The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-15
STORY OF A NOBLE PUBLIC I'M
PROVEMENT BEING WELL
CARRIED OUT.
BEST RECORD FOR FAST WORK
OVER 1000 Tons OF Rock DUMPED
DAILY DURING Two MONTHS
LAST YEAR.


humboldt harbor was the completion, in
1884, of the project for dredging the chan
nels in the bay, on which $685. SIS was
spent, says the Humboldt Times of the Sd
inst.
The project of improving the entrance
by obtaining and maintaining deeper water
on the bar was adopted in 1882. The south
letty only was contemplated at that time,
but on December II, 1880, the board of en-
gineers met in Eureka, and after study of
the situation modified the existing project
so as to include ietties from both spits.
The nrst contract was let to the Ameri-
can Bridge and Building Company in De-
cember, 1888. This contract was annuIled
and the work stopped October 81, $780,
through the failure of the contractor to
complete but little more than one-half the
work, although his time was extended
from December 81, 1889. to October p, 1890.
Up TO this time 2767 feet of the south lefty
had been completed and 45, 943 tons of rock
dumped, raising the jetty to the level of
high water for 900 feet.
On February Z, 1891, the contract for con-
tlnuing the work was let to Simpson &
Brown, who commenced work in May of
that year. By June so, 1891, they had
raised the south letty to a high-water
plane 800 feet, making 1900 feet of COM
pleted Jetty. With the beginning of their
work IN May the north spit commenced to
wash away, and by June 80 about 14OO feet
had gone, when the engineers determined
to transfer operations from the south spit
to the north. The contract of Simpson &
Brown closed in December, 1891, by which
time the north shore was protected by
letty 1880 feet long. The cost of jetty work
up to this time was $298, 235 81.
No work was done in 1892 on account of
lack Of sufficient funds, but by act of Con-
gress dated July 13 1892, $50, 600 was APP
proprlated and the project placed under
the continuous contract system. March 8,
1888, there was an appropriation of $500 900,
which, with the previous appropriation
and the $17S,000 of unexpended balance
under the previous contract made an
available fund of S700,00 when ]. c. Bull
Jr. commenced operations April l. 1893
By June 80, the end of the fiscal wear of
1893, Mr.. Bull had expended SAC, 537 g.
The report OF the engineers for the fiscal
year 1893 says: 1.-THE amount of money
now available for the work is 1858, SIS. The
existing contract requires that $175. 200
worth OF work be completed at the end of
the present working season, and the sun
dry civil act of March 8, 1898, which appro-
prlated $522 900, required that not more
than three-quarters of this amount, viz.
$39l. 800. be expended in the fiscal year end
Ing June 80, 1894 This would make a total
available for expenditure to June 80 1894,
OF $566, 500. OF this amount it is not prob
able that more than 1926, 900 can be Judi
ciously expended. On this basis it is esti-
mated that there will be available for con-
tlnulng the work after June 80, 1894, in
round numbers about 1913 ,000 which ought
to continue the work to June 80, 1895.
20, I.at
ending June 80, 1894, is recommended
During the calendar year of 1893 Con-
tractor J. c. Bull Jr. dumped 1856 tons of
rock and earned $156,641 So, and during the
year 1894 he dumped 153, 797 tons of rock
and earned $685., 1876 80; so that there is still
available about 1915 900 to continue the
work to June 80, 1895. Without some mis-
hap this sum will be expended by that time.
summary OF the amount of rock
dumped is as follows:
American Bridge Company. .1sss-e0 45,948.5
simpson q Brown............. 1891 54,S76
]. c. Bull INSTRUMENTATION. 1894 153,7s7
Ictal 327 ,311.5
Its interesting to note in this connection
that the present contractor has put in more
than double the quantity of rock during
the two years of his contract that the
other contractors did in three years.
OF course the brush mats and trestle are
a necessary part Of the contractors work,
but 1t is the rock that makes the lefty
The handling of a contract of this magni-
tude IS no small matter. and requires pc
cuIlar executive ability. For the seasons
work OF 1894 the contractor secured as su-
perlntendent w. E. Dennison of San Fran
cisco, who systematized the work so that it
was conducted in a successful and satisfac-
tory manner to all concerned. By laying
a cable across the BAY near Fairhaven all
cd viii ha ia+rV
improvements were placed in telephone
connection with the Eureka office An
electric light plant at the quarry was an
other improvement that was of great value
in moving rock. Numerous other systems
were adopted by Mr.. Dennison that offered
an opportunity to work the plant to its
best advantage and full capacity. Mr..
Dennison viii be in charge OF the work this
season also, and under his able manage
ment the largest seasons work yet accom-
plished will result.
In August and September of last year an
average of 1000 tons of rock day was
dumped and. this has never been equaled
IN Government contract, even at the
Columbia River jetty, where the Govern
ment IS doing the work. The method
adopted by the engineer here in putting
down first brush mat is no experiment.
but the result of actual experience on the
Columbia River letty, which extends
through shifting sands over four miles out
into the ocean. Before the brush was re-
sorted to it was found impossible to make
a permanent foundation of rock, for the
reason that the action of the waves would
wash the sand from under the rocks SO that
they would be continually settling. Itwas
found that this was not the case with the
mats, for the sand would fill in all through
the mat and make it part of the spit.
Wherever a mat has been sunk and prop
erly ballasted it stays, and years of
experience on different ietties have demon
strated to the engineers that when the
lefty is built up to high-water mark there
is no appreciable settling. OF course the
shifting of a channel will sometimes make
very deep water alongside the jetty and
threaten TO undermine it. This has been
the case with our jetty, but experience
elsewhere has taught the engineers that
spur-ietties and a revetment OF small rock
will afford ample protection and avert abe
danger. This work has been done on both
our north and south jetties during the
past season, and what appears to persons
who have no knowledge OF the work as
damage to the jetty is as a matter of fact,
the protection work of the Government.
The presence OF brush scattered here and