The record-union., 1893-07-31
IN THE HYDRAULIC MINES.
Visit Of Debris Commissioners Men
dell, Heuer and ,Beyraud.
The Government Engineers Make a
Full Inspection of Mines III the
Hydraulic Section.

Colonel Mendell, Lieutenant Colonel
Beyraud and Major Heuer, OF the
Engineer Corps of the War Department,
recently appointed as Debris Commission
ers by the President undor the provisions
of the Caminetti bill, have been max
ing an examination of the hydraulic
mining section for the purpose of obtain
ing data to facilitate them in their work.
Leaving the railroad at Gold Run,
Placer County, accompanied by Mr. En-
gelbright, a civil engineer of Nevada
City, and J. H. Nef, they visited the
properties Of the South Yuba Water and
Mining Company, and other hydraulic
mining properties in Placer County and
eastern Nevada County. Here the prn-
cipal deposits of gold bearing gravel
suitable for hydraulic mining were
pointed out to them, and also various To-
calities where it was claimed impounding
works could be successfully constructed
and which would permit at least portion
OF the rich deposits to be mined.
Accompanied by Robert McMurray
John Spauldlng, James O'Brien, c. w.
Cross and others they then crossed to the
San Juan ridge and visited the Eureka
Lake CompanY's extensive properties
eAAiN ht OOALIlIDil Il III LlGS examined I'M
pounding works OF moderate extent. by
means of which hydraulic mining had
been carried on in one of the claims about
twenty months.
They then proceeded to the Malakotf
mines, belonging to the North Bloom
held Mining Company. Here are located
the most extensive impounding works
/ which nave been constructed by any
company, and mining is carried on by
the use OF hydraulic elevator. which
! carries the debris up considerable hight
ana deposits 1t in vast pits which have
been made by previous mining, and
where 1t Is successfully and permanently
impounded.
These pounding works are the works
which were the subject Of inquiry and
| investigation by the United States Circuit
Court, Judge Gilbert presiding, about a
year ago. The result of that investigation
was judgment that hydraulic mining
| by the use OF these impOunding works did
not lnJure nor threaten to injure the
navigable streams Of California or the
lands adjacent thereto, and that by the
use OF such Impounding works mining
might be lawfully conducted at said
mines by the North Bloomfield Gravel
Mining Company.
Major Heuer Of the commission took
some excellent photographs of these inn
pounding works, of the monitors at
fSt "a SNAAo HASO VI LuO 6l6NdLOT III luLl
action.
The Commissioners next visited the
Kate Hayes mine, situated near French
Corral, where mining is also carried on
by means of an elevator and impounding
works constructed in vast pits previously
excavated in that vicinity. The general
plan Of all these impounding works is
the use of elevators, fumes 10 conduct
the water, sand and gravel after the gold
has been separated from them into deep
pits OF great extent, where the water re-
mains for a considerable time almost in a
state of rest, and thereby frees itself of the
mining debris, after which it drains off
from the surface into the streams or
waterways.
Colonel Mendell also visited the mines
in the vicinity of Smartsville, in Yuba
! County, and the properties of the Ex-
cels1or Company, which contemplates
construction OF impounding works.
A number of plans and suggestions
have been made as to methods and means
by which the impounding OF mining
debris may be done successfully and
permanently, and those will be presented
to the engineers for consideration.
Such as they find entirely safe and
sufficient they can reasonably be ex-
pected to approve. Such as are found to
be insufficient they will no doubt reject,
but the miners are looking forward
hopefully TO results of the efforts of the
United States Government through this
agency to re-estabish the hydraulic
| mining industry, and thereby give to the
channels of trade in California the vast
output of gold which has now been
practically cut off for a decade. The
effect of this effort, if successful, and its
value to California can hardly be over
estimated. Its recognized national i'm
pOrtance was the inducement which
| caused Congress to pass the Caminetti
bill,