Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-25
THE LOWER SACRAMENTO.
Condition of Affairs Down Among tn
Islands-An Safe Thus Far.


Islands-An Safe Thus Far.
The latest news from down the river is
to the effect that among the islands below
CORTLAND the water has fallen some two
feet or more, and for the present all danger
to those levees that have withstood the
food is over. Merritt, Grand, Brannan
and the upper half of Andrus Islands are
safe, but some of them have had close calls,
particularly Grand and Brannan. The lat
ter had very weak spot in its levee mile
below Isleton. ON Old river.
The lower portion of Andrus Island,
along Georgiana slough and the Mokel-
umne river, is having rough time of it.
In one place on the Zeile tract the water
was reported as being within an inch of
the top OF the levee, and the high winds
prevailing will be an additional danger
and may cause the flooding of the land. If
this should occur Brannan Island will also
be under water, as there is no ievee along
Jackson slough, which divides the two
islands.
The San joaquin and Mokelumne are re-
ported as being very high, aud the south
east winds dash the waters against the
levees, which are none of the best, as
great deal of the material of which they
The danger to Grand Island, which has
to stand the first blow along the lower
reaches of Steamboat slough, comes from
the body of water in the Yolo and Solano
tule basins. A splendid levee has been
built around this island the past summer,
with the exception of stretch of couple
of miles on the lower end, along the slough
before mentioned. Mr.. Ferris, the con-
tractor, was working at this point when he
was stopped by the storm and it could not
be finished.
The high water reached this point about
three days after the greatest hight at Sacra-
mento, but the settlers rallied in large
numbers, and, with teams and sacks, saved
the island from overflow. The levee, where
finished, was ample to keep out the water,
being some four feet above it, and when
this unfinished portion is built up to the
grade it will take an extraordinary freshet
to break the embankment.
There is considerable water on all of the
islands, due to natural rainfall and sipsge,
which cannot, of course, run off until the
river falls or it is pumped out.
Every one of these reclamation districts
should have a good-siZed canal running
through the center and leading 10 a flood
gate at the lowest point, where the pumps
should be placed. Small bitches could
then be led to it, draining the land right
and left, and if pumping should be too ex-
pensive, the great body of the water could
be run off through the food-gates when
the river fell.
The water is rapidly receding from the
Lisbon District, opposite Freeport, and
from Suffer Island, both of which were
overtowed. The wash of the rivers has
done some little damage to entertainments
thrown up the past year, as the earth was
fresh and the slopes too abrupt, but this
will not amount too much. No one has
been greatly damaged, even in the over
flowed districts, as the people are better
prepared than in former years. They have
learned from experience, and have built
more mounds, where stock and farming
implements are safe. 1t is only at the
point where a levee breaks that very much
damage is done, as the front land is likely
to be badly washed out, and the replacing
of the levee is costly matter.
In front of every rancher's house and
barns the levees should be built SO strong
that they could not possibly break, thereby
insuring the buildings against being car
ried of, as in the case of the Payne house
and others, where the levees broke in front
of them.
The waters about the islands were not as
high as in 1881, although higher in front
OF this city, and this is accounted for by
the fact that the river was held longer
within its banks before breaks occurred,
and therefore the water was carried to the bay
much more rapidly. This is an additional
reason why the levees should be strength
ened and thrown farther back along the
rivers. 1t would also be the most efficient
securing process that could be applied to
the riYer-bed.
There is quite body of water on the low
lands between Freeport and the Pierson
District, this side of CORTLAND. The entire
tract looks as if it had been flooded, but the
wa er comes from the plains, sipage and
natural rainfall. If the unprecedented
storm continues much longer the result
will be more broken levees, as many of
them are very soft from the heavy rains
and the high water standing against them.
and are liable to collapse in places where
they are least expected to.