The record-union., 1893-11-28
THAT CRUHBLING RIVER BANK.
The Trustees Advertise For Bids on
Both Brush and Stone.
They Listen to the Statements of En-
gineers Boyd and Phinney
and DR.. Dixon.

and DR.. Dixon.
A large concourse Of interested specta-
tors was present at the meeting Of the
Board of Trustees yesterday to see what
action would be taken on the levee mat
ter and hear whether brush mattress or
riprapping would be adopted by the
board.
DIR. G. NJ. Dixon was on hand pre-
pared to defend his proposition that the
board should put in brush mattresses and
weight.them down with granite.
When the matter was taken up the
Mayor called on Engineer Boyd for the
estimates of the cost of work if his plan
OF granite riprapping was adopted.
Mr.. Boyd stated that he had prepared
an estimate of the cost of rock revet-
ment along the levee at the point in ques-
ton. He estimated the cost of the work
at IS, 500, and it would take thirty days to
do the work track would have to be
run up the levee to take the rock up. The
total cost would be IS, 500.
With a brush revetment 1t would take
I,795 yards of excavation against $50
yards for the granite revetment, and the
cost would be $, ,6S3, the time needed for
putting il in being fifty to seventy days
The Mayor called on Captain Roberts
for his opinion Of the best way, as he had
seen the Government plan at the Column
bian Exposition.
Captain Roberts said he favored brush
mattresses, and was satisfied from what
he had seen that they would give the best
results. He felt deeply interested in this
question.
The Mayor asked if the free use of the
barges furnished by the Captain included
cost of steamers, which had been figured
to Mr.. Boyd at $780,
Captain Roberts explained that after he
had made the proposition to DR.. Dixon
he went out of town without saying any
ing to his clerk about it. When
Mr.. Boyd asked the clerk, he, under
standing that the steamer would have 10
haul brush from some point ND the river,
which would involve an expense for fuel,
made an estimate on that basis. 1t had
since been explained that the brush
would be hauled to the barges. The
barges would be placed in position free
OF cost.
DR.. Dixon said that brush mattress
500 feet long, = feet wide and feet thick
can be put in place in twenty days, and
he thought perhaps in two weeks, for
s., 900 or even less. The fact that the Gov
ernment had abandoned the use Of stone
ana duODb0A DGuSI1 liidlklSSSCS Was Il SUI
fcient argument as to their utility and
success.
The Government put in one below
Memphis, on the Mississippi River,
where the bank had caVed badly, and
there had been no caYing there since-it
had been a perfect success. The method
Of fixing it was to fasten the inside edge
OF the mattress to the bank and then use
the barge to weave 1t on out over the
river weighing it with stones and draw
ing the barge out into the river TO let it
sink. The speaker gave a minute detail
OF the method of making it. He was not
an engineer and did not pretend to be-
but he thought if the Government adopted
il it must be the best plan. There had
been, as claimed, breaks and caves where
mattresses were used, but they had Oc-
CURED in spite of the mattress. In one
instance a farmer had cut road down
into the bank in order to get down into
the river bed. He neglected 10 I'LL it up
again and, of course, when the river rose
il began to cut into the opening. AS it
was Just above the mattress the current
worked a hole in behind it and the mis-
chief was done. At Memphis, right in
front of the city, q sewer pipe discharged
lis water right under the mattress and OF
course, washed out the dirt behind it.
With the use OF rock on such shifting
bottom AS silt no engineer can tell the
cost, The leVee below the gas works cost
5000, which was much more than any
one had any idea of. He had asked the
opinion of some competent engineers
on this subject and they agreed with
him. He had no fight against the con-
tractors. They would do the work for
$1,000, but he wanted 10 see the city do it,
as he thought it could do so for 81 800.
c. NJ. Phinney, the engineer, said that
a rock foundation was best, if it could
OF no rnal hNttNfD nf piv lNt,t
if it rests on silt 1t is not good. OF course
the mattress would rot in fifteen years,
but it could be repaired at small cost. He
read the reports OF Government engineers
showing the Memphis mattress to be a
success. There was caving OF the river
banks above and below, but none where
the mattress was. He also read reports
made eleven years later when similar
improvements were made.
c. G. Brown said he had lived on the
Mississippi for years and had consider
able experience in leVee-building and
used mattresses. He did not think
stone on bottom composed of silt would
do any good, ana favored brush. He
lived on the river bank last winter and
observed the action of the water.
Mr.. Phinney thought that in five years
from now the Government Will be pro-
tecting the leyees Of this river Why not
start in now and begin the work.
trustee O0QkIlH sad the question was
one OF finances. He thought rock would
be good, but Mr.. BOyd's estimates would
absorb all the available funds. Beside.
he did not think it would be permanent
Improvement. They had better make
brush mattress now. 1t was cheap and
would last four or i've years. The city
had better employ competent engineers
and put il in. When the bank got hard
ened it would be all right. In time, he
thought, they would have to use piles.
Trustee Green thought that rock was
needed. That would make it permanent.
II they adopted Mr.. Phinneys plan it
would be best to let the contract TO some
one and let them do the work.
The board then took recess till after
noon.
At the afternoon session the board fur
ther considered the matter.
1t was decided that Specifications be
submitted at once and bids advertised for
to-day, and the estimated total expense,
including brush mat and stone, viii be
between SS, 800 and SI0,0 ii the mattress
is to face both the natural bank and the
levee.
Captain J. II. Roberts Of the Sacra-
mento Transportation Company rendered
the use OF barges TO facilitate the work,
free OF charge.
The bids are to be opened at the regu-
laa meeting OF the board next Monday.
THE WIEGER CASE
Decision OF the supreme Court Affirm
no no Trrl