Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07
DEBRIS.
raIRIY-FIFTH DAY OF THE sEICKENs
CASE IN COURT.
James W Marshall, the Discoversr of
Gold in California, Testifles in
Behalf of the Defense

The debris case opened at $50 A. M.
yesterday, in Department Two of the Supe-
rior Court. Judge jackson Temple presiding.
Cross-examination of George G. Blanchard
(by Attorney-G General Hart) continued-Wit-
ness made correction, by stating that yes
terday he stated that the storage capacity Of
the reservoir of the Ell Dorado Deep Gravel
and Mining Company was ], 600, O0O. GOO cubic
yards. I meant to say cubic feet instead of
yards. The dumps are decomposing all
the time, and some of their material comes
down with every food The cement in the
Ell Dorado gravel mines is very similar tothis
sample Gould No. u. 1t is composed of rock
and cemented sand. About 60 per cent. is
rock 1t is not so hard as this blue gravel
from the Indiana Hill pit. The lava overly
ing the gravel in the Lyon mine is about ITO
feet deep. The lava in the Excelsior mine is
very dark in color. This lava is not washed !;
it is thrown down and put out of the way
with derricks About 10 per cent. of the
lower gravel in the Excelsior is composed of
Sand. The balance of the mine is solid rock
and cement. When first saw the South
Fork of the American river, near Coloma,
the water was quite low. The banks were
gravel and soil. The bottom was quite rocky.
Silver lake originally was about two or three
miles long and mile and half wide. The av-
erage depth was perhaps 40 feet. 1t received its
supply OF water from a creek that constantly
runs into it. 1t has quite a watershed, and
the snowfall there is very considerable. The
watershed of this lake is fifteen miles long
by ten miles wide. The dam that holds back
the waters of Echo lake is at the head of Os-
good creek. 1t is Elk or seven feet in hight.
They draw the water from the lake to a
lower point than its original level Not a
drop of the water from Echo lake ever
reached the American river, until brought
there by the tunnels and canals of this COM
pany, constructed in 1873. Its waters form.
erly flowed into the Little Truckee,
and thence into Lake Tahoe. If
it were not for the impounding of
the winter water in those lakes, the canals
of this company during the summer months
would not contain 500 inches of water.
During the months of July August, Sep
TENDER and October. by drawing from those
lakes, they have sufficient quantity to ELL
their canals. The absorption and evapora-
ton of this water from the lakes to the
points where it is used WILL perhaps, equal
80 per cent. Witness described at great
length the smaller lakes, reservoirs, tunnels,
fumes, canals, etc, of this company The
absorption of new bitches is very great
After they are puddled and used for long
time the absorption is very slight. l have
owned iu, and know the gold yield,
of the following mines: The Church
Volcano and Pocahontas. | base my judg-
Inent Of the amount taken from the mines of
Ell Dorado county on the amount have seen
taken from the mines in which | owned, and
of the amounts taken out of other mines that
have CONE under my observation. The mines
of the county at present are deep diggings
these old river channels, seam and poIphyry
mines they will last for many years. and it |
takes considerable capital to open them BE-
fore they can be mined. The Lyon mine has |
been mined along the old river bed for dis- |
lance of 1,500 feet. and those men have be- |
come SO experienced that they can tell by the |
of the gravel just about how much |
it will pay. Witness described the forma- |
ton of deposits in the different claims located /
and being worked on this old river channel I |
know of one instance where a man sold his /
mine for $50, GEO. and thought be was making /
a great bargain. In less than FIVE months the |
purchasers took out of the same ground more
than the purchase price, and to-day it is
valued at 81, 100000.
MANLEY C. LAwToN
Sworn. Direct examination (by W. c.
am a civil engineer, and reside in
San francisco. | have workedi in the reclaim
stion district on Union Island, Staten Island,
md in the Jersey district. l was engaged in
hose districts about six years. Uuion Island
contains about IL coo acres. Staten Island
about 5000, and Jersey district $500
rhe upper end Of Union Island was terra
irma, but the balance was a peat formation.
A smell portion of Staten Island on the upper
md was earth, the balance peat [ have
listed other islands Ia the neighborhood
The jersey and Webb districts are not il.
auds, but they are peat formations. Tee
evees on the upper end of those islands where
here was earth, were made with scrapers.
n other places we made large, wide peat
evees. They are signal failures. They de-
ay very rapidly. and are liable to be burned
Up. In other portions we built retaining
evees, a2d pumped in sand with dredging
pumps. Peat seems to be vegetable.
lbrous growth. Its specific gravity is
sss than that of water. It is sponev
nd very combustible. Levees made of
,eat have proven failures in every instance,
hey shrink one-haffn size, and when they
Try, crack open. | have visited Grand and
sherman Islands. The levees on those islands I
ave alt gwen away. LIE peat, Wnen ploWeu
p ard cultivated, decays and shrinks to one
enth its original depth. That is, il it was
flowed to the depth of ten inches, this ma
erial after being narrowed and cultivated, ,
sould shrink TO depth of one inch. Sedi-
lent makes better soil for the production of
ruit and vegetables than peat Weeds grow {
cry rank in peat soil, and often take the l
rops. Peat contains no mineral substance.
know of no peat lands that have been sue I
essfully reclaimed.
Cross-examination tby George Cadwala- t
Island is in San Joaquin |
ounty, between the Middle and Old c
vers. 1t is opposite Roberts Island, r
bout ten miles from the city of t
tockton. About one-haif of the i+lsnd is :
ara firma. Peat seems to be vegetable {
rowth. and seems to have life. 1t is NOT, in t
y Judgment, deposit, but a growth I