The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-09
Reports Of Engineer Officers Submitted
to Congress.
ESTIMATES OF NEEDED APPROPRIATIONS
felton's Hydraulic Mining Bill -AIamedas NeW Pub.
lie Building Gases Deeided-POst.
OfkeeS and Pensions.
Special to THE MORNING CALL


OF Engineers dated San Francisco, Cal,
March l, 1892, and an accompanying letter
OF Chief of Engineers Casey, dated March
Z. 1892. submitting a statement of the
amounts which can be proftably expended
during the fiscal year ending June 80. 1898,
for the purpose named in the joint resolu-
ton investigating mining debris In Cali
fornia. approved February % last. Follow
ing sLieutenant-ColonelB Benyaurd's report:
IN accordance with the instructions contained
10 department letter OF 10Th inst, incIosing The
JOINT resolution OF the Fifty-secOnd Congress-
nave tile honor to submit the following esti-
mates ior restriction works and dams TO re-
strain mining debris for the purpose of prevent
ing It's lodgment In the rivers of California 10 the
Injury OF navigation and commerce. In response
10 your telegram of February 1S Oh the same
matter i replied the following day as follows:
Dam al DE Guerre Point. Sl50,000: restric-
tlon works below Tie dam, 100000"
Deposits of Debris.
The Board of Engineer Officers appointed
to consider the hydraulic mining question
IN California reported the existence of vast
deposits of material in the canyons of the
rivers throughout the hydraulic mining
region. and in the plain below the debouche
OF the Iuba River from flood. which will
eventually find lodgment in the navigable
portions of the river below to the injury of
navigation. The board has proposed the
erection of dams at the lowest points in the
canyons of the Yuba and Bear rivers, and
also the building of restriction works only
on the Yuba, between De Gue-re Point and
its mouth. 1t was considered that these
points, so long as hydraulic mining was not
In operation, presented more favorable fea-
lures for impounding work in the interests
OF navigation than could be found at other
points above. In fact to ATTEMPT to restrain
nf Il ahrIs ub cir
ated would require works in every Iavine,
creek and canyon throughout the entire
mining field.
Interests of Navigation.
Being solely in the interest of navigation,
and not in connection with the prosecution
or resumption Of hydraulic mining the es-
Inmates were presented in the report of the
board. Estimates were presented for dams
and restriction works. and also for wing
dams. The after, when so mentioned were
solely for the Improvement of the Sscra-
mento and Feather rivers. The amend
meDts suggested for any bill on the debris
matter are to erase the words wing dams"
and where BOW situated" and designate
the points where other dams and restTic-
ton works are 10 be located. viz: Restric-
tion works on the Yuba River below De
Guerre Point, dam at De Guerre Point on
the uba River, dam at Van GeisenS on
Bear River.
Senator FELTON, to-day introduced. by re-
quest OF the mining men, bill concerning
mining debris and river improvement In
California. The bill is Identical with that
introduced in tie House by Caminetti, with
the exception of a clause added authoIiz-
Ing the IeyyiDg OF and collection by the
Government OF tax of per cent on the
gross output of the hydraulic mines, and
several unimportant changes recommended
by the War Department, mention OF which
has been already made in former dis
patches.
The subcommittee of the House Commit
tee on Mines and Mining will hold a ses-
SION tomorrow to hear arguments on Cam
inetti's mining debris BILL The California
delegation, consisting of Judge Searls,
Messrs. Devlin, Hobson and McMurry, will
appear before 1t. The regular Committee
on Mines and Mining will meet on Friday
TO receive the report of the subcommittee.
Rivers and Harbors.
Representative Caminetti and Judge
Searls appeared before the House River
and Harbor Committee to-day and made an
argument in favor of an Appropriation for
the improvement Of the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers. Chairman Blanchard
stated that the new river and harbor appro-
priation bill. to be reported next week.
would only recommend the expenditure of
about S200O0,000. whereas the Board of
Engineers of the War Department had rec
commended appropriations aggregatiDg SS4,-
100000. of which SCI, ,00G, 900 was for un-
completed work and So, ,O0O, 600 for new
work. or the amount TO be appropriated
by the bill the larger part will be for un-
completed work. Not much new work will
be advised.
Alameds's New Building.
In the Senate this morning a bill for a
public building at Alameda, Cal, was
reached on the calendar. A statement of
the supervising architect of the Treasury
was included In the report Of the Committee
on Public Buildings, in which was said of
Alameda: The Postoffice in said city Is
third class, and for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1889, the gross receipts We're
S164S II, salary Sl700, rent, light and fuel
S35 70, other incidental expenses S34 Sc.
total expenses 3l770 81, new postal receipts
S5S1S 40, and that in addition to said Post
office being self-sustaiuing it yielded a net
postal revenue of II per cent With the
amount Of money which said bill proposes
to flx as the limit Of cost Of the site and
building from computations made and based
upon data received, it is found that build
ing one story high. with basement
oil ohont %eont H. 80 10 in dimensions giving
area. which would be an increase of
about 1l5 per cent over the premises now
occupied as POStoffice, TO be built of brick
faced with stone OF fire-proof construction,
Including the heating apparatus, vaults and
approaches. and excluding elevator service
for the accommodation of the l'ostofiice
only. can be erected for about S32, O0o
which would leave about S1S, 900 for the ac.
QUESTION OF property for the site; or, that
such public building built of brick, with
stone trimmings. not Of fire-proof con struc-
tioE, can be erected for about SIS, 900.
which would leave about S25 900 for the ac-
QUESTION OF property for site. BY refer
ence TO the Postmaster's letter above spec
ified, it will be observed that he estimates
the cost of land centrally located for a site
at about $500 per front foot and that other
property can be had for a less figure, but
gives no detail as to the depth of the lot
Such building as that above specified. in
Guiding the forty-foot fre-limit prescribed
by the bill. will require a lot ninety-five
feet 'front.'"
Land Cases Decided.
Assistant Secretary Chandler to-day af-
frmed the decision Of the Land Commits
sioner In allowing Elias Ferguson, contest
ant against the homestead entry of the heirs
of L. A: Hecker and j. ID. Sngeoffer, in
volying land In the Los Angeles district of
California.
The Assistant Secretary In the case of r.
ID. Hazard vs. Alics Swain, involving land
In the San Francisco district, returns the
case 10 the Land Commissioner for his de-
termination as to the sufficiency of the
proof OF Miss Swain. Both parties in this
case made entry for the land, and the local
officers decided in favor Of Miss Swain. but
the Land Commissioner reversed their de-
cislon. The Assistant Secretary holds that
Hazard has no claim, but returns the case
to the commissioner to decide whether Miss
Swain had made sufficient proof to entitle
her to patent
Bills Presented.
Senator Stanford introduced q bill pro-
vidlng that opium, crude or unmanufac-
tured and not adulterated, containing per
cent OF morphia, shall pay tariff duty Of