The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-07-05
Cape Nome.

body knows how vast its riches may
be, for they are hidden beneath ocean
waves. The gravel deposits and bowl
ders of ore bearing quartz have been
carried down from the mountains that
line the coast through thousands OF
years by glaciers and rivers. They
have been ground fine by the ceaseless
action of the waves. The grains of
precious metal have been distributed
along the shallow beach and have sunk
into the sand. There they lie, and all
who can reach the spot are free to
take of them.
There are no property rights in the
sea. The United States Government;
controls it for three miles from the
shore line, but the Government inter
feres with the operations of private
citizens only to the extent of seeing
that they do not interfere with navi-
cation. So long as the common rights
are respected there will be nothing to
prevent any one from taking as much
of the submerged wealth as he can
reach.
Fortunes in Ocean Sands.
How remunerative this submarine
mining may prove to be is an unset
tied question Down to the present
time the miners at Nome have found
their quickest and most profitable re-
turns from washing the sand along
the beach. Last year, in a working
season of ninety days, between $4,000
900 900 and $2,250,000 was washed out
of this comparatively narrow stretch
of shore. There is no reason to be-
lieve that the sand under water is any
less rich than that which is exposed.
AS most of the latter has been staked
out in claims the thousands who are
preparing to make their way to the
new field within the next few months
probably Will devote their attention to
the area under water.
AS the location of the Cape Nome
deposits is without parallel, the best
means of obtaining the gold must re.
main for some time at least matter
of experiment. Some of the miners
who have visited Nome and who are
now in Western cities preparing for a
return trip say that the water off shore
is so shallow that by sinking a square
wooden shaft-a sort of movable cof-
ferdam-it will be possible for me to
descend to the sand and scoop it up.
The washing, Of course, will be an
easy matter. Others who are prepar-
ing to work in couples say that If they
can obtain diving suits they can take
out the sand without difficulty, one
man going below to shovel 1t up and
the other remaining above to haul up
the bucket as often as 1t Is filled.
Tunnels under the sea are also propos-
ed as a means Of reaching the subma-
rine treasure.
To Dredge for Gold.
The favorite plan of reaching the
gold that rests upon the floor of Ben
ring Sea, however, Of all those that
are being considered now is that OF
dredging. A number of boats equip
| ned with steam dredging apparatus
will 90 to the Cape Nome shore this
season. Others will make use Of the
more primitive mechanism Of hand
windlass and drag. The golden sand
will be scooped up as oysters are in
the Chesapeake.
On the larger boats provision will
be made to wash out the gold on board
but the smaller boats will be compelled
| to dump their cargo on shore and sift
It out there. If the pay dirt" is as
rich under water as on shore-and
| there Is no reason to suppose that II
is not-the operation of an ordinary
dredge should net its owners from fiji
ty to five hundred dollars day.
The most ambitious Of these dredg
ing schemes is one that has been de-