The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-03-07
DEADLY PROSPECT HOLES.
Some OF the Dangers Attending Travelling
in the Sierras.


in the Sierras.
AS one approaches today the rising
slopes of the Sierras in California, the
more especiallyin that portion extend
ing from Nevada county on the north,
through placer, El Dorado, Calaveras
and Marlposa counties, on the south.
certain signs and indications are met
with. the landmarks, so to speak, of
the pioneers of 40.
rode pretty much all through that
country on horseback some wear or so
ago, and came near losing my life in a
number of these Landmarks" which
have proven fatal to many others be-
tore and yet remain a constant source
OF danger to the unwary traveller in
that region.
refer now more particularly to that
part OF Ell Dorado county lying within
a radius Of fifty miles Of Placerville,
or Hangtown, as it was called in the
Argonaut days. Here is where the
greatest rush to the gold diggings took
place. The creeks and mountain
streams all about contained rich de
posts of gold, and the gold hunters
fairly swarred over, this portion of
the country.
When the yield Of the river beds
was exhausted the miners began sink
ing prospect holes. These varied in
depth from ten to one hundred feet.
Sometimes when "pay gravel was
struck great streams of water would
ne called into play, cutting wide
chasms into the soil and often wash
ing away mountains themselves.
These claims, when abandoned and
when afterward covered with d growth
OF underbrush, rendered it dangerous
10 travel IN their vicinity at night for
lear OF falling into one of these arti-
hclal precipices, which could not be
seen until the very brink was reached.
The prospect holes, however, are
another matter. These are met with
everywhere in the region / have de-
scrloed, often not more than ten feet
apart. They are rarely more than five
feet IN diameter and, owing to the
growth of underbrush, are veritable
pitfalls and death traps.
Many a man has started out on a
prospecting tour and tumbled head
long into one of these pits, never to be
heard from again. Wild animals of
all kinds also are made the victims of
these deadly prospect holes.
My first experience in this regard
taught me valuable lesson that I
needed thereafter. | was walking
through the woods one day with a
rifle, when I scared up one of the wild
hogs that are pretty thick in that
country. l made up my mind that
Mr.. Hog would be my meat, as these
animals are very good eating, and so
| started In chase. Owing to the trees
couldn't get good shot
Well, chased that hog for perhaps
hundred yards or so when, to nv
astonishment, he suddenly disappeared
as If the earth had swallowed him. l
couldn't make it out at all, so rushed
to the spot as quick as l could.
The first thing ! knew felt the
ground give way beneath my feet,
and by some happy accident I was
barely prevented from falling into q
hole which, as afterward ascertained.
was eighty-five feet deep. l managed
to clutch hold of projecting bush in
the nick of time or l should have
caught that hog with a vengeance.
The hog is probably there yet. The
hole certainly is, anyhow, and if any
one contemplates trip through that
section of the country it would be
well for HIM to bear these facts in
mind.-New York Herald.