The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-02
NAPA RIVER EXAMINED,
The Congressional Party lnves-
tigateS Its Bends and
Bars.
THEIR DEMANDS REASONABLE.
The Members VIII Ask for All That
the Citizens Want-The New
Drydock.

The members OF the California delega-
ton in Congress who have been examin-
ing the Petaluma and Napa rivers arrived
in this City last evening. They left Napa
at 80 O'Clock in the morning to inspect
Napa River. The evening before in the
Palace Hotel at Napa, an informal meet
ing was held. at which the citizens of the
city were asked to present their views.
There were present of the delegation Sen
ators White and Perkins and Congress
men Hilborn and Barham. Lieutenant
Potter, the United States engineer IN
charge of the work on Napa River in the
absence of Colonel Benyaurd, was in at
tendance. Among the citizens present
were: Henry Brown, chairman of the
Napa Improvement Club; Senator II. c.
Gesford, ex-senator Dennis Spencer, Ed
itor Francis, Mr.. Goodman, Captain Wolf,
George Stroll Theodore Bell, DR.. Hahn
and others.
The first matter brought up was the
question of putting in locks at or near Sus-
col in order to give continuous navigation
to the river. A petition which had been
circulated by DR.. Hahn and had received
numerous signatures was handed to Mr..
Barham.
The question of strengthening the river
| Was dlSO DIOuRnt ups lAOI6 dIS bMO JULIUS
which the people of Napa are in favor OF
| having cut off. These are Jacks Point. not
| far from town, and Cars Bend, some dis
| lance below. The amount of cutting re-
CURED at the former place would be about
! 300 or 400 yards and to point below the
| locks.
| Members of the delegation expressed
themselves as believing the plan hardly
feasible at present. The cost would be
| over 100000 even if the conditions were
found to be favorable.
| Lieutenant Potter said that he could not
understand how such an amount of heavy
| gravel could be brought down.
81 guess you never saw one Of our floods
or you would not be surprised at ALL said
! Editor Francis.
| 1t was developed that the Government
has appropriated for Napa River only
| $21 800. United States Senator John L.
| Miller secured the first appropriation,
which was for only $500, for survey. In
1883 $1,000 was appropriated, in 1890 10000,
and in 1894 $4,000.
''ln proportion to the amount of COM
merce on the river it has cost the Govern
ment less than most rivers" said Mr..
| Francis.
The mem bers of the delegation expressed
| themselves as strongly in favor of doing all
they can to obtain all that was asked for
! the dredging and for making the cut at
Cars bend. They asked that statistics of
the amount of business done in the river
| be forwarded to them.
Yesterday morning the party went down
at low tide in skiffs to Suscol, making an
examination Of the river. At Suscol they
were met by the tug Nellie from the navy
yard and were taken to Mare Island,
where they were met by the commandant
Captain Howison, who conducted them
about and explained the need particularly
of a new drydock on the Simpson plan.
To-day the party will go to Alviso to
look into the question of making an APP
preparation asked for there.