The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 25, 1895, Page 9

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1595, THE NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS OF CALIFORNIA | becssasmimmei e o voriceter ceison AND THEIR NEEDS. ST 74 = WRITIEN FOR THE CALL 1t gives me pleasure to comply with the request of the editor of TrE CALL and to | present here a short review of recent astro- nomical work in ¢ nia in a popular | form. For more extended accounts refer- ence is made to the publications of the | Astrono: of the P: | This s s seventh year | ses a journal which | s, who are scattered 3 desire to | follow th & Observatory | from m ot do better than to join the society and contribute, in , to th ort and creation of a the State. reaches its 5( all over t ion of the Lick Observatory. be known to all that the | ounded by Mr. Lick asa | t State University at governed by the regents v, and its support is de- m the interest of $90,000 re- i gift and the rest | opriation of university funds | It is the best situated of | g observatory, and it is the best i s to instruments. Unfor- ,it hasav all corps of ob- | E vhen it ompared with its great | rivals, Greenwich, Paris, Harvard College | , etc. | Observatory staff consists of | rvers and computers, while twenty-four, Paris forty- | d College Observatory ty. ) the best will in the world our staff | of seven must compete under great disad- | ages with the large corps of als. So far we have no ca to be ashamed of the quality and quantity of work which has been done on Mount Hamilton during the past seven years, but there is a need here for more ob- servers. Th wi to us would be the lowships, t0.prod 7, S0 that we students to the ob- e practical work with the would be an important as- ur researches. Such tellow- amed after their founders, | d would be of lasting benefit to the stu- 1ts and to the observatory. ive of salaries), for all purp ,and this must provide eve truments in or- fic work (pro- instruments, publication of | plates, p for extra calculations, ex- | penses of eclipse expe ., has all | n done by means of gifts fi riends. These gifts sym up $40,741 since the foundation of the observatory. With- out them the observatory would have beea | cruelly cramped. { Observatories in California. Besides the Lick Observatory there are te a number of others in the State. The ount | rvatory, the Chabot Observatory, | re observatories at Berkel | Jose and the private observatories | of Professor Davidson, W. M. Pierson, | Captain Goodall, etc. Quite a number of | he members of the Astronomical Society | of the Pacific own small telescopes and | | | | | viding new regularly observe all eclipses, transits, large sun-spots, etc. The Stanford Uni- versity has no observatory at present. The energies of the Lowe Observatory and of the Chabot are largely given up to | the reception of visitors, although the for- mer finds time to search for and discover comets. The college observatories and the Chabot also are chiefly engaged in teach- ing. The Crossley Reflector. Edward Crossley Esq., lately member of | Parliament for Halifax, England, pre- sented his great 3-foot reflecting telescope, with its dome and all its apparatus com- lete, to the Lick Observatory in April of is year v made no condi- tions to his gift, e pt that the expense of transporting the instrument and dome from England to California should be porne by Americans. The spiendid instru- ment which Mr. Crossley offers is well known 10 astronomers. It was constructed | by A. A. Common of London, and for the | magnificent pnotographs made with it | Mr. Common received the gold medal nfi the Royal Astronomical Society. It was | then purchased by Mr. Crossley and set up | at his private observatory at Halifax, Eng- land, along with other instruments. An experience of some years has shown Mr. | Crossley that the climate of England is not | good enough to do justice to this telescope, | and he therefore determined to present it to an observatory which w s favorably sit- | uated, where it could be used to the fullest advantage. It is a great compliment to | | ready for work at Mount Hamilton. servatory in the most satisfactory. manner. | the August meteors of 1895, and photo- In order to accept the gift it was neces- | graphs of sunsets at Mount Hamilton in sary to raise a sum of money to pay the | 1893, exhibiting curious effects of refrac- cost of dismounting the telescope and |tion, by A. L. Colton. dome in England, of transporting them to | COMET RORDAME.