New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-29
slider that they living at day whom nuggets arc
not found kicking about tho ground.
HYDRAULIC MINING.

HYDRAULIC MlNINus
came here to see hydraulic mining on the sug'
geston of who ] supposed knew the whole
subject The mines at this place not to be CON-
pared with those in other portions of the State no
ticeaby those an the Blue Lead embraced in tho
towns of Little York, You Bet, Red Dog and Dutch
Flat. The company whose headquarters are ut this
place is one of the biggest monOpoles in the state
and indeed on the Pacific coast. Its title Is the FL
Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining Company,
and its capital is only 100000. 1t was organized
in 1872 and is close corporation, although JOINT
stock company Its object is twofold-mining and
water dealing. The mining is perfectly legitimate
and proper. but the seizure of all the water IN
all extent Of country embracing several hundreu
miles is IN OUTRAGE although it may have legal
backing) from which even the greed of the money.
geter ought TO shrink.
The mines of the Company immense in them
selves. They embrace II ridge OF Is miles III
loncth, half a mile in width. and from 20 to
100 feet in depth, composed OF go!d-producing
gravel reaching from Paccrvile to the PACING
Honse on the old Overland road. Prof Price, a
gentlemen whose opinions on any subject are emil
tied to considerate attention and respect, THINKS
that the present ridge is the he'd of an ancient river
turned ont OF It's by the lava dow from the vol
canoes OF the SieITas The parallel gorges being the
bodies beds the present streams. were he thinks,
Quilted by glacial action. That the ridge Is the bed
of an ancient stream there can be no doubt, the
gravel The shape of the stones. and every other IN
dication is beyond question. Besides it is regular
grade from one end TO the other Their are Others
who think-and Prof. Price is in doubt between his
own theory and this-that the deep gorges either
side of the gravel ridge have been cut down to their
present depth by the erosion of the rocks. How
ever, the gravel ridge is there, and that 1t con-
taDs gold have abundant proof. The gravel de-
post is capped by the lava flow to the depth Oh from
a few feet to several hundred feot.
In hydraulic mining three conditions are necessary
70 success The frs: and most important is he'd of
gravel containing sufficient gold TO secure prott;
second good outct In front of the bank, with not
less than half an inch fall to every foot, for two
miles at least and dump forty or fifty feet high to
receive the G.hrIs or what is jus as good, swift
flowing stream to carry the debiis away; and third,
an abundant, and if possible, perennial supply OF
water.
The principal hydraulic mines Of the State are BIT
mated in Cstral California and extend from STAINS
laus Count the south 10 Sierra Counyin the north
Ccnsi lerahle gravel has also been found III Piuias
County. NJ continuous bed OF gravel exists as
am informed except those lines. Some OF these
mines have head of water OF 500 feet. The
mine in question. the Excelsior, has from $50 10
900 A good head of water is very essential in ny
dranlc mining Il il does not exist powder must be
used in blasts to break the boc6s OF earth.
VISIT TO TIE MINES
After reaching placervillo ] went directly TO the
hydraulic mines Pacervlle is not easy place to
reach from san Francisco went first by steamer
10 Vallejo thence TO Sacramento by the California
Pacific thence to Folsom on the Sacramento Valley
Railroad and thence to Single Springs on the
Sacramento Valley and Placeryilie Railroad. From
Single Springs to Paceryllc-twelye miles OF the
dustics. road on the Western liemispherc-l had
private conYeyance Near the gravel bank was a
vineyard and the vineyard WA charming httie
house. shut out from the mini2a world by frUt-trees
bearing plentifuIly. Close TO the house was Walk
lined on either side with fg-trees black with the
luscious fruit the branches meeting over walk and
forming y pretty arch. ] learned with sorrow that
the house, tho vineyard, ard the glorious orchard
must soon give way to the gOii-secier who las no
taste for the beautiful and no appreciation for the
picturesque. Climbing over coDJle-stones that lave
been washed from the gravel. jumping over sulles
dug with wafer, climbing grayelly hiilocks, and
slipping and stumbling over the round stones which
hunrrcds of years had washed into shape, round
NY way TO the Excelsior. / must admit that my
companions, lighter OF weight, were ahead or ne
Hero was business. The gravel bank, more than
hundred feet ich, with a perpendicular face, stood
ont boldly but only for q moment. 1t melted away
Against It was hurled q stream OF water, with head
Of 40 feet through nozzle six inches i'll diameter
having force sufficient 10 blow the roof from The
new Post Office building in Now-York City, and dis
place every granite block in it, had never seen
such power before. The stream from the nozzle TO
the bank was between f0ur and six hundred feet and
80 perfect was the arrangement that enid coild
inv, tbc immense nozzle and direct the stream. Two
of these streams were playing, through six
inch and one through an eight-iiich nozzle. thun-
der storm, a steam engine running away, n whirl-
wind were nothing 20 H. The water let the nozzle
like solid shot from cannon. II relnalned IN
brokeuand without spray, like an icicle, for more
than q hundred feet and then pursued its course like
giant. | struck the band oil water IS it left
the nozzle with q crowbar and it rung as
though two pieces of steel had come together viO
lently. dropped stone on the surface OF the
water as II left the pipe and although it must have
WEIGHED three or four pounds, il carried along
with the rush of water until it was thrown against
the bank. You could not strike through tie water
with cane, and Only bar OF iron could penetrate
it, TO ten how the gravel bank was washed away
by these streams would be impossible. Great bowl
ders AS large as fiour barrel were dislodgeh
and sent bowling down the canon. Tons OF gravel
were Embossed at time and went tunbling and
laundering over the banks The pipes or nozzles
with the arrangement arc calleu gilntS-th Dig anu
the little giants.
METHOD OF MINING
One of the streams battcrs down the bank and tho
other WASHES and cleans tho earth away and sends it
into the suces After the earh--or what is known
as the gravel banks washed down by one stream
the other takes it and washes it into thin mud.
which floats down in n sort Of canal or sluce The
nuggets are dropped very soon and are collected in
little ditch near the head of the sluice, the muddy