Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-03
DEBRIS.
r4rRrsEsrH DAY OF THE sL1cKgNs
CASE IN COURT.
Further Interesting Engineering Testi-
Description Of the Mines
of the Dsfend&nt-Etc.

The slicgens case-The People vs. Gold
Run Ditch and Mining CompaIy-was re-
sumed yesterday at $50 a. NJ, ia Department
Two of the Superior Court. Hon. jackson
Temple presiding.
C. Z. Grunsky, civil engineer, resumed.
Direct examination ito Mr.. Hart)-I made
soundings during the month of April, 1880.
in the Sacramento river, between Mike
Rryte's plaza and the mouth of the American.
The general depth of the river, as indicated
by the soundings taken ct that time, ranged
from nothing on the sides to 38 feet.
BELOW THE MOUTH OF THE AMERICAN
The water was deeper OF the right than at
the left bank. Below the bridge the greatest
depth was near the left bank. From my
soundings at that time believe the bed Of
the river, on an average, was fifteen feet
higher than it was in 1S49. 1 made my cal
culations from soundings made in former years
by MIR. Watson.
Cross examination TO w. G. Belcherl-I
am twenty-six years of age. My education
was had in part at Stockton and part at Stutt-
CART, Germany. 1 was FIVE years in school
at the latter place. returned to California
in 1877, and went TO work practically in the
city of Stockton. took soundings across the
Sacramento river in three or four places be-
low the bridge at Sacramento. The first
section taken was at a point about 800 feet
below the bridge. This work was done from
steam launch belonging to the State Engi-
neeriug Department. have all the data for
those soundings / don't know whether all
those soundings were plated. My object
was to compare with former soundings made
at different times by employees of the State
Engineering Department to ascertain the
amount of the channels filling. went to
Gold Run on the Sd of November, 1881, aad
returned to Sacramento on the 10th. went
to Auburn on the 18th of the same month,
and returned to this city on the 14th. In
January, 1879, made an examination of
SEVERAL MILES OF THE AMERICAN,
With a surveying party, in the capacity of
topographer. The point from which judged
the grade of Canyon creek was from 80 to 100
feet above the bed of the canyon. I should
observation, to be equivalent to 1000 feet
to the mile. made no memorandum figures
at that time, bat have general recollection
of the inclination of the bed of the rayine.
The point from which [ observed was
southeast of the claim, on trail near the
rim. I think that the velocities thst gave
yesterday were very nearly right. The evil
deuce gave yesterday was from data that |
could see. l came down from Gold Run to
Auburn in two days. 1 was travelling with
Gen. Cosby. Mr.. AIlardt and Mr.. Huntley,
Oh horseback, and staid over night at Colfax.
Gen. Cosby was with me on the second day.
l judged of the distance, by the time it took
to go from point to point; also from Mr..
Doolittles map of California. This map is
very accurate and more correct than most
maps made.
THE GOVERNMENT SURVEYS
Lay out all the section lines and approximate
very closely the courses of all streams. Tn :
maps from the Surveyor-Generaps Office are
presumed to be correct in all their section
lines and stream crossings. The township
lines are six milesapart. The townships are Sec
tionized and section lines are one mile apart.
An engineer could scarcely make mistake
in locating such river as the North Fork
correctly. The general character of the river
bottom at Canyon creek is cobble, gravel and
sand. At the point it is 100 feet wide. The
material below this point changes and is
of finer nature. I designated place
on the North Fork as Kelly's Orchard,
from the fact that man named Kelly owned
the orchard. The material mentioned as de-
posted high above the water surface at this
point is white sand. From its position
should Judge it was left there by the last high
water There was nothing there TO show me
thst there was high water there last winter.
have seen
wATRR-woRN ROCKS
High above where the floods rise. They were
not clean, and show that they had not been
washed for long period. Saw water worn
rocks in the Gold Run mine. Where found
this sand near the orchard was behind a
bowlder on It's banke. TIE water-worn rocks
at the time of my examination were not
discolored. The rocks above where the watsr
would rise in high stages were discolored and
much darker than these washed by water.
Slate thst is washed frequently becomes
smooth, and has general darker color than
that exposed to the elements. From Rattle
snake Bar 5own the bedrock is granite.
The bed rock Of North Fork is slats and
granite. Granite, at point about three
miles below Canyon creek, is the bedrock.
This bedrock was plain to be seen for a dis
lance Of fifty feet along the right bank Of the
stream. One of the subjects of my study
was minerology. I consider that my knowl
edge of rocksTis very good. Slate is, | tn nix,
an igneous io,k-quartz is an ingredient of
other rocks. and is not sedimentary. G' ant
is an igneous rock Slate and granite some
times, in appearance, are very much alike,
and are not distinguishaois except By close
INSPECTION. Ia the mine | found rocks that
had the character OF soapstone. The
powders in the deepest pit were in size
from the finest sand to rocks having foot or
more in di smeter. Saw also a petrihed tree
in the mine. The rocks formed, with the
binding material, o solid mass. Mine was a
cursory examination of the material as l 50 "
it in that pit. II WAS my first visit TO by
draulic mine. Thereafter | saw other claims
along the river as L examined the river. My
entire trip was not made III the saddle. From
Rice's bridge I made two and half miles on
foot. Above Shirt-tail canyon l made p TT
of TIE trip on foot. From North Fork dam
TO Folsom on my second trip, | went on
foot In determining the character of the
rock at the mine, 1t was on my knowledge
gained in school. [ have had very little
practical eXDSr1eECo uldhlUS SA
aminstions. My eye has been accustomed
to measurements by practice on the rivers
and in the valleys.
IN ONE CASE
l tested my eye-messurement on the Amer
lean river by tape-line measurement OF part
of the width of the stream. 1t is not guess
work; it is better than that. [ approximatsd
to distances by my Travelled time. and subse-
oaently by reference TO the Doolittle map in
the Office. At the time of travelling there
estimated the width of the river, its depth.
etc. BY my eye, my observation and judg-
meat Ny distance Of travel l estimated
subsequently, in the office by che time taken
to travel and by the map. Nature has
all along left evidences of what the river
was without filling, and given the OBJ
server evidences constantly for judging OF
the deposits and character of the river. An
engineer must bass his estimates on tha best
inform alton be can obtain. l estimated the
width of the river only by my eye. My
eye is only prscticed eye. l did not
measure the attitudes of the banks of the
river, nor did get the depth by digging. 1
took
THE BEST EVIDENCE
At nv disposal. 1 could have measured the
river with q tape line; il is a good instru-
rnent for such measurements. Where I used
tape line in measuring the width, to check
my estimate, and having measured to the
ws.,s Is edge, deemed it wholly unneces-
z.,-- - y,,,l tha line IN FL small ramain;n o