The record-union., 1898-11-27

step taken toward river improvements.
The Sacramento Chamber of Conn
merce had also stood behind him in
his efforts, and was deserving Of his
sincerest gratitude.
Commissioner Leake explained why
the plan of purchasing dredger had
been abandoned. He pointed to the
fact that even with low water lowing
to the jetty system) the Newtown Shoal
was being removed, and he predicted
that by spring, there would be none of
1T left to tell the tale. He spoke of
the Elkhorn easement, and said he
had the word of Major Heuer that it
was the finest piece of work of the
kind in the world, and had been bet
ter and cheaper built than any he had
ever seen. He told how his travelling
expenses since his incumbency 0: Of
flee had been only $S3, and protested
that the excursion was not given for
political purposes, but to allow the
people who had been friendly TO him
to see that he had performed the
trust reposed in him.
HUGH J. CORCORAN.
Mr.. Devlin next introduced Hugh J.
Corcoran, Chairman Of the Auditing
Board to the Commissioner of Public
Works
Mr.. Corcoran made a mastery pres
entation of facts relating to river i'm
provenents. He spoke of the co-opera-
tion of the United States with the State
in the work, and spoke kindly Of Major
Heuer for the assistance he had given
the board through his superior expert
ence in practical engineering. He spoke
of the cooperation of the Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce, and extended
his personal thanks to it's Secretary J.
0. Coleman, for his active efforts in
seconding the Commissioner at the
Auditing Board in the prosecution tf
their labors.
MAJOR HEUER CONCURS.
Mr.. Devlin next introduced Major
w. II. Heuer, who said he was sorry
there were not 100 members of the
Auditing Board so they could talk until
sacramento was reached Until he
visited the overflow wier at Elkhocn
and the jetty system at Newtown
earlier in the day, he had never seen
those two pieces of work except on
paper. he said he had never seen any
thing to equal either of them in his life
never seen so much and such good
work done for the amount of money
expended. He had not even in all his
readings ever heard of better pieces of
work than those at Elkhorn and New
town.
Major Heuer said he had studied the
sacramento River thirty years ago
had gone up to Sacramento on ocean
steamers, and had seen those steamers
tied UP In Steamboat Slough to wait
for high tide. He said that while
ocean steamers did go up the river in
those days, they did so only at high
water or high tide, and that they
could do the same to-day. He said
that between Sacramento and the
mouth of the river 60 per cent of the
stream was over fifteen feet deep, and
that only five or six bars or dams i'm
peded navigation. 1t was the object of
the Government to remove those
shoals, and the method proposed to be
used was a system of wing-dams.
Major Heuer explained how the
channel at Newtown Shoal had been
contracted nearly one-half, and said
that as a consequence the quantity of
water would be doubled, and the scour-
ing capacity of the water increased
accordingly.
Major Heuer spoke of the dredger
bill and said the Commissioner and the
Auditing Board had acted properly in
refusing to purchase dredger, and in
adopting plans for constructing jetties
had used good judgment. Dredgers,
he said, came high, and one could not
be bought for less than $2OO.O0O. They