The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-10-22
A GOLDEN STRAND.
WHERE SHORES GLtrrEi, rOIs
MILES WITH YELLOW METAL.
Gold Nuggets in Ocean sand Won
der:ul Sea Beach Deposits Along
the Paciiic-Eed with Ru-
bics aud Gurnets.
THE metallic treasures OF the
sea- beaches OF Oregon have

TO explore these wonderful sands as a
possible source of werllh. They con.
tain not only gold, but also consider
able quantities of platinum. ms we'll as
other precious metals. SO rich are
they in ruhies and garnets ns TO be
actually red in places from the pres
ence OF those gems. In one spot there
are ut least fifty thousani tous of sand
that holds two to five per cent. Of gar
nets and rubies in remarkably perfect
and beautiful crystals.
The experts report th,t in their
opinion the gold and platinum might
be extracted proiitably from those
beaches, while the rubies aud garnets
would be valuable III the manufacture
of emery wheels.
The sands of the sea shore are rich in
gold all along the Pacific coast from
Point Mendocino, in Northern Cnlifor-
mia, to the mouth OF the Umpogna
River, iii Oregon. Cliffs on the ocean
front commonly contain gold, and,
where washed by the waves, the shore
for miles actually glittcrs with speckles
OF the yellow metal. What appears to
day, however, is either WASHED away
or deeply buried tomorrow. Many
attempts have been made to Cxtrac.
the precious stuff from tho sands, but,
as rule, they have been Improbable.
The metal bearing strata are some dis
lance below the surface, and the over
lying material is apt to he washed back
by the sea rs fast rs it is removed
In few places such work is still
carried on Mt intervals, and each year
these beaches contribute something to
the worlds store of gold. The local
lty to which Messrs. Sharpless and
Winchell gave chief attention was
near the mouth of the Coquille Rv-
er, in the southwestern part of Ore
Gon. The tract here explored extends
along the seacoast for two miles and
runs about an equal distance inland.
Digging discloses the fact that the
sands are divided into well-defincd
layers and in them are embedded
many trunks and stumps CT trees,
some of them of the gigantic redwood.
Naturally, the metals, being heavy,
occur in the deeper strata. Gold and
platinum are found mostly in layer
of black sand, which varies in thick
ness from few inches to twelve feet.
On top of the black sand is stratum
Of gray sand which is not so rich.
The gold in these sands occurs in
the shape of minute scales. These vel.
low flakes are so extremely small aud
thin that frequently they float in the
water, on account of minute air-bub-
bles which collect upon them. Some
of them are almost microscopic, and
often they have the form of small cups
aud basins.
Here has been fruitful cause of
disappointment to miners. When n
prospector under ordinary circum-
stances finds twenty or thirty specks
of gold in his pun he assumes that the
material will yield Mt least 81 or s. to
the cubic yard. These beach
scales are SO very thin that the aver
age value of GOO "colors" is only one
cent. 1t is remarkably large "color"
or scale That measures an eighth of nm
inch in diameter.
The sands in the locality described
have been washed aud secured very
clean, having been subjected to the
action of the Coquiile River and of
the waves of the Pacific. Their nccu-
mutation mt this point has been caused
by the opposing forces of the river
and the ocean. The deposits have
been laid down within the ago of
man, rs is proved by the character of
the tree trunks and geological in Ii
cations. Careful tests have demon.
strated that to work the gray sands
would not pay, iuasmuch as it yielded
only seven cents ton on the AVERAGE.
The black sands, however, hold from
fifty to seventyh.c cents in gold per
ton, and their treatment for it's ex-
traction is regarded rs q problem
worthy OF serious consideration.
A good deal OF platinum Is found
associated with the gold in the Pacific
beach sands. At present market
rates 1t is worth SO an ounce.
Winchell and Sha-plcss express tho
opinion that platinum could he ex.
tracted from the sands Mt the mouth
OF the Coqulle River ut n profit. II
is found on the Pacific coast wherever
gold occurs, though it's distribution is
not uniform, much being discovered
IN some places and very little in 9th
ors. Samples submitted to test
yielded two ounces of platinum TO the
ton of sand, which is enough TO pay.
Four-ffths Of tho platinum that
supplies the world is obtained from
tine mines in tho Ural Mountains, ST.
IBERIA They are gold mines, the
platinum being n by-product Both
metals are not from "placer' depos-
it's, being found mingled with the
sands that have been worn away from
the hills by running water. TWEEN
ty-nine hundred cartloads OF enrth
must he washed to yield fifteen pounds
of platinum. Nuggets are very rare,
the biggest on record being now i'm
the Dresden Museum. 1t is about n,
big rs D.: tumbler.
Samples Of sand assnyed by the two
experts yielded small quantities OF
those rare metals, iridium and osmium,
hut it is very doubtful whether they
souldbe extracted probably. Iridium
iSnow quoted in the market at S15 an
ounce, and osmium at $50 an ounce.
The latter, il will be observed. is
early three titrns --ssr,'si.., .,-.--'