The record-union., 1891-11-30
HYDRAULIC MINING OPERATIONS.
Result of Investigations by the Anti
Debris Watchmen.
AS Shown by Their Report to the Anti
Debris Association of the Sac
ramento Valley.

mento Valley, writing to the RECORD
UNION under date of the 9th, sends the
report of the watchmen employed by the
association, also an estimate of the debris
now deposited in the rivers and harbors,
and upon the farming lands adjacent to
the rivers, with an estimate of the amount
of material which Will be contributed
annually by the monitors now in posi-
ton to work should the miners disobey
the injunctions of the courts. President
Stone says:
believing that you are interested in
saving our navigable rivers and harbors
from total destruction, and that the citi-
zens of California should be made aware
Of the damage already done, and that
which viii certainly follow if the moni-
tors are allowed to work, I send you these
reports, that you may publish them,
should you think them worth place in
your paper.
''The report of the Government Com
missioners appointed under the Biggs bill,
OF which report a copy was sent TO you
some time since, says:
Permanent stone dams, properly con-
structed will retain large quantities OF ma
terial OF the character formerly mined out,
and which caused the destruction of the farm
ing lands and injured the navigation of the
rivers. These dams, however, Will not be eff
fect1ve in impounding All the material dt liy-
cred into the canyons from the mires. Eeng
IN the streams, and in the pathway of the
freshets, portions OF the heavier material will
be carried over the crests OF the dams, to
eventually find lodgment in the rivers below
The finer sands and clays cannot be ehectCally
1mpounded by such barriers, but Will he car
RED oil IN suspension.
Further on, the Commissioners say:
''The construction of the dams being called
for in the interests of the miner, the cost
thereof should be borne by tie individuals in
terested.
'',The material already doing damage to
the rivers and harbors is the finer ma
terial which the engineers say cannot be
controlled by dams. The miners have
been putting so much debris in the Yuba
River this season that the water at Marys-
vile is muddier than it has been during
any year since the Injunction in the Wood
ruff VS.. North Bloomfield case was
granted by Judge Sawyer in the United
States Circuit Court.
Dams. where any attempt has been
made to construct them. nave been built
of logs or brush, and are liable to be
washed ont by freshets, when the i'm
pounded debris will be added to that al
ready obstructing navigation.
NO attempt has been made by the
miners to erect permanent stone dams,
nor VIII they ever, in my opinion, at
tempt the erection of anything but tiimsy
pretexts for dams, as no hydraulic mine
expense of dam like that which this
State has constructed at Folsom, and
which IS now filled to its crest with min
ing detritus. Dams of that character are
the kind recommended by the Govern
ment engineers in their report-'Perma-
nent stone dams, the cost thereof to be
borne by the individuals interested,
namely, the miners
The report Of Watchmen George II.
Magruder and w. y. Wadsworth to the
President and Board Of Directors OF the
Anti-Debris Association on the hy-
drarllic mining situation on the water
sheds Of the American, Bear and Yuba
rivers, IS as follows:
SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER.
One monitor located on bedrock one
mile southwest of Placerville, and was
used last winter in cleaning bedrock.
One monitor located on right bank, i'm
mediately above the town of Coloma, and
worked last winter on bank thirty or
forty feet high.
Two canvas hose located on right bank,
Immediately below the town of Coloma,
and uses about twenty-five inches of
water under vertical pressure Of sixty or
seventy feet.
MIDDLE FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER.
Four monitors located on the right
bank about one and half miles east of
the village Butcher Ranch" All of
these machines are small. using about
one hundred and seventy-five or two
hundred inches of water each, under ver-
tlcaI pressure of one hundred or one
hundred and fifty feet.
NORTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER.
Three monitors located on right bank
near the town of Gold Run. Two of
these were found IN operation last winter
and were using about eight hundred or a
thousand inches of water under vertical
pressure of about three hundred feet
which was being directed against banks
siXty-tive or one hundred feet high. The
third machine was similarly located in
all respects and the ground showed evil
dence of having been worked.
Two monitors located in the Washing
ton Consolidated. at Iowa Hill, on the
left bank, were found in operation last
winter and We're using about 500 or 600
inches of water under vertical pressure
OF about $50 or 800 feet. These machines
were directed against banks of earth and
gravel ranging from ten to twenty-five
feet in depth. The material from one of
these machines was dumped direct into
the North Fork, while the other went
into Indian Canyon, thence into the North
Fork.
One monitor located on the left bank,
just in the edge of the town of Iowa Hill,
and using about 200 inches of water under
vertical pressure of about 200 feet, was
operated last winter on earth and gravel
ranging IN depth from ten to fifty feet
Golden Hope mine, located on left bank
OF Indian Canyon, tributary of the
North Fork, has two monitors which use
about 800 inches of water each under
vertical pressure Of about 500 feet. These
machines were undoubtedly worked
against the bank, which is about 60 feet
in perpendicular hight, last winter.
Though the operators were not caught in
the act, frequent visits TO the mine
proved that the bank was gradually being
worn and washed away.
Medical Point mine, located on the left
bank of Indian Canyon, adjoining the
Golden Hope, has one monitor which
uses about 500 inches of water under ver-
teal pressure of about 800 feet. The mine
was only opened last winter (new
ground), and during the season the bank
was washed away for distance of 200 by
500 feet, the bank now being 125 feet in
perpendicular hight.
Homeward Bound mine is located on
the left bank Of Indiaa Canyon, about
one-fourth of mile below the Golden
Hope mine, and has one monitor which
Slses about $50 inches of water under YER
1icaI pressure of about 800 feet. This
machine was last winter directed against
She main bank OF the mine, which is 100
or l75 feet in perpendicular hight.
Fort Sumter mine, located on the left
bank of Indian Canyon, about one mile
below the town Of Iowa Hill, and has
one monitor, which operated on the main
bank of the claim 100 feet perpendicular
8ast winter. This machine uses about
<5g inches of water under vertical pres
sure of about $50 feet
James Gleason placer mine is located
at Wisconsin Hill, on the head of Refuge
Canyon, q tributary to Shirttail Canyon,
which is a tributary to the North Fork. In
this claim are located two minitors each
of which use about 80 INCHES of water.