Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-11-07
THE SILVER CREEK BASIN.
Extensive Placer Area Now
Being Opened for Hydrau-
lie Operation.

A big placer project is now being
carried out on Silver creek on the
western edge Of the county. The en-
prise is the opening of the big Silver
creek basin, which is supposed to be
immensely rich but which can not now
be worked on account Of the depth to
the bedrock.
The Silver creek basin was formed by
an immense rock slide, as may be clear.
ly seen by observation. A mountain
Of rock towering hundreds OF feet
almost perpendiculsrly above the
stream has broken off and filled up the
canyon with immense rocks that the
stream was powerless to move and
as consequence, the stream was forced
over against the solid rock wall back OF
the slide, where it cut new bed in the
rock, preventing all possibility Of its ever
washing out the slide unaided. The
Silver creek falls are formed where the
creek drops off its more recent rock bed
into the canyon Of its former course.
The obstruction thus formed has
damned the creek to such an extent
that miners have found it impracticable
to drain the bedrock within distance
OF two miles above the falls. Above
this point the creek was very rich and
the profusion Of big nuggets which it
produced in former days has made the
working of the basin always live prob
lem. The basin is not level or fat; on
the contrary it has considerable grade
but the grade OF the surface is less than
that Of the bedrock and the depth OF the
gravel at the lower end makes hydraulic
elevators and like appliances impracti.
cable. Many methods Of opening the
basin have been discussed and many
plans suggested. Some have advocated
blowing out the bed OF the stream with
dynamite, others are OF the opinion
that good head OF water brought in a
ditch and turned loose over the precipi-
tous lower side OF the rock wall would
cause the obstruction to break away.
One great objection urged to this latter
scheme is that it might fll up the
canyon below with broken rock, thus
preventing the outlet. The most feasible
scheme, according to the best con-
clusions, is a tunnel and this enterprise
is being carried out at the present time.
The basin property together with the
falls and dump claim, comprises seven
claims or l40 acres. This body OF
ground is about two miles long and
varies from 100 feet to half a mile in
width. 1t has been found next to inn
possible to prospect this ground to the
bedrock. The gravel beneath the sur.
face ia go loose that the water flows
freely through it and puts damper on
sinking operations at a depth OF few
ieet. The volume OF water is so great
that it can not be handled in the shaft
by any appliance available. Ashley
and Metts put in good pumping plant
at a narrow point in the canyon in the
upper portion OF the basin, with water
power, machinery and fumes, but were
able to sink only about 80 feet, failing
to reach bedrock. The depth of the
gravel in the basin is not known and
its richness is judged only by the yield
Of the gravel in the creek above.
At the present time, Metts and Leigh
are running a tunnel under the falls
for an outlet. To behoder who comet
suddenly upon the scene the enterprise
is startling in the extreme.
Above the slide the creek starts on 6
huge semjcrcle which ends at the falls
The creek, afler a series Of rapids anC
cascades, takes sheer drop Of perhaps
100 feet, then slips and slides at al
angle down the bare smooth rock for q
. or 30 feet farther. In summer time
when the water is low, the falls ar,
delicately beautiful; in winter, when th'
creek is a raging torrent, they arr
sublime. The precipitous nature Of th,
country is something almost terrific
To be at the foot Of the falls is like beinI
iua we'll. On all sides save one, wher,
the canyon OF the creek below stretche
away to the southwest, the walls ris'
almost perpendicularly 1t lie here tina
the tunnel site is situated and the cours,
Of the tunnel is the diameter OF tn,
semicircle described by the creek. Tn,
mouth OF the tunnel is perhaps 100 fee
to the westward Of the falls and is l5l
feet from the bottom OF the canyon. II
was a difficult and dangerous feat TO 20
a working ioolhold on the almos
perpendicular rock wall. but it was dom
by careful and level headed work. 4
trail was built as far down as possibl,
from the point above, then when tn
wall became too precipitous, a ladde
was set into niche or groove cut int
the rock and the outer side Of the groov