The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-21
SAYS DIR. HULL WHO HAS BEEN
OVER THE COUNTRY.
THE WASHINGS OF AGES PAST
The Rivers Have Carried the Valuable Metal
Down From the MISUNDERSTANDING
in Working the Mines--CoId and
Scarcely of Food For
the Workmen.

Washington, July 20.-Dr. VIM H
Dali, one of the curators of the National
Museum, is familiar with the country
In which the Klondike gold fields are To-
Gated through having been on several
geological expeditions 10 the region in
Alaska adjoining the gold district and
says that in his opinion the reports from
there probably are not exaggerated. He
said:
When j was there i did not find
gold, but knew of it being taken out
in profitable quantities for Is years ON
more. 1t was first discovered there i'm
1866. In 1880, when / was I'D in Tina
country, my last trip having been made
two years, the party of proSpectors, whs
make mining profit, started out. The
gold is found ON the various tributaries
OF the Yukon and have been within
a comparatively short distance of the
Klondike fields. made one trip to Cir
Gle City, just over the boundary of
Canada.
The gold bearing belt in northwestern
America contains all gold fields extending
lntp British Columbia, what is known
as the northwestern territory and Alas
ka; The Yukon really runs along in
that belt for 500 or 600 miles. I" .e bed
of the main river is in the 10 rand of
the valley
The yellow metal is not foI ID in pay
ing quantities in the main river, but In
the small streams which cut through the
mountains on either side. These prac-
ticaHy wash out the gold. The mud
and mineral matter is carried into the
main river, while the gold is left on the
rough bottoms of these side streams,
In most cases the gold lies at the bottom
of the thick gravel deposits. The gold
is covered by frozen gravel in the winter.
During the summer, until the snow is
all melted, the surface is covered by
muddy torrents. When the snow is melt
ed and the springs begin to freeze, the
streams dry up. At the approach of
winter, in order to get at the gold, the
miners find it necessary to dig into the
gravel formation.
Formerly they stripped the gravel off,
until they came to the gold. Now they
sink shaft to the bottom of the gravel
and tunnel along underneath, in the gold
bearing layer. The way in which this
is done Is interesting as it has to be
carried on in cold weather when every
thing is frozen. The miners build fires
over the area where they wish to work
and keep these lighted over that terri
tory fer the space of about "a hours.
At the expirat ton of this period the
gravel will be melted and softened to al
depth Of perhaps six inches. This is then
taken off and other fires built until the
gold bearing layer is reached. When
the shaft is down that far fires are bulls
at the bottom, against the sides OF the
layer, and tunnels made in this manner.
Blasting would do no good, ON account
,of the hard nature of the material, and
would blow out just as out of a gun.
The matter taken out containing the
gold is piled up until spring, when the
torrents come down and is panned and
eardled by these. 1t is certainly very
hard labor.
81 see many reasons why the gold
fields should be particularly rich. The
streams which cut through the noun
tains have probably done so for CEN
turies, wearing them down several hum
dred feet and washing out the gold into
the beds and gravel.
''It is country in which it is very
hard to find food, as there is practically
no game. Before the whites went into
the region there were not more than
800 natives. They have hard work to
support themselves, on account of the
scarcity of game"