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

Mining Company-was resumed at $50 A. NJ
in Department Two of the Superior Court,
Judge Jackson Temple presiding.
At the opening of the Court Judge Temple
made an order directing that's deposit of
$500 each lie made by the plaintiffs and de-
PENDANTS for the transcribing of the reporters
notes.
The direct examination of Engineer G.. f.
Allardt was resumed (by Mr.. Cadwalader)-
This sample, marked Robinson No. l, is what
is called red dirt, and is similar to the top
soil at the Coli Run mine. In large masses
it shows more Of reddish color. The depth
of this red soil at the mine varies all the way
from four to ten feet, and when wet has a
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.
It contains some clay, and when moistened
il becomes sticky and of 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 I
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
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
I was at the Gold Run mine heard
BLAST EXPLOSIONS.
This diagram is 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 20 be
swept out of the mine through the tunnel,
and into the river. I 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 the work was being prosecuted when 1
was there, would deposit into the canyon
4, ,744, 600 cubic yards. The statement of the
mine owners would be much less-only l, 31S,-
per diem of 1000 inches Of water is about
i6, 900, 600 gallons. The velocity of the tail
ings 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. / 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 cf 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 mics T1rr hour.
From the junction of the South Fork to the
mouth of the American it kas an average ye-
locity of one mile per hour. Water from
Canyon creek having material il suspension
will be something over
FORTY. EIGHT HOURS
In reaching the Sacramento river. 1 was st
the mouth Of the American river June Is,
1881. TIE 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 10Th OF
june, 1881, short distance. The next day
/ visited the American river at the railroad
bridge. I could perceive no difference be-
tween tie water at that point and that at its
mouth A cubic foot of stone weighs 62a
pounds less in water than out. q current OF
one mile an hour will move sand, and that OF
two miles an hour will move coarse sand. Ii
a current of one mile an hour will move
stone of certain weight, a current OF three
miles an hour will move stone weighing
729 times as much. That is The sixth power
of one. A current that viii 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 pebbles-foll them along on the
bottom. A pebble an inch in diameter will
weigh about an ounce. Ths Transporting
power Of current of ten milss an hour has nj,
teen thousand times the transporting power
of current OF two miles an hour. When tke
velocity of current carrying sediment Is
checked it parts with some of the matter it
holds in suspension. When the current is
it will
PICK UP AND CARRY FORWARD
The matter thus deposited. Material de-
posted in river channels becomes
stratifed-the heaviest material at the
bottom and the lightest on the top. All
sedimsntary deposits are stratifed.
The lighter material from the Gold Run
mine held in suspense, think, goes, even in
low stages of water. into the Sacramento
river, The sand and coarser 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 n
good freshet that would carry out the light
material, the river would have graveiiy
bed and the water would run to this city
clear. A current of eight miles an hour
would move all the material deposited in it
by Canyon creek. TIE bottoms OF the
miuiog fumes are paved either with blocks,
cobble. or iron rail, making them as rough
IS possible, for the purpose of catching
and saving gold. The North Fork canal,
when l saw it. offered no obstruction
TO tie flew of the river. Two hundred thou
sand yar6s 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, De-
between Folsom and Sacramento city, 90
not think moves the sand. High water, how
ever, would bring it down in immense quanti-
ties. I 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 an hour, aud the
depth on an average one foot. The 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
th. velocity would bs 13ll miles an hour. The
current Of the river at those points when 40
feet deep would be increased to 10 2-10 miles
per hour. l inspected the river all the way
b.tween the Middle and South Forks. ]
made a calculation of the debris between
those points. Those points by the river are
90 miles distant. / calculated that this por.
ton of the river contained one half as much
debris as the 2S 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 sandy
gravelly deposit At Rattlesnake, Doten':
and Horseshoe Bars 1 found deposits. The
Rattlesnake Bar bridge between towers IS 2Sf
feet. The river at this point is about $50 feet
wide. Between the junction of the South
Fork and the Folsom bridge the ehanns
is comparatively clean. In this part o.
the river are small cascades and rapids
The distance from Folsom TO Sacramento i
about thirty miller. If the deposit in tbil
,f he - \