Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-13
THE STORM AND THE CITY.

what, for want Of a more expressive term,
may be called a scare" Among our own
people who preserve their heads and do not
allow fancy and fear to run away with
reason, there is no alarm about the high
waters. The best evidence of this is, that
about the entire population has in the
past two days visited the river front to see
the rushing waters of the Sacramento river
but it was curiosity, not fear, that
actuated them. For as matter of fact
we all know that there is absolutely
nothing to fear from the high waters of
the Sacramento. The stream flows parallel
With the city front and along its levee, no
where impinging upon it at an angle.
The levee is of immense thickness and very
short-indeed for a good part of the dis
lance it is as thick as the city is long, the
Top of the levee being below the high
grade levels. On the east and north,
levees quite as strong protect the city from
any probable assault of the American
river, which stream has not been high,
end FOR the greater length of the levee has
not come within sight of it, or risen over
the bottom lands between the embankments
and the river.
Nevertheless, our friends abroad are
alarmed for our safety, while we ourselves
are not even nervous. Teleglams come
from all sections solicitously inquiring how
much damage has been done by the flood,
when we have had no food and have suf-
fered no damage, and will not These in
quiries are, doubtless, in large part occa-
stoned by the fact that along the water
front water was seen upon the top Of the
leyee in pools Of greater or less extent. but
still far below the crown of the levee,
which, at the point indicated, is from 100
to 100 feet in width. Along these swales,
in which water draining from the slope of
the street, escaping from beneath the plat
forms of the levee, and accommodating by
rainfall, had gathered, the railway tracks
of the Western Division of the Southern
Pacific Company run, and the incoming
and outgoing trains, therefore, for short
distance, passed through pools of water. To
those who did not stop to examine, and saw
the phenomenon only from the car win
dows, may be attributed the rumors that
the city was inundated.
The moral effect of these pools of water
in the swaies on the outer top of the front
levee was, therefore, bad. 1t should be re
moved, and it can be done easily and
speedily, and for all time, at no very con-
siderable cost. The low places can be
filed in, and for that matter the whole
line of the outer top of the levee raised to
the grade Of Front street For that pur-
pose earth can be had from near points
and hauled in by rail- and the labor of the
chain-gang of the city and county applied
to the necessary shoveliDg These worth
less fellows could not be better employed,
and the putting of them to hard labor
might lessen the burden of the taxpayers,
who have to support so large proportion
OF the criminal class in the winter time
especially. 1t is as we'll to use these jail
birds in rounding up The leyee some four
or FIVE feet higher as to engage them in
erossing-sweeping and gutter-cleaning, as
now. When the river runs down it would
be well to continue this work of raising
the crown of the whole le9ee system, and
for that purpose a good deal of clayey ma
terial can easily be had from the river
itself and at small cost.
Opposite this city the people of the town
of Washington have proved that it is not
a difficult task for a community far less
able than this, 10 construct levees that are
far above the capacity of the river to rise,
until the whole tule basin shall be filed
with earth to the level of the rivers
natural banks. The policy of this city
should be, now that it is demonstrated
that levee protection is feasible against
the highest waters ever known in the val
ley, to do some work every year upon its
embankments, until there will never, in
any part of the State, be raised any ques-
ton concerning the safety of Sacramento
from floods We should see to il, also,
that the cross or Y street levee, below the
city, Is raised to such height that no ne
gleet Of property-owners in the district
below the city viii expose US to the la
bility, as now, of back-water from break
ing OF the levees of that district That
leyee should be brought to a uniform high
level. While half dozen counties and
towns have suffered from food waters in
this storm, in our own there has been
scarcely inconvenience, and no danger
whatever. We have reason, therefore, to
congratulate ourselves, hut it should serve,
also, IS a stimulaut to new labors and cor
tiuuous ones, upon the levees, since no one
can fore,ee what the conjunction Of the
70 'ces of nature may threaten a people with
in the future, from great flood waters.
QUE SOPHISTICATED EEIGEBGRs.
Lands along the Sacramento river on
the east side below the city, and known as
bottom lands, are the most valuable in the
State. Iudeed, these rich alluvial soils
are held at SO high figure, that there is
practically no opportunity to purchase
them, and these values are due, of course,
TO the productive or money-making ca
pacity of the lands. But the security Of
the residents and the assurance of annual
production are wholly dependent upon the
capacity of the leyees that protect them
from the high waters of the Sacramento
river in the winter, or any food season.
Now, to the sensible man no greater
strength IS discoverable in any defensive
work than the weakest part thereof 4
Ievee IS net stronger, therefore, than that
defect which is liable to cause it to give
way before the flood. 1t follows that q
single gopher hole may come to represent
the maximum strength of a levee- Yet