The record-union., 1897-05-21
THE NEVADA GRAVEL MINES.
Report Of the Chamber Of Commerce
Committee Thereon.
What the Visiting Members Saw, and
Whnt They Say Concern
ing Them.

The directors Of the Chamber OF
commerce met yesterday for the pur-
pose of receiving the report OF the com
mlttee sent to examine into the condl-
ton of certain gravel mines near Ne
Vaca City, which had been enjolned Dy
the Superior Court of this county, and
the owners of which had complained
that an injustice had been done them
Judge A c. Hinkson, Chairman OF
the committee, in presenting the re-
port, said the committee had deemed
1t necessary to take ample time for de-
liberation, and as he had been absent
from the city for few days he had re-
quested that the report be delayed un-
til he should have had time to exam
inc it.
The committee, Judge Hinkson, said
had attended a meeting of the Anti-De-
bris Association and had received a
cordial reception. 1t had made some
investigations from which he believed
good would accrue The report was
confined to the actual observations
made by the committee, and at its con-
clusion the committee had taken the
liberty to append a few suggestions
which were deemed appropriate to the
subject matter.
Judge Hinkson submitted the report
which was read by Secretary j. O. Cole
man, and was as follows:
THE, COMMITTEES REPORT.
To the Board of Directors of the Sac
ramento Chamber of Commerce-Gen-
tlemen: Your special committee ap-
pointed to investigate the mine in Ne
Vada County which it was charged by
citizens of the county had been unjust
ly enJoined, ETC., respectfully report
That it visited the said mines in COM
pany with a committee from the NeVa-
da City Board of Trade and made a
Very careful einspection of said mines
and the modes of operating them.
We firstvisited the Cooling mine at Red
Dog, where every facility was afforded
your committee to inspect the same
while it was in full operation.
The process of mining is as follows:
Tunnels are run into the bank in which
powder is deposited, the tunnel is then
closed up and powder is exploded. where
by the ground is loosened: water is
carried to the apex of the bank in three
thin iron pipes-only two of which are
supply of water. One of the pipes is
thirteen inches in diameter, one is fif-
teen inches and the other is twenty
six inches at the upper end and tapers
to twenty inches at the lower end; the
pipe being old, would not stand the
required pressure for operating a mon
itor and none is used. The water is
supplied from a reservoir a short dis
h. i r
the pipe being comparatively little, the
force Of water is not sufficient to con-
centrate it when it strikes the gravel,
and fourteen men are employed to
break the large blocks of cement and to
dig the dirt and cement down into the
water. which is confined at the base
of the bank by wooden horses The
debris is carried into sluice way, and
is thence deposited into the stream be-
low. There was about l 900 inches of
water used when we made the exami-
nation, but this quantity will decrease
rapidly as the warm season advances.
Two blasts, one of ten and the other
of fifteen kegs of powder, were explod-
ed in this mine during our visit. to en-
able us TO better understand the mode
of mining.
TIE deposit of gravel in this mine is
from thirty to eighty feet in depth, with
a covering of sandy soil of from one
TO six feet in depth, the proportion of
blue. or cement, to the red gravel is
about - per cent. A sample of water
was taken from the inlet of the sluices
to determine the proportion of debris
contained in it, which Will be submitted
to you.
The mine known as the Goodwin.
located near You Bet, was next visit
ed. This property was in full opera
tion, and every opportunity was given
the committee to visit and investigate
it. The walls of this pit are from fifty
to 80 feet in hight; the deposit of
gravel is interspersed with layers of
sandstone and pipe clay with a cover
ing of sandy loam of from one to six
feet: the proportion Of blue or cement
gravel is less than at the mine of Red
Dog; the process of mining is sub
stantially the same as at the Goding
mine. The water is conveyed to the
top of the bank in one fifteen inch pipe.
reduced to eleven inches. a second line
of pipe of the same size receives water
from a reservoir about 10 to 120 feet
above the bedrock or bottom
Of the pit. which is discharged
against a wooden bulkhead, close