The morning call., 1893-08-30
SLICKENS MINING.
First Application Under
the New Act.
OBJECTION
NO
RAISED
The Debris Commissioners Receive
the Initial Application for
Hydraulic Mining.

The Debris Commission heard the
first hydraulic mining application under
the terms of the Caminetti act at its rooms
in the Flood building yesterday. The
meeting was public one, and was con-
vened 10 allow the farmers who comprise
the Anti-Debris Association to be present
and advance any sufficient reasons why
permission shou Id not be granted to the
applicants to conduct hydraulic mining in
accordance with the act
1t will be recalled that the Caminetti
act provides for the resumption of hy-
draulic mining under certain conditions
only. The giSt Of these conditions is that
the debris shall be impOunded by the
erection of dams and not allowed to inter
fere in any way with the navlgability OF
the rivers.
This necessitated the formation of the
Debris Commission to examine each claim
Tor which permission to work is sought.
and to hear objections from farmers and
others who. were the conditions not prop
erly observed, would be the sufferers.
The commission consists of three prOmi-
nent engineers, Colonel G. Ii. Mendell,
Lieutenant Colonel w. II. H. Benyaurd
and Major W. II. Heuer, of the Corps of
Engineers, u. S. A.
are K. NJ. MoOer and j. c. Boyd, who are
the owners of a mining claim or ginaly
known as the Kelly Hill Gold Gravel claim
situate in Butte County.
The petition states that Mooer an
Boyd are the prOprietors of the Warren
mining claim ana the Truckee mining
claim, located between CenterVille and
MIrnshaw, aud situate about seventeen
miles northeast from Chico and 30 miles
from San Francisco, in Centerville and
Heiltown mining districts. sections 81 and
2S, and that they are desirous of working
the same by hydraulic process. That they
hereby surrender TO the United States the
priv lege of regulating by law according TO
act OF Congress approved March l, 1898,
the manner in which tile debris resulting
therefrOm shall be restrained and what
amount shall be allowed to be produced
therefrOm.
The ground proposed to be worked by
hydraulic process is 1000 feet in length,
with an average width of 25O feet and
depth OF 75 feet. The fall from the upper
end Of the ground to be worked to Big
Butte Creek is 100 feet, and from COM
mencement point 700 feet.
Nesbit Gulch is to be used as one of the
dumps. This has an average width of 500
feet, and an average depth OF 75 feet,
while Bremen Gulch, TO be utilized as an
other, has width of 1000 feet and depth
of Is feet
The source of water will be Spring Val
lev ditch. which is filed from Big Butte
Greek. The size of the ditch will be feet
wide on top, on the bottom and feet 6
inches deep. Mining is TO be conducted
the year round, unless interfered with by
inclement weather, and ground is to be
worked twenty hours per day, and the
amount of ground to be washed will vary
from eight to Il cubic yards per hour ac-
cOrding TO its nature.
The character of the gravel is fiat wash
and ancient channel wash. The pipe
used TO convey water from pen stock to
monitor will be 10, Is and 20 inches. the
fal or pressure from pen stock to mouitor
about $50 feet. The drainage of water will
be into Nesbit and Bremen guches, thence
into Big Butte Creek.
After reciting all the points in these
specifications, which have been considered
anu approved of by the debris commission,
Major Heuer asked the dozen farmers
present If they could show any reason why
the petitiol should not be granted as
prayed.
Robert T. Devln of Sacramento, attor-
ney for the Anti-Debris Association, said
that he thought there was no objection.
The Commissioners, however, took the
matter under advisement, aud will give
their decision next week.
The Omega Mining Company, which is
petitiOning for permission to work by hy-
draulic process, will oe heard next Monday
The antl-debrls men, who have previously
enjOlned this company, will probably enter
a hearty protest, but Major Heuer stated
10 a reporter that should all the conditions
Of the law be complied with all the pro-
teStarts In the Stale will not hinder the
granting OF permission to this company.