The record-union., 1899-03-26
The WEIR DOING ITS DUTY.
SURPLUS WATER NOW POUR
ING OVER IT.
Officers Of the Public Works Com
mission Visit the Elkhorn
Overflow.

Overflow.
81 am we'll pleased with the WORK,
and 1 am sure it will stand any test
was the remark of Chief Engineer
Nurse of the Public Works Depart
ment, as he yesterday stood ON the leVee
at the big weir above Eikhorn Ranch
up the river. and watched the mudoy
waters of the Sacramento rushng over
the top of the new easement.
George N. Randle and II. }. Furley'
engineers and draughtsmen, VINO as
sisted in the work of building the re
straining wall, were there, too, anu
agree with Mr.. Nurse that the ease
ment was doing all expected OF IT.
Three weeks ago no one thought that
an opportunity would come this year
to see water going over the Weir, there
by giving it its first actual test; but the
recent heavy rains brought the waters
of the upper Sacramento down In such
quantities that at midnight FRIDAY the
people who live in the house above the
easement We're awakened by the SOUND
of its rushing and came out to see the
big concrete structure in the act of I'M
dergoing it's first test. Word reached
Sacramento and Captain I. b. Hail,
a member of the Auditing Board to the
Commissioner of Public Works, organ
lied a party to go up and view the
scene.
The naphtha launch Undine was char
tered, and those who made the trip
were: Captain Hall, Chief Engineer
NJ. A. Nurse, Engineers George N.
Randle and H. ]. Furley; F. Lowrey,
ssthe contractor; Tom Snyder, Supervis or
of Yolo County,. Elias ]. Govan, w. II.
Govan, Alfonzo Jeans, who owns prop
erty adjoining the weir, and two news
paper men.
The party left the foot of N street at
10 o'clock with a parting warning from
steamer men to be careful about cross
ing the mouth of the American River.
This was enough to strike terror INTO
the majority of the occupants OF the
launch. few of whom were rough-water
sailors, and by an almost unanimous
vote it was resolved to land the party
on the Yolo side short distance De
yond the railroad bridge and walk up
the levee to a point above the rushlhg
waters of the American, allowing the
men in charge of the boat to run the
risk of getting it through the swift cur
rent anu dNOldlii6 hhN p'S No. 49,
came shooting down with alarming ire
ouency and astonishing rapidity
A couple of the more daring of the
party resolved to stay with the boat,
sink or swim, and they went through
the RAPIDS and came out unharmed and
covered with glory.
dozen or more men in small beats
were out on the river, catching logs,
and it is estimated that 300 or 4UO OF
them were tied up to the bank above
the American River on the Sacramento
side.
On the trip up the water could be seen
rushing into both Bannon Sioughs ana
out into the great overflow basin IN
Sacramento County 1t looked like
sea of water but for the cofor. Inc
river was on the raise, according 10
observations taken by the engineers
aboard, the driftwocd and foam coming
down near the bank on either SIDE OF
the stream They explained that wnen
a stream is rising the water is hlghesl
in the center, and the drift IS conse-
ouently thrown to one side or the otner'
while at the fall of the stream every
thing floats down the middle, Whlch
hollows out first
The current in the Sacramento River
for a distance of nearly mile above
the mouth of the American runs up
stream. on account of the volume
poured in by the latter. The water 1t
self is of the very muddiest, While a
few miles farther up the Sacramento
the water shows percept1biy less
quantity of slickens in it, which would
indicate that Sacranentans get the
great bulk of mud in their drinking
water from the American River.
The launch reached the easement at
about 1:30 O'Clock, and the party was
met by Lincoln White and Jay Brown
who are ranching it in that vicinity
About two hours were spent there,
and measurements Of the depth CT
water on the weir We're taken Ihey
showed that on the average ABOUT a
foot and a half of water was Washing
over the stonework. Some brush ana
driftwood had caught on the outer
edge, but it was not in sufficient guam
titv TO impede the rush of water and
the engineers said that a foot or two
more would carry it all over the weir
into the basin beyond.
one who has never seen water run,
ming over an easement or weir of this
kind might naturally suppose that 1t
looked ike d nuSe 1cdh AZ - - -
but this Is not the case. The rush OF
water is only on top of the weir. on
the inner edge it strikes the rock bulk
head and being churned up flows off
into the basin beyond in very milo
manner.
There is q very noticeable fall from
the river proper to the water beyond
in the back land, but there is practi-
cally no wash to the land over which
the water flows. Everything about the
work seems to be in excellent condition,
and the only recommendation that En-
gineer Nurse would make at present
was of a trifing nature. and related
to the placing of a little brush on the
inner slope of the new levee near the
south end of the weir to prevent wash
ing.
The river at the bridge gauge regis
tered % feet when the party left the
city and was at the same mark when
they arrived ait o'clock in the after