The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-25
BIG PLACER ENTERPRISES.
The Placerville Dredge VIII Soon Be
In Operation.

I
made in these columns relative TO ex-
tensive placer operations on Grimes
creek and at Placerville, Ida, not far
from Boise, and the following from
the World, of Idaho City, on the same
subject cannot but be interesting to the
mining fraternity:
The ditch and fiume being construct
ed by the Basic company in the lower
valley of Grimes creek is rapidly near
| ing completion. Water is now running
through nearly six miles of its length,
leaving about two miles yet to be done.
1t is the expectation of the company
that before the end of the month the
water will be at the power house. The
available head of water al the power
house will be $50 feet, and the amount
about 1,200 miners inches. This will be
conducted to a four-foot Pelton wheel
through a pipe, commencing with a
diameter of % inches and ending at the
reducer with % inches. The wheel has
a double nozzle and will develop nearly
00-horse power.
The electrical machinery is beginning
to arrive The heaviest part of this is
a casting weighing nearly 10000 pounds,
which will come through Idaho City
sometime before the end of the pres
ent month, provided the bridges on the
road are considered strong enough to
kins road and go to the power house
from the Star ranch.
The dredge at Placerville will be fin
ished and ready for running early in
August. The company has been pros
pecting its ground in front of the
dredge for the last 60 days, and is
thoroughly posted as to the profile of
the bedrock and the character and
value of the material resting upon it,
doc xr-ill he
corporation known as the Bed Rock
Dredging company, which is composed
largely of the same parties who are
interested in the Basic company.
On the 18th contracts were let for a
second dredge, to be located close to
the town of Centerville, in Grimes
creek. 1t is believed that this dredge
can be completed by the LIST of DC
tober so as to give it perhaps 80 or 40
days work this season, as much of the
material for it is already on hand.
This dredge will be operated by a
Philadelphia organization known as
the Boise Dredging company.
The power transmission line to
carry the power from the big genera
tor to these two dredges is completed
to Placerville and viii be finished TO
Centerville before the end of the
month. The poles are % feet in length
and stand 20 feet above ground and are
ntted with three bare copper wires, No
B. & S. gauge, hung upon Lock por-
celaln lnsulatorS. Below the copper
wire is a metallic circuit telephone
wire, which connects the offices of the
company at Centerville and PlacervilIe
with both dredges, the power house, the
head of the ditch and three points
along the line of the ditch.
These dredges have a capacity each
OF 5000 cubic yards per day, and when
they get to moving, will turn over the
bed of the creeks with great rapidity.
everyone who is acquainted with the
history of the basin appreciates the
fact that an immense amount of gold
was left by the early miners in the
channels on the main streams. be-
cause it was impossible to work these
on account of their light grade. While
1t VIII not be possible for these
dredges to operate many months this
fall they will both be in shape to start
up at the earliest moment next spring,
and the season of 1899 in the basin
should be very active one.