—In July, 1893, a California and of setting them in place | pretty bright comet was discovered by Mr. The | Rordame. It was photographed at Mount university being short of ready money, it | Hamilton by Professor Hussey, who was seemed desirable to propose to certain rep- | not able to make a careful study of his resentative citizens of California to sub- | photographs until the summer of 1895. At scribe to the desired fund. Accordingly, | first glance the negatives of Rordame’s during April last the greater part of the | comet, like those of Brooks’ comet in Oc- funds necessary to the acceptance of the | tober, 1893, and Bwift's comet in April, telescope were obtained, and at the meet- | 1892, taken by Professor Barnard, show ing of the regents on April 30 the generous | long tails, and within the tails brighter gift of Mr. Crossley was definitely accepted. | masses. These condensations are not con- One word as to the contributors to the | stant features. They may be visible one fund for installing the Crossley reflector. | day and invisible the next. They werecon- Every gift to the fund was made not only | spicuous at times in the Lick Observatory cheerfully, but with positive pleasure—all | negatives of the three brightest comets of were glad to give toward an object so use- f recent years. Nothing was known about PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SUN.—Pho- tography has proved itself to be a most useful handmaid to astronomy in many fields, and in no one more than in record- ing the features of the sun’s surface and surroundings. One of the first instruments purchased for the Lick Observatory was the horizontal photo-heliograph, which was invented for the purpose of making photographs of the solar surface. Sys- tematic observations of this kind have been carried on at Mount Hamilton since August, 1893, by Mr. Per- rine, and our collection of sun-nega- tives already numbers 1500 plates. The image of the sun on these plates 1s about four inches in diameter and the picture is on a scale large enough to show not only the spots themselves, but the de- tails of their structure. Whenever the conditions of vision are favorable these de- tails and the forms of the faculw are beau- tifully distinct, and such pictures readily permit of an enlargement of three diam- eters. Like all astronomical photographs, such plates give the data required for study, but valuable results are only to be reached after such a study has been made. Each of our plates should be measured so as to give the area of the spotted portion of the sun’s disk in fractions of the whole disk, and this because the relative amount of spotted surface is a measure of the sun’s activity. The latitude and longitude of each spot should also be determined, so as to deduce the laws of the sun’s rotation, ete. The sun, being a fluid body, does not rotate according to the laws which govern the motion of a rigid bedy, like the earth, for example. To make the measures which have just been spoken of would require the whole time of one observer, and it has not yet been possible to spare the time from other and more important duties. Our collection of negatives remains, theretore, as a very complete history of the solar changes during a long period, but will not show its full value until the services of an- other observer are available, At Green- wich five persons are employed in this work alone. In order to study the finest details of solar structure it is desirable to have the photographs on as large a scale as pos- sible. For this purpose a special piece of apparatus has been made (and presented to the observatory by Dr. A. Blair Thaw of Banta Barbara), to be used with the great telescope. It is expected that the large-scale photographs obtained in this ful and so honorable to the Btate and to | the motions of these condensations until science.. Every class of our citizens is [ Professor Hussey’s discussion of his nega- represented. We have contributions from | tives, when their velocities were deter- regents of the tiniversity, from professors, | mined. way will enable the structure of the spots to be studied to great advantage. Photographs of the Moon. The great telescope is regularly em- from the alumne, from the Astronomical | The lowest of these velocities corres|ployed in making photographs of the Society of the Pacific, from the Society of | sponds to nearly 4,000,000 and the highest | moon and planets for the purpose of re- California Pioneers and the California | to somewhat more than 5,000,000 miles a | cording the lunar features as they change Academy of Sciences, from bankers, manu- | facturers, railway officials, lawyers, men | of business, capitalists—both men and ' women. | Following is a list of contributors to the } fund for installing the Crossley telescope | at Mount Hamilton: William Alvord, T. Ellard Beans, Miss | C. B. Bruce, James V. Coleman, George | Crocker, Henry J. Crocker, J. B. Crockett, | Christian de Guigne, Mrs. Peter Donahue, | J. A. Donohoe, Charles Goodall, Robert Y. | Hayne, Alvinza Hayward, I. W. Hellman, Edward Holden, Edward W. Hopkins, James Houghton, C. P. Huntington, | George R. Lukens, Charles Mayne, Albert | Miller, D. 0. Mills, W. 