Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-14
DEBRIS.
TWENTY SECOND DAY OF TEE sEICKENs
CASE IN COURT.
The Testimony of Hamilton Smith, Presi.
dent of the Miners Association
The Ancient Gravel Beds.

The slickers case-The people of the State
of California VS.. The Gold Run Ditch and
Mining Company-was resumed yesterday at
$50 A. NJ Hon. jackson Temple presiding.
Mr.. Uren resumed the witness stand.
Cross-examination 10y Mr.. Cadwalader)-
There were three persons beside myself en-
gagged in the survey of the river. The ex-
IRENE depth of the second bend Of the Indiana
Hill pit is $50 feet. WITNESS described the
manner in which he made the surveys at Gold
Run The surface above the second bench
would average about 14O feet. 1 do not think
the defendants in this action worked the sur
face at Indiana Hill. The upper or first
washings were sluiced through deep cuts into
Canyon creek, thence their tailings went into
the American river. A considerable portion
of the blue cemented gravel lying on the bed
rock has been blasted and washed away. I
know that the blue cement gravel will wash
quite readily after being blasted. A great
many large chunks of cemented gravel are
washed through the tunnel in large masses.
The material from the tunnel passes through
the Inducements of Mr.. Kinder. There is
one drop in Canyon creek of nearly 100 feet
~ THE DROP INTO THE TUNNEL
And the grade in Canyon creek would net
dissolve cemented gravel like this sample
Gould No. 1. 1 saw gravel of this character
in certain portions of the river. The upper
portion of my survey of the river contained
great many cobbles. The cobbles when used
in making pavements are get on end. When
deposited in the river they lay fat. The
heaviest cobble are deposited near the mouth
of Canyon creek, and lighter material further
down. The banks of the Gold Run mine,
after having been exposed to the action Of the
air for season, change somewhat in color.
I did not examine the material in the bed of
the river to see whether it contained masses
of cement or not. The drop of eighty feet
from the bottom of the pit into the tunnel
breaks up large amount of the cemented
gravel. l think that there are large quanti-
ties of cement washed into the North Fork
from the Gold Run mines in an unpulver;zed
state. The cemented gravel for the first fifty
or sixty feet from the bedrock is very firm
and almost as heavy as stone. / think that
the proportion of rock in the pit of the Gold
Run mine is rs per cent. The red soil in the
Gold Run District varies from nothing to
twenty feet in depth. In some places the
bedrock crops out on the surface. The soil in
that neighborhood is well adapted to the
growing of fruit trees. The timber growing
there is spruce, oak and various kind of pine
The winter rains wash considerable mud from
the soil into the river. I do not know the
area of bedrock washed off in the
Nil III ,1oI-, - IL
mine that would weigh more than 1000
pounds. These large rocks are not always on
the bed rock. Have seen rocks half as large
as this Courtroom, one hundred feet above
the bed rock in mines at Dutch Flat. Here
witness explained the manner of blasting
powders with giant powder, and banks with
black 20 Hder. The total length Of excaya-
tions in the Gold Run district is about IL, 900
feet. have not seen the mouth of Canyon
creek for seven or eight years. I found chat
the filling at the mouth of Shirt-tail canyon
was from ten to fifteen feet deep. saw the
bottom of the Gold Run fiume some years
ago. At that time it was covered with
blocks. Have seen cobbles used instead Of
blocks.
RAILROAD IRON
Is used in some cases. They are to keep the
hume bottom from wearing ont. The inten-
ton of blocking is to make smooth surface
for the material to wash easily.
Redirect.examination ito J. K. Byrne)-
Railroad iron is placed lengthwiss of the
hume. The tailings at the mouth OF Shirt
tail canyon probably come down that canyon.
Mr.. Hart moved to strike this state.
ment out. Motion overruled. There are
no deposits Immediately below Rice's
bridge. The surface washings of the
hydraulic districts are practically abandoned.
None Of the material in the channel of the
defendants mine can be washed in any other
way except through their tunnel The sur
face of the river presents sandy appearance
where / made my survey. Here the witness
described an under current. Cement gravel,
like sample Gould No. l, would not disin.
tegrate with the action of water. l think
that specimen would remain ia the river for
years in its present condition.
HAMILTON SMITH,
Sworn. Direct examination Ito Mr.. Dibble)-
l am a civil and mining engineer. I have
practiced it in the Eastern States, on this coast,
in Mexico, and to some extent in South
America. belong to the Society of Mining
Engineers of America, and to the Society of
Civil Engineers of America. I have read
and studied hydraulic engineering ever since
l have been an engineer. 1 have been in &C.
twenty-four years. Since l have been in
California most of my civil engineering, and
good deal of my mining engineering, has
been in connection with water works and wa
ter, chiefly in constructing water-works for
the supply of mines Necessarily, in my ex-
perience and practice as an engineer in build
ing the water.works, have had good deal
of practical experience, and 1 have looked
into it very carefully. have looked into
the theoretical discussion of the flow of
water very carefully, and have made great
many experiments in this connection.
have had charge as engineer and manager
managing agent, especially-of the Bloom
field and Milton Companies, two of the largest
hydraulic gravel mines in California or in the
world. They were under my general super
intenderce, and under my direction nearly all
the engineering works belonging to these
companies have been constructed. | think
that under my direction they have expended
nearly three million dollars, chiefly in n.y.
draulic works. l have examined privately a
great many quartz and gravel mines in Cali
fornia, generally as an expert. People desir-
ing to purchase mines secure generally the
services of some expert, and obtain his opinion
before making the purchase. In that capacity
l have examined mines in nearly all the min
ing counties in the State, from FL Dorado to
Trinity. 1 am the President of the
MINERS ASSOCIATION OF cALIFoRN1A.
The membership of this organization is quite
large. There are, perhaps, one hundred COM
panies in the organization, and from my posi-
ton as President, which position L have oc
cupied from its organization. 1 have acquired
a very considerable knowledge, necessarily,
of the mines and properties of the members
of the organization. l have as President of
that organization directed maps and surveys
to be made of the Gold Run mine. I have
been familiar with that property mere or less
since 1870. The channel on which the Gold
Run mine is situated forms part Of a gen.
eral system of gravel channels in the State,
generally known as pleocine river channels.
Mr.. Hart objected to their introducing tes-
timony of this kind.
s. NJ. Wilson argued at considerable length
that it was entirely proper that the defense
be allowed to show that large rivers in the
past have been filed by thu action of natural
causes alone; that rivers are constantly filling
with large deposits without the aid OF man.
The testimony go far as it relates to the
mines in question was allowed to proceed.
Witness resumed-I have particularly
studied the characteristics and theories of
this system OF channels. l have pretty
thorough knowledge of these
ANCIENT GRAVEL CHANNELS,
Aud have studied their geological features
very carefully. l am not geologist, but
consider myself very well informed about
these particular ancient river beds. TINS is
a map Of the great valley Of California, of
the country from Tulare lake up to the Iron
Canyon, below Redding. This is a map