The record-union., 1895-11-20
DEBRIS DAMS THAT DON'T RESTRAIN
Hence the SIckens Still PolIutes the
Streams.
Reports Read at the Meeting of the
Anei-Debris Associations Com
mittee Yesterday.

The Executive Committee of the
Anti-Debris Association met yesterday
afternoon at the rooms of the Board OF
Supervisors. ]. M. Morrison presided,
and Robert CoSner acted as Secretary.
From the reports of the various en-
p1oyes it appears that all of the rivers
during the past month were in good
condition. except the South Fork of the
Yuba River, which is carrying at times
nearly five per cent. of mining material,
partly from the Hustler hydraulic
mine, working under permit, and GER
tain mining by the process of running
q large head of water over or against
a bank of loosened earth, such as is
being done at French Corral and
Moneys Flat.
The Middle Yuba is also carrying a
good deal of heavy material the last
two weeks from the MOOreS Flat mine,
now being operated under permit be-
hind a so-called dam. This dam the
report shows to be a large log crib,
built hollow, with nothing whatever
TO hold the logs in place, except that
they are bolted by iron bars where
they cross. The logs have large open
ings between them, except that the
lower wall of the crib is lined on the in
ner side with thin boards, sometimes
having large openings. The dam is in
q very steep ravine, and in the opinion
OF the Manager is a farce so far as
restraining barrier is concerned.
The Kate Hayes Company is build,
ing a dam at SweetIand which will
stand as long as any built partly OF
perishable material and the same is
true of the Omega dam, near Wash
ington, in Nevada County.
The North Bloomfield is the only hy-
draulic mine operating without per
NIT. The report proceeds:
The Mining and Scientific Press, in
its issue of the 10th inst, referring to
the permits granted by the commission,
uses the following language:
The best evidence of the utility of
this part of the commissions duties is
afforded in the fact that of the num-
ber of dams built under the operation
OF the present law not one has failed to
fulfill the conditions under which 1t was
constructed
"If one of these conditions is that
many Of them shall give way after be-
ing filed, this is true, but 1 don't be-
lieve the commission attaches any such
condition.
There have to date been ninety per-
mits, approximately, granted on the
American, Bear, Yuba, Feather and
Sacramento Rivers and tributaries, of
which number about thirty have aban-
doned work or been ordered closed by
the commission. OF this number three
fCurths are small mines, not using over
100 inches of water, and for only a
short period of the year; but of this
number the following is the record of
breaks or accidents:
''Hustler's large dam, with a large
amount of material behind it, washed
out by the storms.
"Bigelow's large dam, broke twice,
each time carrying out small amount
of tailings.
The Excelsior Company had two
breaks in their settling pool at con-
nections with the tunnels, but little
damage.
'Pascoe & Gruben's dam, near
Placerville, with nearly all the ma
terial behind it, washed out by floods.
1.-Two others near Placerville, viz.
Spanish Hill Hydraulic and Spanish
Hill Gravel, broke by floods.
Kelly Hill dam, on Butte Creek
near Chico. with all material stored
went out with the floods; and Engei &
Walkers dam in Shasta County, built
OF rocks. went out last winter"
The attorney made a report as to the
litigation and sundry other matters
under his charge, which it was the de-
sire of the committee should not at
this time be made public.
The committee adjourned till the
regular meeting day in December.