8. Moses, Charles | elson, M. P. O’Connor, A. H. Payson, | Percy & Hamilton, Mrs. John Parrott Sr., | John Parrott Jr.,, William M. Pie | James D. Phelan, James B. Randol, Louis | Sloss, Levi Strauss, Alexander Blair Thaw, Union Iron Works. The Southern Pacific Company and the | Wells-Fargo'Express Company generously | transported the telescope and dome from | New York to San Jose free of charge. | The cash received up to the present time day. Enormous as these velocities are, they do not exceed those which are to be expected from the consideration of certain cometary phenomena. Such velocities are highly significant. They must be taken into account in con- sidering the remarkable changes which take place in the forms of the tails of comets as exhibited by their photographs, and they negative some of the explana- tions which have previously been put forth. In fact the measurements by Pro- fessor Hussey of the motions of the con- densations within the tails of bright com- ets are a first and very important step to- ward a2 mechanical theory of such objects. The next bright comet will be thoroughly observed with reference to this new ques- tion, and new light on an obscure phe- nomenon will certainly be afforded. COMET A, 1895.—This faint comet was discovered by Professor Lewis Swift at Echo Mountain, California, on August 20. TIts orbit has been investigated by Professor Boss of Albany, with the result that the comet moves in an ellipse about the sun, making one revolution every seven and a quarter years. The comet medal of the in appearance from hour to hour and eventually to make a standard map of our satellite. The lunar photographs are taken in the focus of the great telescope (the image of the whole moon being about five inches in diameter) and also enlarged directly five times. The negatives thus obtained are subsequently enlarged to a standard size for the map of six feet to the moon’s diameter. Some special regions are enlarged to a scale of twenty feet to the diameter. Considerable improvements have been made in this work during the past year, especially in the vhotographic processes, and the resulting pictures are entirely satisiactory. The material for making the moon map is now in hand, buv there are no funds available for the publication of such a map. Under these circumstances duplicate negatives have been sent to other observa- tories in the United States and in Europe so as to make our work immediately use- ful,and it is possible that the funds to publish the moon map may be provided by foreigners. This is not as it should be, but there appears to be no help for it, amounts to $4935, nearly all of which has | Astronomical Society of the Pacific has | ynjess some generous American friend will provide the necessary funds. The uni- versity can spare no money for the ex- pensive heliogravure plates which are re- quired. No matter how the moon map is eventually published full credit will come to the Lick Observatory, because the map must be based on our negatives. The new Crossley reflector will be a splendid addition to our photographic equipment, since it is especially suited to the photography of nebul® and comets. A photographic refractor of five inches in aperture, formerly the property of Captain R. 8. Floyd, president of the Lick trustees, has been presented to the observatory by his daughter, Miss Floyd of Lakeport. This instrument is exactly suited for eclipse expeditions, and will probably be used by a Lick Observatory party at the total solar eclipse of August, 1896, in Japan. The funds to send such an ex- pedition will probably be provided by a generous friend of the observatory. During the year Professor Barnard com- pleted his series of negatives of the Milky ‘Way, etc., and is now preparing them for publication. They will be issued as a quarto volume by ihe Lick Observatory, the necessary funds to print the plates having been subscribed by private persons. All the spectroscopic work of the observ- atory is done by Professor Campbell, using a splendid spectroscope presented to us by D. O. Mills. The observations relate to the motion of the stars in the line of sight, to the spectra of planets, stars, nebule, comets, the aurora, and have im- portant bearings on such questions as the constitution of Saturn’s ring, of the atmos- pheres of the planets, of the motion of the solar system in space, etc. This is not the place to present the results of such work. It may be added that the new Crossley reflector will be a powerful aid in the spectroscopic problems. Meteorological observations are regularly made at Mount Hamilton thrice daily. Earthquake phenomena are recorded auto- PROFESSOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN, DIRECTOR AND ASTRONOMER OF THE|patically on our instruments. A daily LICK OBSERVATORY AT MOUNT HAMILTON. [Drawn by a “Call™ art 1st from a photograph.] been