The Placer herald., 1858-11-27
On the use of Gunpowder in some California
Mining Operations.

A correspondent of the San Andreas In
dependent says:
propose to discuss the practical use Of
blasting powder, as one Of the labor-saving
modes Of mining in deep diggings. Powder
is used on all the heavy cutting on railroads
in the East, and proves great saving of la
Dor and expense. 1t is the great auxiliary
in war for blowing up places strengthened
by all that science and art can assist in
rengthening natural formations; and if it
were properly applied in mining operations,
it would work new era in gold mining
in many localities Caving, or breaking
down dirt, is more than two thirds of the
expense of working claims. am satisfied
from some experiments that have made on
small scale, that 600 pounds of powder,
properly placed and confined, will loosen
more dirt than the labor of six men, with
the tools now in use, will do in one month,
while the expense attending is greatly in ia
vor of the powder. The latter will cost, say
3lG5; the labor and tools Of six men will
cost at least $500, leaving 1885 in favor of
the powder, besides costing great deal less
for water to run the same amount of dirt off.
Miners owning deep claims in localities
where the water fails in the dry season, can
employ their time proftab|y in running
drifts, cutting chambers and preparing the
wires properly to loosen up their entre'cams,
or so much as can be worked while the wa
ter lasts In many localities, the benefits
derived from exposing the dirt to the wealth
er, will more than repay the expense attend
ing the production Of that result 1t has
been discovered in many instances, where
claims would not pay to suice, to pay good
wages when drfted out, and the dirt exposed
to the air before washing. Mining has be-
come permanent business, and as one Ct
the most aborous occupations, it has re-
ceived less attention in the way Of labor sa
wing improvements in this country than any
other pursuit Bone and muscle are the
great dependence as yet.
1t appears that this gunpowder blasting
process has been tried in the vicinity of
North San Juan, Nevada county, for some
months past. The value of this operation,
the Hydraulic Press Of that place remarks,
as an aid to the miner in procuring sup
ply of dirt for washing, has been fully pro-
ven. 1t adds
Instead of piping or picking at a hard
bank of earth for perhaps more than half
the time, he can now keep his boxes running
full Of dirt constantly, at great saving of
time, money and labor. The great desider-
a tum with miners has long been to obtain
an uninterrupted supply of dirt at as small
a cost for labor as possible. The application
of blasting appears so far to meet this want
1t is being extensively tested in these dig
gings, ard so far has not failed in a single
instance to realize the hopes of the expert
menters. Several companies have already
adopted it as regular and indispensable
part Of their mining operations, and in our
opinion its use is destined to be common
throughout the State. There are no argu-
ments needed to convince anybody Of the
fact that the explosion of confined powder
will displace masses of earth; we only want
to experiment and ascertain the best modes
of applying this fact to the purposes of the
gold miner. The press throughout the entire
mining region ought to call special attention
to the subject. 1t merely needs to be gener-
ally mentioned to be generally tested. The
universal introduction of blasting, as means
of procuring dirt, will work great gain,
not only to the miners themselves, but to
the State. 1t will make profitable large
quantity of ground which is not now work
ed, for the reason that its excessive hardness
prevents sufficient supply being obtained
by ordinary methods, except at greater
cost than the total yield
But the miners ought to use electricity
to fire their blasts, as we'll in rock tunnels as
in banks, instead of fuse. 1t would be
much cheaper in the long run, and would
prevent that dreadful loss of life and limb
which saddens the mining record of every
locality.
Skeletons of men ten feet hioh have been