The record-union., 1893-11-22
TO PROTECT THE RIVER BANK.
The City Trustees Again Discuss the
Subject.
They VIII Decide This Week as to
What Method They VIII Pur-
sue in the Matter.

The City Trustees met in special session
yesterday afternoon for the purpose of
further considering the matter Of protect
ing portion of the natural river bank.
north of the old gas works, where it has
been cut away some by the current.
Mayor Steinman said that in looking
over the finances of the city ne found
there was no money to go on. He called
on City Engineer Boyd to state whether
or not he had made estimates on the
comparative cost of riprapping and laying
brush mattress.
Engineer Boyd then read specifications
prepared by him for the mattress, based
on the principle in vogue on the Missis-
sippi levees. They provide for a wired
and staked mat held down by broken
rock. The estimated cost for $500 feet of
such mat was about $4,000.
AS to the cost of riprapping with stone,
Mr.. Boyd could not say, as he did not
know the price of the rock.
Mr.. Daynton said he was authorized to
say by MIR. Todhunter of Yolo that the
cause of the failure of the mattress on the
Yolo side, above Washington, some years
ago, was the rotting away OF the brush
mattress. After that they faced the levee
with rock, and IL has remained solid ever
since.
p. A. Miller, who laid the Yolo levee
mattress, replied that the work was done
fourteen years ago, and that the statement
made by Todhunter was not correct. He
gave other reasons for the failure of that
piece of levee TO hold.
Engineer Boyd quoted from reports of
the Government engineers in charge of
the work on the Mississippi River, ex
planning the method of constructing and
laying brush mattress. 1t is a very ex-
pensive kind of work, and requires big
plant in the way of barges, steamers, ETC.,
to handle the mattress and secure it with
stone The reports showed that the ma
terial used was obtained on the MiSsis-
sippi River much cheaper than here. The
cost there for a mat 200 feet wide was
about S43 per lineal foot The mat pro-
posed here would be bat 20 feet wide, and
the estimated cost Sl4 per lineal foot.
ii. @. Smith of the Pioneer Mill said
that fifteen years ago his company had
great trouble from high water and the
washing away of the bank. They drove
row Of piles and filled in behind it with
brush, weighted down, and the bank has
become solid and permanent. the work
being as sound as the day it was put in.
They had dumped in rock at other places,
and it did little good.
He suggested that the piece of bank it
was proposed to protect could best be
saved by driving row of piles about a
foot apart and filling in behind them with
brush held down by rock or sandbags.
This would be the cheapest method, and in
his opinion the best.
While discussing the matter, Mr.. Smith
asked that the city construct a sidewalk
on the east side of the mill for the ac-
commodation of people who have to pass
there. The raising OF the levee there had
MT Z ha roi if,h oil
side the mill that gang-planks must be
used in Loading and unloading cars, and
people were practically shut off from
using the mills old walk.
Z. a. Miller recommended the plan
suggested by Mr.. Smith Tor protecting
the main bank of the river.
Or. q. NJ. Dixon spoke in favor of the
mattress revetment plan for protecting
the bank of the river, which he declared
would be cheaper and more durable than
loose stone. He denied that the brush
mattress used in the Paine break had
rotted. AS TO what style of mat should
be used he had nothing to say, but did
want to see brush used, properly
weighted and protected, instead of loose
stone thrown upon a shifting foundation.
The statement made by Mr.. Smith
showed what brush properly weighted
and protected would do. The State Lii
brary had plenty of Government reports
up to date showing that brush revet-
ments were much better than stone for
protecting the banks of rivers from cut
ting away beneath.
DR.. Dixon concluded his remarks by
saying that G. e. Grunsky, the we'll
known engineer, had written him to the
effect that brush protected and weighted,
was the most effective.
j. G. Pierson said that all methods had
been employed by the city, and the best
results obtained were from the use of
loose rock. Piles and bulkheads had done
little good. Expensive brush work was
done in 1881, and it lasted only ten years.
He preferred to see the use of rock con-
tinued, even though it might at first cost
a trifie more than brush mats.
Mr.. Pierson said that while there was
no danger to be apprehended from the cut
ting away of the bank above the Pioneer
Mill, still it was liable to result in injury
to the new levee there, and the city
would be warranted in going to the ex-
pense of having the embankment pro-
tected.
After some farther discussion of the
matter the board decided to postpone ac-
ton for day or two and in the mean
time to procure more definite estimates
as to the cost of stone or a brush revet-
ment, or combination of both.