expended in preparing a site for the new dome, in constructing roads to the site, in arranging an adequate water sup- ply, in freighting the materials from San Jose and in building the brick dome. Ev- erything is now ready to erect the iron hemispherical dome and to mount the re- flector ready for work, and this will be { 17. Its orbit was calculated from observa- the Lick Observatory that Mr. Crossley se- | done as early in the spring as possible. Jected it to receive his gift, and it is a prac- | The cost of this further work will be about | tical recognition of the fact that California | $1000, and the necessary funds for the pur- is the ideal climate for making astronom- | pose are not yet in hand. It is hoped that jcal observations, as has been fully |there will be no difficulty in providing shown by the experience of the past seven | them. When this three-foot reflector is years. | mounted at Mount Hamilton as a com- The refractor is eminenily suitable for | panion to the three-foot Lick refractor, tie certain kinds of work. There ure other | Lick Observatory will be by far the best kinds in which the reflector possesses dis- | equipped observatory in the world, and it tinct advantages. - As the Lick Observatory | is likely to remain go. will soon havea great telescope of guh kind established in a most favorable situa- tion, it will be admirably fitted in the fu- ture for every kind of astronomical w‘_)rk. 1t may be mentioned that the original Recent Important Observations. “Meteors and Sunsets observed at the | Lick Observatory in 1893, 1894 and 1895.” The foregoing is the title of an octavo | | book nearly ready to be distributed. It | |mers and of almost been awarded to Professor Swift for this discovery. . COMET C, 1895.—This comet was dis- covered by Mr. Perrine at the Lick Observa- tory at 5:30 in the morning of November tions by Professor Campbell at Mount Hamilton and by Professor Leuschner at Berkeley. The orbit is a parabola, so situ- ated that the comet will never become a very bright object, though it was visible to the naked eye at the end of November. Mr. Colton of the Lick Observatory has secured many photographs of the comet and Professor Campbell has observed its spectrum, which is of the usual type. The comet medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific will be awarded to Mr. Per- rine for this discovery. CATALOGUES OF STARS.—There are many observations and calculations which are of the first importance to astrono- no interest to people in general. Such, for example, are the thousands of observations of star- plan of the Lick Observatory contemplated the installation of a great reflector as well | as a great refractor. It was found by the Lick trustees that the funds left by Mr. Lick were not adequate to provide both these instruments, and the plan for making the reflector was reluctantly aban- doned. The splendid gift of Mr. Crossley came 10 complete the equipment of the ob- | the great meteor of July 27, 1894, by Ed- | Tucker, and ihe hundreds of thousands | ward S. Holden (this meteor was observed | of figures necessary to obtain the resulting | Observations made at Monte Diablo by | observations and from other series made contains a discussion of the orbir, ete., of | places with our meridian-circle by R. H. throughout California about 7:30 p. ».). | catalogues of stars from this series of Professor Schaeberle and at Mount Hamil- | by Professor Schaeberle in past years. time signal is sent at noon over the West- ern Union lines, and many pieces of work are in hand not spoken of in the foregoing. It will be evident, I think, even from the preceding account, that the force of the observatory is fully occupied. It may be mentioned that more than 40,000 persons have visited Mount Hamilton since the observatory was opened. Electricity and Health. Electricity, especially in the way of light- ing, has made generous sanitary contri- butions which deserve appreciation. Dr Saunders, the medical officer of the Lon. don Board of Health, says the electric light in general use has accomplished a great deal in making the employes of com- mercial and manufacturing establishments healthier. Faces that were pale and wan from work in gas-lighted basements, stores and shops are much improved since the introduction of electricity. The heatfrom the gasjets and poor ventilation are re- sponsible for much sickness. It is also shown thatin the same city the electric light has lessened crime. Darkness breeds wickedness, light dispels it. —————— Though the Sdeaker of the House objects to ton (Messrs. Colton and Perrine) of the | Two of these catalogues of stars will soon | chairs on the floor he has no particular dislike August meteors of 1894, photographs of | be issued by the observatory. for reeds. What Congress Has Done and Will Do and Should Do to Pre- serve the Rivers of This State—Their