The hydraulic press., 1860-08-25
Information Wanted.

Information Wanted.
EDITORS HYDRAULIC Press : write %
you for Information in regard to blasting
dirt. | have bought claim that has bank
from twenty to sixty feet high. The cement
on the bottom is about four feet thick, very
hard, and the rest of the bank joint clay.
Heretofore the miners have dritted in the
cement, leaving pillars OF dirt and when
water came in the winter they would cut
| the pillars off with hydraulic. which is
here very slow and expensive style of min
ing. Would you be so kind as to inform me
liz blasting ground is practical, and what
distance to run III the drift, in proportion to
the hight of the bank? Should the drift be
run on the bedrock? In what shape should
it be run? How much power is required, or
is it regulated by the hight of the bank
How far is it necessary to tamp the dirt hack
in the drift, and what kind Of fuse is the best
or any information in regard to bank blast
ing would be thankfully received If you
are not posted please ask Mr.. Reedshaw, or
some one that has worked in this manner
Yours, respectfully, R. j. HOLMES.
Bss~ In reply to Mr.. Holmes, touching his
inquiry as to whether sblastng ground is
practical 2" we quote below from an article
published in this paper of April 30, 1859.
The balance of his inquiries, We hope may
be answered by some one familiar with the
subjects to which they relate. The arti lie
alluded to, says:
"On Friday morning last Moore & Readshaw
exploded novel bank-blast in their claims. They
first sunk shaft 80 feet deep, 60 feet back from
the face of the bank; from the bottom of that,
ran small drift for some II feet ; and at right
angle from this drift, another only or 10 feet
long, placing at the terminus of the latter, 800
lbs. of powder. After laying safety fuse, which
was drawn through the shaft to the urf,ce, so as
to be waterproof, the drifts were filled with dirt,
tightly packed; and the shaft was fl led with
water-which of course is more dense and pom
derous than earth would be. The fuse wa then
fired When the charge was reached and ex-
pl0ded, it made noise like the heavy roar of
artillery, and shook the hill from end to end, a
distance of at least half mile, jarring sensibly
all the houses in town. The water in the shaft,
accompanied by earth and stones, was thrown
into the air in straight column, 200 feet high,
emptying the shaft completely. The earth around
the mouth of the shaft, cracked just as rock does
about drill hole; and the entire bank, which is
very hard, was cracked through and through so
that it will yield quite readily to the application
of water. This considered the best mode of bank
blasting yet hit upon. When drifts are run from
the face of the bank, they cannot be tamped
tight enough, and great deal of the expansive
force of the explosion is lost through them."
-
ADJOURNED ROAD MEErING.-The citizens
of Columbia Hill held an adjourned meeting
on Saturday evening last at the hotel of L.
previously appointed to survey route and
provide means for the construction of a road
from Columbia Hill to the Junction House.
via Rouse's Ranch. The committee, consist
ing of Messrs. L. D. Rathbun, N. C. Gilbert
and j. w. Foster, reported the route on the
west side of Wands Hill to be the most
feasible, and recommended it to be adopted.
On motion. Mr.. j. X. Rouse was added to
the committee, which was fully empowered
to take such steps, and adopt such measures
as may be best calculated to promote the
| object In view, and also TO call future meet
ings. Col. A. s. Nugent was also added to
the committee, after which, on motion, the
meeting adjourned.
J. W. MITCHELL, Pres't.
| JAMES NurTAIL, Sec'y.
|. HERR BLITz. the Wizard, selected from his
audience a bright-eyed little fellow, to assist
him in his experiments.
do you think" said Blitz to the boy, II
could put The sovereign which that lady
holds in her hand, into your coat pocket
mo; you could not, said the boy, with
a confident air.
a.You think not?''
Il know not, persisted the little fellow,
with great hrmness.
"And why not?" said Blitz.
.Because," replied the boy, s'the pocket il
torn outl" s,