to close upon and hold any
obstruction found at the bottom, till raised
and deposited on the bank. A sycamore
log twenty inches at the butt and thirty
feet long, deeply imbedded at the bottom,
has been so disposed of Each revolution
OF the boom and bucket, loading from the
bottom, and discharging inland on the
bank to distance of seventy to eighty
feet, is made in from forty-i to sixty
seconds. The cham drums are four feet in
diameter.
The dredger is run by two crews of four
men each, day and night shifts, and a cook,
at an expense of 81 900 per month. 1t is in
charge of Captain Williams, who has for
the past two years operated a similar dred
ger OF smaller size on Bouldin Island in
the San Joaquin river. The dredger is the
property of the district, and will be kept
continuously at work till a thorough COM
pIcllOll vi u IelidOle IeNec Is attained. Inc
assessment on the land for the first wears
work has nearly all been paid in to the
County Treasurer. About six miles of the
north and east ends of the island is leveed
about seven feet high with surface earth.
The whole distance around the island is
twenty-five miles, and upon its first round
the dredger will put up levee about six
feet high with forty-foot base, to connect
with the levee already laid up. The ma
terial from the bottom is found thus far
(for the first three miles, superior to sur
face earth. All small projections and pc.
ninsulas will be cut of, as the dredger will
cut its own channel through, to avoid any
sharp curves or angles in the levee 1t is
estimated that the completed levee will be
some twelve feet high, with base of sew
enty feet, with variations as required at
different points.
Nearly nine miles of the bank are planted
in apricot, Bartlett pear and peach trees, in
bearing for the past two years. The re-
mainder of the island is not generally CRY
until as late as August, and without recla-
nation unreliable for cultivation. The
flavor and quality of the apricots and Bart
lett pears grown here is of the best, agents
Of canneries having contracted at the high
est price for whole crops delivered on the
bank.
The principal ownerships are as follows:
Eppinger Co., 1000 acres; w. n Ryer,
1000 acres; K. f. Fletcher, 1000 acres: ].
II. Thomas, 800 acres; c.. A Fisher, 400
acres; John Hallenback, 800 acres; F.
Ryer, 300 acres; B. F. Kelley, 200 acres; H.
Niroad, 200 acres; H. Myers, 200 acres, and
the balance is owned by S. c. Hastings, F.
Myers, P. Ostmann, viii Foster and Rob
ert Nelson. FIR.
Rio Vista, January I6 1888.