The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-02
point. After introducing the subject, the
Chronicle says:

Chronicle says:
If man were to receive the full force of
such stream at distance of couple hundred
feet, even though the impact be momentary,
he would be killed as quickly as though struck
by q cannon ball. He might escape being
mangled, but the breath would be most efectu-
ally and suddenly expelled from his body.
/ At400 feet from the nozzle a six-inch stream
with 375 feet fall swung momentarily against
the trunk OF tree, viii denude 1t in second
Of the heaviest bark as clearly as though an
ak had been used. Wherever such a stream is
turned against gravel-bank it cuts and bur-
rows into it in every direction, gouging out
great caves, causing thousands of tons OF earth
to fall, which is in turn quickly disintegrated
and washed INTO the sluices. Bowlders so heavy
that man can scarcely lift them are tossed
about like chaff: stumps and trunks of trees
are thrown to one side like straws, and the
work of destruction goes on at pace that is
appalling.
The Chronicle continuing gives graphic
account of the death of a miner by coming
in reach of one of these jets, when every
bone in his body seemed to be broken. In
closing long article it says:
Some iaea of the immense amount of earth
and gravel moved by the hydraulic mines of
this State can be gathered from some recently
published statistics on this point. During the
use from the Feather, Yuba, Bear and Ameri-
can rivers, Butte Greek and the two Dry creeks
total of 10, 650595 miners inches of water
each twenty-fouf hours. At an average of 81
cubic yards OF gravel to each inch there was
thus washed away daily 3S.600,0 600 yards of
material. This is low estimate. AS an actual
fact much more was carried away. But the
amount stated represents mass of earth 500
yards long, 386 yards wide and 200 yards high.
With such tremendous quantity washed away
every twenty-four hours 1t can be readily I'M
derstood that no great length of time need
elapse to literally remove mountains and cast
them into the sea.
And again:
The power of the monitor to tear away the
hills and cast them into the rivers was the sub
ject of conversation at q dinner given BY
General Schofeld at his residence in Washing
ton, d. c. Among the guests were President
Harrison, Chief Justice Fuller, the late Secre-
tary Window, Speaker Reed, Senator Sherman
and Senator Stanford and Justice Stephen J.
Field, says the New York Sun. During the
dinner the conversation turned upon mining
operations in California, and Judge Field,
whose knowledge of all matters relating to the
Pacific Coast is as extensive as his powers of
narrative are entertaining, astonished the dis
regard to the force OF the Jets OF water employed
in hydraulic mining He described the wonder
full manner in which the streams from the
hose cut to pieces and tear down the hills that
hold the precious metal.
Judge Field cited the Hon. James G. Fair as
his authority for the statement that, under q
vertical pressure of one or two. hundred feet,
the force OF the stream is sometimes so great as
to hurl away or hold powders weighing 1000
pounds; and that 1t would be no more possible
to cut through such stream with crowbar
or an ak, where It issued from the nozzle, than
to sever eight inches of solid iron with pen
knife. The assertions of Judge Field having
occasioned smile OF incredulity on the
countenances of his audience, he referred his
case to experts for replies, and who corroborated
the Judges assertion. These were ex-senator
Fair, Louis Glass, A. j. Bowie, mining engineer
OF San Francisco, and Professor Samuel B.
Christy OF the Stats University.
Under the heading, "What Hydraulic
Mining Means" the San Francisco CALL
of January %, 1892, contained the follow
ing:
The Sacramento Bee opposes hydraulic min.
ing and fearlessly expresses the opinion that
such mining cannot be prosecuted without
says of San Francisco Bay "thatitis in jeopardy,
and the resumption of hydraulic mining would
very soon destroy its utility" 1t is shown by
| official soundings and measurements that in a
period of ten years the bay has received 240,-
! 900 900 cubic yards of debris, or enough to
| cover an area OF twenty-four square miles TO a
| depth of ten feet.
There is no way to more than roughly
estimate the capacity of the hydraulic
| monitors to wash the mountains into the
| rivers, but 1T may be stated to be practic-
| ally unlimited.
! Then The CALL proceeds: ....'
| 1t will be well for our citizens to pay heed to
what the Bee says. Those persons who are not
| familiar with the process of hydraulic mining
! have little conception of the earth which is
moved for very small quantity of gold. In
| deed there IS scarcely q limit to the havoc
which may be made. Nearly every vestige OF
earth.is carried off and little remains except
the bedrock and powders. Tunneling could
be permitted, but in few years our rivers and
bays would be completely filled up if hydraulic
mining were TO be permitted. California for
the future requires the of her rivers and
bays for transportation purposes. Just SIS the
interior towns are beginning to prosper and
see their way clear for the future an effort is
made to devastate the mountain regions.
And remember that most of this hy-
draulic mining is to be carried on in the
foothills, for high in the mountains there
is not much gold. AS TIE CALL suggested
a few days since, the land belongs to the
General Government, and it is worth far
more as it stands for its timber and graz
| ing purposes than all the gold which can
be got out of it. Again, it is the managers
| OF few companies who wish to be allowed
| TO strip the mountains of what timber and
| other yerdure they now possess, and these
! companies are controlled to a considerable
extent by non-resldents, some of whom
even reside in Europe. Flourishing towns
are now springing up all through the
| State; besides, the bays and their future
! prospects should not be marred by a new
| effort at vandalism.
| | take it. of course, that the foregoing is
| known and conceded and that the process
must be placed on harmless lines; and yet
| il is well to know what is involved in the
4o0Se'oiA' IL &c peat, oil ohAStoIy Is silent
as regards such an invention and the
power it exerts. No people were ever called
| on TO make such siege for life and home
| as have the people of the Sacramento Val
| ley. The question is the most momentous
ever discussed by any people, and so long
| as the monitor seeks 10 regain his position
| riparian interests are in danger.
GEORGE OHLEYER.
YUBA CITY, September 3d. 189 5.
VTTo M TAp0puDo