Importance to the General Growth and Development. Estimates for Future Work. ‘Written for THE CALL by SENATOR GEORGE C. PERKINS, ‘While I could wish that THE CALL'S Te- quest for an essay upon the needs of the navigable rivers of California had been preferred to others who are better equipped for the work than myself, I have no dispo- sition to shirk the task, and though I lack technical information as to the details of the work that has been done, that still needs to be done and that is now going on, I am at least deeply interested in the sub- ject and have given it such study as cir- cumstances and the pressure of other pub- lic duties have permitted. The importance of navigable rivers and streams to the people of this State cannot be overestimated. A scow schooner on a navigable waterway is a more effective regulator of transportation rates than a railroad commission. I think the Califor- nia delegation at the National Congress fully realizes this fact and that its mem- bers can be relied upon to work together harmoniously and zealously to the end that our waterways in all parts of the State may be improved and opened to com- merce as far asartificial means will permit. Already a great deal has been done by the Federal Government in this respect. The entire work is under the general super- vision of Brigadier-General William P. i UNITED STATES SENATOR GEORGE C. River to be $107,750, this to be expended for the following 1tems: Dredging to maintain nine feet depth to Stockton... Increasing cut-off at Head Reach in width, depth, or both. 27,750 Removing _obstruction: bridge above Stockton Sloug 5,000 Increasing cut-off at Tiwent Slough In width, depth, or both. 20,000 Snagging, wingdams, et¢ 10,000 creens 0ee..8107,750 I regard the further improvement of the San Joaquin River as of vital importauce to the interests of the entire State, and more particularly so from the fact that it forms a water route to the bay from the head ! of the vast San Joaquin Valley. Stockton will soon have increased railroad facilities which will heap upon her all the riches of a valley whose wealth is still incalcnable. A cheap and safe outlet to tidewater is an imperative necessity. The San Joaquin River should be straightened out and its general depth increased so that vessels of larger draught may be employed in bringing down the immense amount of freight that will be concentrated at Stockton by thecompeting lines of railroad. I do not think any member of the present Congressional dele- gation is blinded to the importance of this PERKINS. |Sketched from life by a *“‘Call” artist.] Craighill, the present chief of engineers, whose headquarters are in the Army De- partment at Washington. Ranking next to him in command ofall Federal engineer- ing on the coast is, or was until his retire- ment a few weeks ago, Colonel George H. Mendell, whose long years of public ser- vice have been of such lasting value to the coast and the Nation as to give his name a permanent place in the history of local and National progress. Hehas had able and efficient officers in this State—Colonel William H. H. Benyaurd, stationed at Los Angeles, and Major W. H. Heuer, sta- tioned at San Francisco, under whose im- mediate direction the work of improving and maintaining the navigable rivers of California is progressing with technical skill and discretion and in such a manner, 1 believe from what inspections I have been able to make, that the improyements made are of a lasting and permanent kind. Some idea of the extent of the work already performed on the waterways of the State under the direction of Major Heuer I borrow for THE CALL readers from the latest published report of the chief of engineers—that of 1894, Considering, as of chief importance, the San Joaquin River, we find that the project for im- provement which was adopted in 1877 and slightly modified Iater bad for its object to secure and maintain by dredging a channel 9 feet deep at low water and 100 feet wide through the tidal portions of the river ana Stockton Slough to Stockton, and a channel 4 feet deep at low water and 100 feet wide to Millers warehouse in Mormon Slough; to secure the temporary improvement of the low-water channel by dredging, scraping and small wingdams, and to secure the closure, or partial closure, of Paradise Cut and Laird Slough. The amount expended to June 30, 1893, was $280,750, with the result of providing a low-water channel of 9 feet to Stockton and of improving the upper river by the partial closure of Paradise Cut and Laird Slough. Steamboating to Stockton was thus rendered comparatively easy and safe all the year round, but the annual period of navigation on the upper river was not materially lengthened. Since then a great deal more work has been done on the S8an Joaquin. The sand bar at Wakefield Landing and the hard- pan bar at Raggi Landing have both been