Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-09
DEBRIS.
EIGHTEENTH DAY OF TIE sLIcKENs
CASE IN COURT.
Evidence Given by State Engineer Hall, W.
S. Meslcl, Captain Ferris, j. H.
Carroll and Others.

The slickens case-The People OF the State OF
California VS.. The Gold Run Ditch and Mixing Com
pany-was resumed yesterday at $50 A. NJ. in De-
partment Two of the Superior Court, Hon jackson
Temple presiding.
State Engineer Hall resumed the witness stand
Ito Mr. Hart) yesterday stated that did not con-
sider myself an experienced mining engineer
have, however, made special study of hydraulics,
and the duty of water on the material in mines
1 have had a dozen or more mining pits meas
ured in order to establish the facts in that direction
My estimates are all based upon the results OBJ
tanned by actual investigation. TIE duty OF water
is not the same on all the material contained In
the mines. My estimates consider an average of
the duty OF water on the material of the entire
pit A small proportion of cobble stone and gravel
renders the working of a mine easier than il all
he material were sand.
THE NATURAL wAsHINGs
l spoke Of all take place during the winter storms
They from the hillsides, agricultural lands,
travelled roads, old mining excavations where the
material is ioosened and exposed, and old mining
dumps. The old mining dumps and excavations, the
result OF old mining. increase to great extent these
containing sediment, obtained from filter;ng water
taken at various times from the American river
from different points between Folsom and its mouth
Some of these specimens were taken from the river
in December, 1878; others taken May 81, 1879.
Some were taken near the surface, others at mid
depth, and still others from near the bottom. The
samples from near the bottom taken with this
instrument, which is called the hydraphore. Here
witness exhibited the instrument and explained
how the same is usedl he samples from mid
depth, and all samples taken from beneath the sur
face, were taken with this instrument The samples
from the surface were dipped The name OF the
test used in obtaining the amount of material in
these cases would be called the ilterng process We
also have used tubular shaped, iat-botomed bottles
in many instances, in which the material IVES al.
lowed to settle. When the m .terial is composed
largely of sand it soon settles and forms
on the bottom very compactly. after the
water stands for week or SO the settlement
or deposit is generally completed We have some
samples in the Office that have been allowed 10
stand several months. Water settled in this man.
ner will, within week or ten days. show within 10
10 per cent. OF that obtained by the iterag pro-
cess. Sand when deposited by running water takes
more compact form than when settled in still
water. In the case of mud it is more COMPACT
when dry and lodged on bars than when occupying
position in water. This card shows the weight
and amount of suspended matter held in each
sample.
Recross- examination (by W. C. Belcher)-I re.
ferred to my report yesterday to refresh my memory
on certain points
Mr. Becher-Mr. Hall, will you please read from
your report your statement as to the amount of
sediment carried in suspension by the American
river?
Mr. Hart object to the reading of the report
We did not ask it, and object to the counsel on the
opposite side doing So They wish to make evil
dence out of this report, which they have no right
to DO The report is not confined to the American
basin, but takes IN all the river basins of this State
The Court held that the report, which embraces
many different subjects, was not admissible as
proper evidence
W. C. Belcher was then allowed to read to the
Court the following extracts from the published re-
port of Engineer Hall
Taking the volume OF material carried by the
upper Sacramento as guide, am enabled to Judge
somewhat of the amount washed off from lands ty
natural action. Then, with drainage areas consid-
cred, and a liberal allowance for wash from old
mining dumps and deposits, and from heavily cut
roads. etc. am enabled, in the case of the Feather
and the American, to estimate upon the portion Of
their sediments in suspension, due to similar causes
the natural washings from lands. The following
exhibit gives the result
Natural Wash
River wash from mines.
Upper Sacramento. ...... q 100000
Feather and tributaries. j 800 600 900, ,ooO
American. n............-... 100000 S.5o0,0O0
Total cubic yards. .4,9oo, goo Is, Ooo
100000 cubic yards OF material brought down
the Sacramento valley in suspension bS the river
waters. OF this 100000 cubic yards was due to
natural wash, and 600 yards directly to min
Jog operations. OF the whole, 2,l00, 200 escape1
into settled in the basins ana 1G0o0, coo cubic
yards carried in the waters of the main river
past Sacramento.
From the foregoing it NAV be seen that 20 5s4
600 cubic yards Of material were put into the
Feather river and its main tributaries by The nv.
draulic mining process during the past year; and
have estimated that g 600 cubic yards of this
passed out in suspenslon-about 81 per cent Also
that Se04 600 cubic yards OF material we're put into
the American river canyons and have estimated
that $500 600 cubic yards of this amount were car
RED out in suspension-about 20 per cent.
' The fret result is every way satisfactory and
about what might well be exrected. The second
requires some explanation 1t viii BE- noticed that
comparatively large allowance has been made for
the natural wash from the American river mountain
watershed This has been done because there Is
much greater Of cultivated ground there than
in any of the basins tributary to the rivers further
north and because the surface is in great part red
soil easily washed and furthermore, the rye num-
Der of old abandoned mines along the rivers bluff
and banks furnish great quantity of very fine
sedementary wash with every heavy storm which
has palael in the other regions with which it is
compared and whole country, moreover is more
cut up with roads and paths, where dust is formed.
to be washed down in winter. So much for the ma.
tura wash"
Mr.. cadwalader-Mr. Belcher, please read the
following.
Mr.. Belcher-I do not wish to do So Read it
yourself ii you choose.
Mr. Cadwalader reads: "The materials put into
the American river of lighter nature con ain
more top soil the average, than those of the
Feather, Yuba, Bear any other stream being
considered. at some points almost the entire wash
ing sometimes is in this red SOIL which all goes off
in SUSPENSION. At other points, where the mate rial
is heavier, the great fall which it has into the deep
canyons, ard the immense pulyerizing power of the
floods there grind it 70 the finest atonis and thus it
is carried up in the waters. The fine character of
the material washed in the river is shown to a de-
gree by the extraordinary high duty which the
water performs-41 cubic yards to the "a hour inch
on the average; as against and 81 cubic yards in
other qua ters "
Mr.. Hms objected to the examination of the Wit
ness any points except such directly related 10
the American river.
Witness centinung-The area OF the American
river basin, near as can make it out from the
best maps, is about $50 square miles. This in
cludes only
THE FOOTHILLS
And mining portion OF the BASIN The extracts
which you have just read from my report es far as
they relate to the American river and The estimates
therein contained, are about as near right, in my
as could have been made. l have never
seen any reason why 81 ould change the opinions
and figures as therein expressed. The American
river basin includes portions of I'll Dorado, Placer
and Alpine counties.
Mr.. Belcher-Can you inform me OF the area Of
lands in I'll Dorado county,
Mr. CAdwalader-I object.
objection overruled.
Witness, continuing-My knowlt dge OF the ex-
tent of cultivated lands in Ell Dorado and Placer
counties is limited. small portion OF the county
OF Sacramento lies within the basin of the American
river. NJ. Bosqui made the surveys at the Gold
Run mine in August or September, 1879. l sent
Mr.. Grunsky there in November of this year to meas
ure the pit as it now exists. ! don't consider my
Judgment to the material of the mine as good as
that OF those engaged in its mining, but for ali