Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-05
DEBRIS.
FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE sLICKENs
CASE IN COURT.
Graphic Description Of the Hydraulic
Mines and the River from Gold
Run to Sacramento.

Mining Company-was resumed at $50 A. N.
in Department Two of the Superior Court,
Judge jackson Temple presiding.
At the opening of the Court Judge Temple
made an order directing that "a deposit of
$500 each LIE made by the plaintiffs and de-
PENDANTS for the TRANSFERRING of the reporters
notes.
The direct examination of Engineer G. T.
Allardt was resumed 10y Mr.. Cadwalader)-
This sample, marked Robinson No. l, is what
is called red dirt, and ia similar to the top
soil at the Coli Run mine. In large masses
it shows more of a reddish color. The depth
of this red soil at the mine varies ell the way
from four to ten feet, and when wet has
darker color. Here the witness moistened
sample No. with water to show the Court
the difference in color between the dry and
wet soil. This class Of earth is the soil in
which the pine and other trees in that Sec
ton grow. This sample, marked Robinson
No. 2, is of the same character as that
of the general bank of the Gold Run mine.
1t contains some clay, and when moistened
it becomes sticky and of a putty nature.
This sample, marked Robinson No. 3, is pipe
clay, contains but little sand, and when
mined it makes the material termed slickens.
1t contains considerable coloring material. /
saw some quite heavy layers of this character
of clay in the Gold Run mine. Here the
witness measured the amount of sediment
that had settled in the glass tube from the
muddy water taken from the Gold Run mine
on the 18th of June, and placed in the tube
yesterday, and found that the sediment was
equal to Is per cent. Witness also explained
various methods Of ascertaining the amount
of material contained in muddy water When
was at the Gold Ruiz mine l heard
BLAST EXPLOSIONS.
This diagram is a cross section of the Gold
Run mine, and shows the lowest pit and the
lower level of the old workings. They are
washing the mine below the original work
ings. If they continue this mining the high
banks must necessarily cave in, bringing down
portions of the hill that will have to be
swept out of the mine through the tunnel,
and into the river. T saw no refuse matter
of any moment in the mine. All of the
lower workings have passed through
the tunnel That mine during the course
of the year, if worked in the manner in
which thu work was being prosecuted when |
was there, would deposit into the canyon
4,744, 900 cubic yards. The statement of the
mine,owners would be much less-only l, S1S,-
900 cubic yards. The discharge in gallons
per diem Of 1000 inches Of water is about
16, 900, 900 gallons. The velocity of the tall
ines passing through the tunnel is about
eight miles per hour. The water was so thick
YOU could not see, but you could hear the
stones passing through the tunnel. I saw
cobbles at the dump which had come through
the tunnel. The material that the water held
in SUSPENSION in the river below the mouth of
the canyon travelled as fast as the current.
The velocity CT the river was about three
miles per hour from the mouth of Canyon
creek to the junction with the Middle Fork.
Below that point for twenty miles the aver
age velocity is about two miles rer hour.
From the junction Of the South Fork TO the
mouth of the American it has an average ve-
locity of one mile per hour Water from
Canyon creek having material il suspension
will be something over
FORTY EIGHT HOURS
La reaching the Sacramento river. l was st
the mouth Of the American river June 10,
1881. The sample Of water from the Cold
Ran mines was taken out of their sluices
June Is. 1881. The water at the mouth OF
the American river was very muddy at that
time. It had yellowish, dirty color. Il
went up the American river on the 18th of
June, 1881, short distance. The next day
I visited the American river at the railroad
bridge. I could perceive no difference be-
tween the water at that point and that at it's
mouth A cubic foot of stone weighs 6233
pounds less in water than out. q current or
one mile an hour will move sand, and that OF
two miles an hour will move coarse sand. Ii
current of one mile an hour will move
stone of certain weight, a current of three
miles an hour will move stone weighing
of one. A current that will move a cubic
inch of stone, when doubled, will move sixty
four cubic inches. A current ten times the
velocity will move one million times the
weight. a current Of two miles an hour will
move small pebbies-roli them along on the
bottom. A pebble an inch in diameter will
weigh about an ounce Tbs Transporting
power of current of ten mils9 an hour has ft-
teen thousand times the transporting power
of current OF two miles an hour. When tie
velocity Of current carrying sediment is
checked it parts with some of the matter it
holds in suspension. When the current is
accelerated it will
PICK UP AND CARRY FORWARD
The matter thus deposited. Material de-
posted in river channels becomes
stratifad-the heaviest material at the
bottom and the hghtest on the top. Ali
sedimentary deposits. are stratiied.
The lighter material from the Gold hun
ko1J ~ e,,snapoa tbioIy ooa= evan in
low stages of water, into the Sacramento
river. The sand and cosreer material is
brought down by the freshets and high
waters. The water even now, when no min
ing is going on, is somewhat turbid. After a
good freshet that would carry ont the light
material, the river would have a graveiiy
bed and the water would run to this city
clear. A current of eight miles an hour
world move all the material deposited in it
by Canyon creek. The bottoms of the
n,iniog fumes are paved either with blocks,
cobble, or iron rail, making them as rough
IS possible, for the purpose of catching
when l saw it, offered no obstruction
to the flow Of the river. Two hundred thou
sand yards Of debris would fill their dam.
There is no debris in that dam at the present
time. This dam is the only obstacle in the
channel from Gold Run to the Sacramento
river, and in its present condition it is not an
obstacle. At the present time the low stage
and slight current in the American river, be-
between Fols ON and Sacramento city, 90
not think moves the sand. High water, how
ever, would bring it down in immense quapti-
ties. [ measured the velocity of the current
one half of the way between Canyon creek and
the Middle Fork, at low stage of water. and
found it to be three miles 81 hour, and the
depth on an average enc foot. TIE higb-wa-
ter marks that were visible along the river in
many places were from
TWENTY TO TWENTY-FIVE FEET
Above the surface CT the water. When the
river at those places would be 20 feet deep
tn. velocity would be- 13a miles an hour. The
current of the river at those points when 40
feet deep would be increased to IS 2-10 miles
per hour inspected the river all the way
between the Middle and South Forks.
made a calculation of the debris between
those points. Those points by the river are
20 miles distant. I calculated that this por-
ton of the river contained one half as much
debris as the Is miles above in the North
Fork. From the junction of the Middle
Fork to Lacey Bar there was very slight
deposit in the river. This was a sandy,
gravelly deposit. At Rattlesnake, Doten's
and Horseshoe Bars I found deposits. The
Rattlesnake Bar bridge between towers is $50
feet. The river at this point is about 150 feet
wide. Between the junction Of the South
Fork and the Folsom bridge the channel
Is comparatively clean. In this part of
the river are small cascades and rapids.
The distance from Folsom to Sacramento Is
about thirty miller. Ii the deposit in this
frar, IA ~ =