removed to the depth of nine feet. Several cuts have also been made in Stockton Slough, and other necessary work in the same line is still in progress. I find that Major Heuer has estimated the amount that can be profitably expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, in main- taining and improving the San Joaquin great work, and I believe that every possi- ble effort will be exhausted to induce the Engineering Department to make the proper surveys at once, so that next year an appropriation may be secured from Congress and the work pushed to speedy completion. What I speak of now, of course, are improvements beyond those slready outlined by Major Heuer in his last published report, but many of which, I believe, are included in his report for the year, ending June 30, 1895, which has not yet been circulated, and from which I am therefore unable at this time to quote par- ticularaata that would be most interesting to your readers. As to the great waterway which drains the wonderfully fertile Sacramento Valley, it would seem to be a work of supereroga- tion on my part, or upon the part of any layman, to seek to add to what hasal- ready been said about the general improve- ment of the Sacramento River by State Engineer Williem Ham Hall, Marsden Manson and others. This plan for straightening out the river, increasing its depth and buildingthe necessary levees that would prevent these frequent overflows is, I am convinced, an admirable one. Navigation on the Sacra- mento River is now open as far as Red Blvff, and Major Heuer has a sufficient fund on hand, left over from the Sacra- mento River appropriation, to clear out the snags and maintain good navigation for the ensuing-fiscal year. This sum amounts to $146,000, and Major Heuer has recommended to the department that $55,000 is the amount which can be profit- ably expended during the present fiscal year. This sum, of course, is not inclu- sive of the cost of the projected improve- ments, and is only for maintaining the degree of navigation already secured. Marysville is reached by one of the trib- utaries of the Sacramento. This is the Feather River, which enters the main stream about sixteen miles above the city of Sacramento. Itis a navigable stream for about thirty miles above its mouth to its junction with the Yuba River at the city of Marysville. Further up the stream, between Yuba City and Oroville, naviga- tion is and has been possible for some months of the year, and buta small ex penditure would serve to make navigation possible for the entire year. Iam, per- haps, peculiarly qualified to testify regard- ing the Feather River above Marysville, for as early as 1862 the somewhat exciting experience of navigating the stream alone and in a skiff from a point about twenty- six miles above Yuba City down to Marys- ville was granted to me, whether as a special dispensation or as a just punish- ment I have never yet heen able to deter- Y mine. However, I arrived safely at Marysville and there chartered a steamer, loaded her with provisions and navigated If this could have in 1862 it ought to be now a feasible plan for every week in the year. It is the intention of Congressman John- son this winter, I believe, to ask Congress for an appropriation sufficient to have the surveys made between Yuba City and Oroville for the needed improvements. Without doubt he will have the assistance and encouragement of the entire Califor- nia delegation in his efforts. Only a small amount is needed to complete the entire work and this sum should be and will be, Iam convinced, appropriated in the near future. In 1874 a project was adopted, having for its object the temporary improvement of the low-water channels of the Sacramento and Feather rivers by removing snags, scraping bars and building wingdams. Work bas been continuous on this project ever since, whenever funds permitted, In 1892 the project was modified and in- creased to include the closure of Jacob Slough, the construction of wingdams on the Feather River and the treatment of the Yuba River near and above Marys- ville. The amount expended to June 30, 1893, was $504,537 48, with the result of securing on the Sacramento River a good navigable .channel from Tehama to Butte City for boats drawing 2}4 feet, from that point to Sccramento 4 feet of water, and below Sacramento a low-water channel with a least depth of 8 feet, except at one point. