Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-02-26
How Gold Is Mined With Water.

In some parts OF the West there are
great banks Of pebbles and powders
in which gold is to be found. 1t is
not there as nuggets, or even as ore,
but as fine particles that have been
washed down into the depths oil the
hills by the long-continued action Of
natural forces.
The gold csunot be obtained by the
usual methods Of the miner; it would
not pay him to adopt them, because
the PARTICLES are SO fine and are 50
scattered that the time consumed in
getting them out would be worth more
than the product.
To the successful working Of these
great pebble cliffs the miner has
adapted stream of water, which does
the work thoroughly unsided by any
force except its own.
In many directions, away up on the
surrounding hills, sluices and water
ways are constructed, so that the lit
tie streams and rills will send their
waters down to reservoir which is
built somewhere within 800 or 400
yards of the cliff that is TO be worked
and 100 or $50 feet above it. The res
ervolr having been built an iron pipe,
varying in diameter from slI 10 twenty
inches, according to the work that Is
to be done, is laid from it to what is
called the working level that is to
say, to the point from which the work.
ing men will direct the stream thus
conveyed to them.
At this point piece Of machinery
ia built which weighs from ore TO
three tons, and the frame on which 1t
rests is not only securely anchored TO
the ground, but is weighed down with
10 or 10 tons OF rock. And yet it is
merely a nozzle jolnted to the iron
pipe that brings the water from the
reservoir. Why it isso heavily weight
ed down will soon be seen.
The nozzle, heavy as it is, is 30 con.
structed that it may be directed at
any part Of the cliff by the hands Of
one man; and yet if it should, by any
unfortunate accident, get out Of the
mans control, and the water be not
instantly turned oil at the reservoir,
1t becomes as manageable ss a tor
nsdo.
When everything isrssdy the sluice
gate at the reservoir is opened and the
water begin. to run with besdlong
force down tn. iron pipe and out at
the nozzle, which generally has a di-
ameter of about eight inches.
The pipemsn turns the stream on
the cliff, and pebbles and bowlders.
some Of the latter weighing more than
a ton, are Knocked down and scattered
about like corks in the fury Of hur-
ricane.
The force Of this stream n almost
incredible. 1t has no power behind it
but its own gravity, and ss it strikes
the cliff it makes a roar that may be
heard for more than mile. 1t will
wash down more pay dirt" in one
day than 10000 men could handle
with the old-fashioned rockers"
As the water comes from the nozzle
it is like solid ice. Try to stick
knife blade into il and the knife will
be jerked from the handle. Try 10
thrust a crowbsr into it-and strong
man may succeed in getting the point
half an inch in, but the bar will be
wrencbed violently from his hands.
Nor could the strongest man that lives
drive an at into the stream further
than half an inch.
Somstimes nozzle will tear itself
loose from its fsstenipgs, and when
that happens the stream deals destruc-
tion and death all around it until come
one shuts of the water up at the res
ervoir.