Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-07
DEBRIS.
SIXTEENTH DAY OF TIE sLICKENs
CASE IN COURT.
Testimony of Steamboat captaiRg-Amount
Of Debris Deposits in the Bays
and Rivers of California.

The slickens case-The People OF the State
Of California VS.. the Gold Run Ditch and
Mining Company-was resumed yesterday at
$50 a. NJ, in Department Two Of the Superior
Court, Hon. jackson Temple presiding.
CToss-examination of General Cosby (by
W. c. Belcher)-I visited the mine at In
diana Hill on the 4th of November. 1881, at
the request of the State Engineer. made
an examination of the pit, and was present
when Mr. Grunsky made the instrumental
survey. examined some of the rock and
found it of different hardness. never have
anything to do with geological surveys. Isaw
that had caved in at the eastern portion OF
the pit. made noexamination as to what was
the character of the material composing the
banks. There were no deposits in Canyon
creek, from the dump to the river. We de
termined by an aneroid barometer that the
altitude at the mouth of the tunnel
was 1,020 feet above the North Fork
of the American river. regard this instru-
ment as being very accurate, when the read
ings are taken at no great interval of time,
and there is no sudden change in the atmos.
phere. l do not call it guessing when I
measure short distances with my eye. We
the higth of
STEVENS BRIDGE,
And found it to be nineteen feet. co not
recolleet whether this bridge was new
one or not. l think that high-water
mark was several feet below the
bridge. The high-watsr mark was some.
times only one or two feet above the deposit
in the river. The hight of high-water marks,
as given by me, are merely approximations.
I should judge that those who have lived
along the river banks for years, and witnessed
the annual floods, could give better informa.
ton on these points than one who hastily
passes along for the first time. I visited the
Gold Run mine, not as geologist. miner
alogist, or a scientist l viewed it in its diff
ferent portions, as would an intelligent
person. observed the sand, gravel and cob
bic deposits in the banks. Frequently we
the width Of the river Most of our
estimates of distances were made by the eye.
We found the water in the Middle Fork quite
muddy. We went up the Middle Fork for
of about two miles. We saw evil
dences of early mining in great many places
along the river. cannot judge of the extent
of this mining, or Of the amount of debris
they deposited into the river. We crossed
the South Fork or the first bridge above its
junction. We went into the river at the
North Fork dam and Kelly's Orchard. The
North Fork dam is about two miles below
the junction of the North and Middle Forks.
The river from the mouth of the South Fork,
for short distance, is very rapid. Mr..
Grunsky made e closer examination of this
portion of the river than 1 did. viewed
that portion of the river from distance. l
saw no dam between the mouth of the South
Fork and Folsom. Below Folsom 1 saw, at
the mouth Of Alder creek, evidences of
CONSIDERABLE EARLY MINING.
[ made no estimate of the amount Of earth
that had besn moved or mined at any point
between Sacramento snd Gold Run. Evil
iences of mining appeared all along the
American river to Gold Run.
Redirect examination Ito Mr.. Hart)-Just
below Alder creek l saw n mine IN operation,
where they were throwing water through
about three-inch nozzle against a bank.
This mine dumped into the river. I noticed
the water above and below this mine, and
saw no change in its color. ! should judge
that this mine was worked on very small
scale. Beneath the Stevens bridge there was
a deposit. Mr.. Grunsky measured the dis.
tauce between the bridge and the top Of the
Deposit. In this portion of the river we esti.
mated the deposit to be twenty feet deep
The hight nf the water.wora rocks varies,
owing TO the depth of the deposits in the
chanael In what we call Rocky canyon,
just below Rice's bridge, the river flows
through narrow gorge with almost
vertical banks. At this point the water
marks were higher than at any other. The
width between the towers at Stevens bridge
is one hundred and eighty feet. The grade Of
the river at that point in about forty feet TO
the mile My estimates of deposits were all
made between Canyon creek and the Middle
Fork. | followed the channel that distance
IN foot with the exception of mile and
aslt through narrow gorge.
CAPTAIN JOHN H ROBERTS,