The record-union., 1896-03-30
SACRAMENTO DAILY RECoRDUNIoN MONDAY MARCH go 1896

ocillCid, are questions IndI must De
given serious attention before definite
plans for the cleaning out of the rivers,
etc., be formulated"
Take the fill in the rivers at 120,-
O00000 cubic yards The fill in Suisun
Bay at 407,000,000 in 1878, and the
l0,0OO,000 year since, eighteen years,
lS0O00,0OO, we have grand total above
the Straits of Carquinez of 707, 600, 900
cubic yards of hydraulic mining debris.
No computation is given Of the probable
amount of slickens that has
passed Benicia into the broader
waters of San Pablo and San
Francisco Bays, but it would not be
wild guess to put it at 800, ,OO0,0 600
cubic yards, since it is visable all around
the north and south shores of the great
bay and is extending the shore line for
miles toward deep water, to say moth
ing of the amount that has gone out to
sea- The total amount of debris lying
below the waterline in the territory
given can therefore be readily assumed
to be thousand million cubic yards.
Now let it be remembered that this
enormous amount, whatever it is, has
gone there on a grade of less than 212
inches to the mile, that is to say. "a
inches, according to the Government
engineers.
Now, when mountain grades in
streams and reservoirs can be reduced
to the grades of the lower rivers, i'm
pounding the fine material has not ad-
vanced to a debatable position, and it
must be seen that it never can.
But our mining friends seem oblivious
n q rfr11~ -.
and contentious, and while these re-
ports and evidences are accessible to
them and their press they studiously
avoid giving them credence OF publicity.
But there is yet another feature of this
interminable controversy that affects
both sides alike, yet is never even al
Iuded to by the hydraulic apologists
In the Biggs Commission report al
ready quoted, at page 16 after discuss
ing the dam theory the engineers make
use of the following language:
THE results obtained by dams now
in existence show the feasibility of i'm
pounding portions of the coarser ma
terial behind properly constructed bar
riers." Then the commission did not
say all the coarser material even could
be impounded. Then of what use are
the dams to be built by the Government
or by anyone else?
Again we read:
1T is not claimed that the finer as
well as the coarser material can be
restrained
If this cannot be done why lay so
much stress on report that holds out
no hope of relief to either side? Again
we read:
During flood stages quantities of the
latter (the coarser) must be carried over
the crests Of the dams, and eventually
be carried to the rivers below Ex-
actly, just as has been shown above
from the same records. And again:
1t is not possible to prevent the
movement of the finer sands and clay
except by the construction of settling
basins. 1t would probably not be ne
cessary to insist upon the restraint of all
or the fine material mined, as the lower
rivers when improved may be able to
take care of a portion of this, as they
have of the natural wash in the past,
without injury"
The above is the strongest leaning to-
ward the restraining theory. yet does
not begin to approach the requirements
of the lower waters, which is fully ad-
mitted by the closing remark of the re-
port, which is:
AT its best this system of restraint
would be costly and one that would
afford only partial protection to the in
terests involved on the rivers below"
1t is the partial protection the valley OBJ
Jects to. 1t has had that with the re-
suit that thousand million, more or
less, of cubic yards of non-impoundable
material lies in the navigable waters
of the State, not to mention what laws
on the lands
We are assured that if another trial is
permitted at Government expense and
management, and it fails, no one will
ever ask for the project again. This is
the most remarkable proposition vet
made, and could only come from a. man
who has had a Rip Van Wrinkle slumber
In mining matters. To assert that any
body of men will cease importuning for
taVors that cost nothing and confer no
risk, is to misjudge humanity most
Wofully and the wires say such a.
prayer was actually addressed to a
committee of the lower House of Con-
gress for the purpose of inducing that
body to appropriate S250,0OO for the
construction of dams that only the bv-
draulic miners want.
GEORGE OHLEYER.
Yuba City, March 27. 1896