The record-union., 1892-11-21
RAISING THE LEVEES.
The Work Progressing Very Rapidly
and Satisfactorily.
Great Activity at All Points North,
South and West of the City
Many Men at Work.

The work of raising the levee from the
bridge TO r street is progressing rapidly
under the management and supervision
of the railroad company, and in few
days more the filling-in will be COM
pleted.
Hundreds of train loads of gravel and
sand have been brought over the tenn
porary track laid to the mouth of the
American and dumped along the line OF
the levee as fast as men could be secured
to level off and dispose oft.
This section of the levee is so covered
with tracks, freight sheds and ware
houses that it is difficult to see how the
work could have been accomplished IN
anyway save by the railroad company
taking charge of the work.
1t was necessary to begin by raising
the railroad tracks along the entire dis
tance from the bridge to r street, and for
a portion of the distance three to seven
tracks had to be elevated. This work
was accomplished by the company with
out material interruption to the move
ments of its regular trains, but most of
the switching and making up OF trains
was done at the SiXth-street yards.
The company, of course, had every APP
pliance with which to prosecute and
carry the work to completion, but 1t Will
not require close figuring to estimate
that when completed the work will have
cost vastly more that the $4,000 allowed
to them by the City Trustees.
Besides the three or four engines ana
trains used in the work, the steam shovel
for loading the cars and numerous teams,
the company has employed from 800 10
500 men, who have been working about
three weeks.
In addition to raising the tracks, switch
stands, etc., buildings have been moved
and the steamer freight sheds have been
raised, which neceSsitated the transfer
of a great quantity OF freight to the open
sheds east of the track. Here all sorts ol
merchandise has been stored and watch
men employed to look after 1t night and
day.
The Office building and sheds of the
Sacramento Transportation Company
have also been raised, and it has been
interesting to see work OF such magni-
tude progress 50 rapidly and with such
prom ptness and Vigor.
The colnpany seems to be fortunate in
the class of laborers it has had, and 1t IS
a notable fact that no Chinese have been
employed Among the hundreds of men
at work there has been no dlsorderly
conduct, and it has been rare thing to
find any of them intoxicated.
1t is plainly evident that the work has
progressed with far more economy, more
speed, aud that more satisfactory service
has been rendered by the white laborers
than would have been secured under any
other circumstances. 1t is easily seen by
the faithfulness with which many Of the
men employed have worked that the
majority of men often characterized as
tramps or "hobos' will gla5ly labor if
fairly lucrative common work Is offered
them.
A great deal of granite is being brought
in now, with which the river front, at
various points where it is subject to being
washed by high water, will be riprapped
and protected. When completed the
levee will be uniformly iive feet above
high-water mark, and it Will certainly
prove permanent protection to the city
from high water, unless the river channel
should fill up with slickens from tide
water to the mountains.
Competent judges of the work done on
the river front pronounce it permanent
and satisfactory, and apprehend no
trouble in future from either overflow or
sipage, and this improvement cannot fail
to enhance property values in the city
generally.
The work on the Y-street levee has
been thoroughly done. and that on the
north leveo is being pushed as rapidly as
possible with a large force of men and
teams. 1t is proposed that the entire
levee system surrounding the city shall
prevent any danger from floods il the
future.