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, Jacob Slough was closed by a levee 2690 feet long, built around the crevasse at a cost of $10,73299; a new mouth was made for the Yuba River by means of a cut 2500 feet in length at a cost of $45,294 75; surveys were made on the Yuba and Sacramento rivers, and the United States snagboat built 270 linear feet of wingdams and removed 939 snags and four trees from the Upper Sacramento and twenty-two snags from the lower river at a total cost of $12,896 21. The amounts expended on the Sacra- mento and Feather rivers ending with the fiscal year of 1894 aggregate a total of nearly $580,000. The cut made to provide 8 new mouth for the Yuba River has proven entirely successful, not only in making a more harmonious confluence of the Feather and Yuba rivers, but also as a relief in carrying off the flood-waters of the latter stream. Unquestionably the future improvement and development of these important waterways is closely allied to the development and progress not only of the Sacramento Valley, but of the entire State. There are four more very important navigable streams in Central and Northern California. These are the Mokelumne River, the Petaluma River, the Napa River and the Alviso River. The last three named are in reality estuaries which ex- tend from the bay to the cities which have given them their names. The Mokelumne River is a tributary of the San Joaquin, which it enters about twenty miles above the mouth of the lat- ter. In the lower part of its course it is subject to tidal influence and is always navigable to New Hope Landing. Al- though in seasons of high water boats go a few miles farther up stream, New Hope Landing is practically the head of naviga- tion. At this point the channel separates into the north and south forks, which unite again about four miles before reach- ing the San Joaquin. The length of the north fork is nine miles and of the south fork fourteen miles. A project for the improvement of this river was made in 1884, having for its ob- ject the removal of the trees and snags obstructing navigation. Both forks of the river were cleaned out in 1834, 1885, 1888, 1887 and 1888, rendering steamboating to the head of navigation easy and safe. This compléted the project as outlined, and since then no work of improvement has been done on the river, The amount expended on this river up to June 30,1893, was $12,480 70. Results previously obtained were not permanent. Bince 1888 snags have re-formed, trees re- grown and the channel again requires cleaning. Another obstruction isa point of land jutting out into the ¢hannel near New Hope Landing. This landing, at the junction of the two forks, is the most im- portant one on the river. The south fork, which is bridged at this point, is hardly navigable for one and a half miles below. The Petaluma River extends from San Pablo Bay to the city of Petaluma, a dis- tance of about sixteen miles, and is the outlet for a large amount of freight from a very rich agricultural and fruit district. There are also several manufacturing in- dustries largely aided by this waterway. The commerce is considerable, important, and constantly increasing, as Major Hener very truthfully states in hisreport. Yet the total amount thav had been expended on Petaluma Riveg by the Federal Govern- ment to the end of the fiscal year 1894 was only $45,858. The official estimate of the amount that conld be profitably expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, is $55,543, but this does not include the esti- mated cost of completing the projected im- provements. Neither the Napa estuary nor that ex- tending from the lower part of the bay to Alviso are mentiéned in the reports of the Federal engineers, yet both of these water- courses are of incalcuable value to their respective portions of the State as everlast- ing and sure regulators of freight rates. Napa River taps one of the richest wins and fruit valleys in this part of the State, while Alviso River gives the wealth of Santa Clara Valley a cheap outlet to the metropolis. Both of these streams need straightening out and some dredging and other improvements in places, though both are now navigable at all times of the year. The needs of both, however, are better known to their respective inhabitants and to those citizens directly interested in their maintenance. And this is true as well of all the streams and rivers of the State. I desire to lay special stress upon this fact and to urge upon the citizens of the various localities the great need there is for them, firs, to thoroughly inform them- selves upon their own needs and then to so formuiate and express them, through formal or temporary organizations, by reso- lutions or instructions, that their repre- sentatives in Congress may have definite guidance in their efforts to secure the needed appropriations. Iam aware that the foregoing is by no means an exhaustive treatise upon the subject to which you have requested me to address myself, but it will be found, I trust, comprehensive in scope and serve to emphasize, perbaps, the vast importance to the development of California of the maintenance and improvement of her navigable waterways. A Frenchman declares he has discovered a process by which wood can be made palatable. He ought to tackle some kinds of board.e=New ‘York Press.