The record-union., 1892-01-14
CANAL HISTORY.
What Ex-Trustee w. F. Knox Saws
of It.
Is the City Sealecting a Right Is the
Whole Subject of the Canal
Understood?

the work upon the revised drainage canal,
was called upon by RECoRD-UNIoN
representative yesterday under the belief
that Mr.. Knox could throw light upon
the canal question. He certainly did,
and most important light. The following
conversation was had:
Question-Mr. Knox, there is a belief
entertained by many Sacramentans that
the drainage canal matter is i'll understood,
and that the city is likely to suffer injury,
unless it's rights are clearly set forth and
maintained. As you were City Trustee,
and Street Commissioner, when the re-
vised system of the canal was adopted,
viii you kindly state your views?
Answer-Certainly if it will be of pub
lie benefit When Commissioner, made
it my business TO study the whole sub
iect, and became acquainted with the law
relating to it.
Q.-Who had control of the canal before
the high water of 1873 and the Lovdal
break?
A.-The County Supervisors. The city
had nothing to do with it before that
Q.-How was the drainage before the
city took charge?
A.-Burns Slough is natural stream of
drainage; 1t ran through the city and
down through the low lands into the
pocket. That was a natural waterway.
II is yet; its diversion along Thirty-flrst
street has not destroyed it. 1t still runs,
though turned along street lines.
Q.-What happened in 1878?
A.-Well, the Lovdal break occurred.
The immense fall of water north and east
of the city demonstrated the necessity for
improved drainage Of the city and the
low lands south of it.
Q.-What was done then?
A.-The Legislature was in session, and
Senator Grove L. Johnson introduced
bill, and it was passed into a law, author
Eing the city to adopt a system of levees
and drainage canal. Under that Act the
city proposed definite system, includ-
ing the natural waterway; that is, it in
Guided the canal from the city to tide
water at Snodgrass Slough. The matter
was submitted to the people by election
and they adopted the plan submitted by
large majority vote. The people below
the city were all flooded at the time and
were very glad of the Act and the vote and
came into the city and worked for it. The
Act provided that if the system benefited
other districts the city should go on and
complete it, and that the districts benetiCi-
ally affected should bear their proportion
of costs. If tie distic 8 could not agree
Is to the sum, then the matter should be
referred to the District Court
Q.-What happened then?
A.-The City Trustees then levied q tax
of forty cents on the 500 to do the work;
they had surveys made, and let the con-
tracts all under that Act of the Legis-
lature and the adopted system.
Q.-What was first done?
Ave cut through Clarke's field Just
left of the Riverside road, and that let the
water off of Merkely, and Flint, and
Herzog, ana all those i'll the first pocket
below the city-it was pocket then.
Q.-What was that cut?
A bout ten or twelve feet deem. and
fifteen feet wide on the bottom.
Q.-N hat was the next work?
Ave then cut through the high land
at Freeport, thirty feet wide on the bot
tom, and fifteen or twenty feet deep. That
relieved the Pocket to a certain extent,
and let the water down on the region
near Beach's Lake. Remember that there
drained then, and does now, into that
natural course, all the country from
Brighton, FIOrin, and back to the foot
hillS-it all drained into the Pocket. The
only relief up to that time was, after the
river fell, to cut the levee and let the
water out of the Pocket off the same
lands, the owners of which are complain
ing now.
Q.-When the water was let through
the ridge by the cut you made, what did
the system then contemplate?
A.-Why, the cutting through of one
more ridge west Of Georgetown and the
river. That would let the water through
Q.-And that was an essential part of
the SYSTEM.
A.-Certainly it was, and Engineer
BaSsett knows all about it, the records
all show it and are easy of examination.
Q.-Why was not the last cut made?
A.-Because the money ran out, even
before | went out of office, and the water
also began TO raise in the ground in the
fall of the year so that we could not even
lower the cut at Freeport to the proper
bottom level-that was an exceptional
year. 1873.
Q.-What was expended?
Al don't remember the exact sum,
but all the money was used. and all used
well, and TO make every cent count. You
remember we had TO pump out over the
R-street grade, and it cost heavily. The
plan was to 90 on next year, and COM
plete the canal, for the greatest part of
The work had been done.
Q.-Well, why did you not go on the
next year?
Al went out of Office The records
viii show it all. We bought the right-of-
way wherever it was necessary; as, for
instance, on high land that we had to cut
through.
Q.-The city paid for it?
A-Certainly; and under the law, and
became possessed thereby Of a valuable
right.
Q.-Do you mean, then, that succeed
ing Boards of Trustees failed to go on
and complete the canal as authorized by
law?
Ayes, sir; exactly. Had they done
So there would be no trouble now, and
we would have had the only system of
natural, or gravitatiOn, drainage possible
o have; whether all that is desirable. is,
probably, q question. But it would have
benefited every landowner between here
and Snodgrass Slough.
Q.-N hat was the estimated fall?
Al think, from Sixth and Z streets
% low tide on Snodgrass Slough, six feet
fan. The records viii show.
Q.-How about high tide?
A.-The system provided for an auto
matte tide-gate in SnOdgrass Slough, to
close with rising tide and open with fall
ing tide. Then another was to be put in
on the cross levee on, | think, Clark S
land; that was to be automatic also, to act
III case anything happened TO the levee in
that district
Q.-Were any gates put in?
A.-Yes, a temporary one back of Free
port.
Q.-What became oft?
Alt was destroyed by the washout
when the levee broke at Fearns place
some years later.
Q.-Then you are to be understood as
holding the canal to be q cut or deepen
ing in natural drainway?
d.-hn I'D. for the region outside of the
city as well?
AYES.
Q.-And that it was il accordance with
tie desire of the people along lis line?
A-Yes: thew were all in favor of 1t.
O.-And that the city, if it went on now
and carried out the system proposed,
would get all the benefit anticipated?
A.-Certainly, and every Landowner
= H.