Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-19
AN INCREASE OF GOLD
Equal to More Than 0ne-Ninth Of
the Entire Worlds Product
SINCE THE FAMOUS ERA OF 1S4S.
That's What the Government Is Asked to
Aid by Building Dams
In THE STREAMS OF CALIFORNIA

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1sPArcH.l
WASHINGTON, March 18.-The river and
harbor bill this year will undoubtedly con-
tain an item designed to increase the pro-
duction of gold in California. The connec.
tion between the bill in question and gold
mining is not at first apparent The facts.
however, are that the courts, by their de.
cisions, have reduced the annual gold prod
uct of California by about $4,000, ,00O-a
loss of the yellow metal not encouraging at
time when the demand is so great that
Austria and even Roumania are paying
premiums for gold to coin.
In California gold is obtained almost
wholly from auriferous gravels by hy-
draulic mining. But hydraulic mining neces-
states clogging the streams with debris to
the destruction of farming lands and the
impeding of navigation. The courts have
come to the rescue of the farmers at the ex-
pense of the miners, and now the Govern
ment is asked to help out the miners by the
roundabout way of aiding navigation.
Dams to Keep Back the Debris.
The proposition is to build dams to keep
back the debris, thus allowing hydraulic
mining to be resumed without detriment
either TO the farming lands or to navigation.
A cube of pure gold having an edge of IA
feet would represent the total yield Of the
auriferous gravels of California, and would
also be about one-quarter of the addition
made to the worlds gold supply since the
beginning of the golden era in 1S4S. In the
Sacramento Valley, in 1880, hydraulic min
ing contributed to that stream a little less
than 39,000,0 900 cubic yards Of debris, as
or I'd fr1rn1chn6
the elements.
Unfortunately, the courts have no re-
straining power over natures forces, and
hence the river and harbor bill is called
into action. It has been decided by COM
missions of United States army engineers
whose decisions it were heresy to dispute,
that if barriers some feet in height were
placed across the river beds, the slope of the
bed above would be reduced, and with it
the transporting power of the water. The
deposits would be aired and increased, and
the gravel and sand will fill the river bed to
the crest of the dam and be graded back on
slope.
Purpose of the Proposed Work.
In short, the engineers expect to be able
to accomplish in California what has been
accomplished in the Alps and Apennines,
where for three and a half centuries ex-
tensive works for restraining debris have
been doing their work. The purpose of the
proposed work is to restrain sand and
gravel, and not to 1mpound water, SO that
there is small danger of the disaster from
breaking.
The dams are masses of large rubble
stone, or are built of brush and stone, as oc-
than dredging, the estimate for the first
years work in the Yuba, Bear and Ameri-
can rivers being only $511 900. The result
Of such work is estimated at S., $40, 900 of
additional gold annually. the basis being a
yield of 30 cents per cubic yard. Add to it
the Southern California rivers and the Up
per Sacramento river, and the annual total
could be raised to Sf1 1885,, 1872 The amount
of auriferous gravel remaining to be worked
in California is estimated to be capable of
producing s552, ,665 900, sum equal to more
than one-ninth of the entire gold product of
the world since 184S.
Estimated Cost of the Work.
The total cost of the projected dams is
put at s., ,5O0, 900, and it is provided that the
hydraulic mines benefited by the restrain
ing works shall paw the Government a tax
per cent of the gross output, which, in the
long run, would amount to double the cost
of the works.
The California people are very serious in
their endeavors to have Congress begin at
once the work of constructing the necessary
dams, and to this end have held conventions
and passed resolutions which are now being
brought to bear upon the Commerce Com
mittee of the Senate and the River and
Harbor Committee of the House. Without
such aid hydraulic mining must cease en-
tirely; with that aid, the now depopulated
camps would be filled again and the worlds
stock of gold would be largely increased.