The Wrangell sentinel., 1931-11-06
CleanupS Of CaSSiar Hydraulic
 Show Mine Has Excellent Values

A H. Bryant, general manager Of the -Cassiar Hydraulic Mines, Ltd, located on Dease Creek, Li- ard Mining Division, B. C., about
 100 miles from Telegraph Creek, Is much encouraged by the results of the past seasons work, despite the fact that he started the sea- son under serious handicap and a round of misfortunes and accidents.
 MT. Bryant left Wrangell with crew of fourteen men the latter part of April. Six miles from telegraph Creek on Six Mile Hill, the party which was travelling by wagons hauled by caterpillar, met with an accident. The hill was icy and the caterpillar tracks having worn smooth, the cater pillar skidded, the wagons jack knifed, and all went rolling down the embankment. By a seeming miracle, no one was killed and the only ones injured were A. Laverett, the driver, and MT. Bryant. The party went back to Telegraph Creek, and after the caterpillar and wagons were over nauled the men left for the mine. Three weeks later they were join ed by MT. Bryant.
 It was not possible to take ad- vantage of the high water at the beginning of the season as there was so much dead work to do. Owing to trouble last year, caused by water at the drop cutting and sluicing gravel, it was found neces- sary to build a half mile of Hume and crib work from the upper to the lower ditch
 MT. Bryant also found that over half mile of ditch at Bucks Gulch was nearly filled with slides below the fumes, and at the upper end gumbo deposit had nearly filled the ditch. This was all cleared out by hand and tagging put in to hold the bank from sliding while 1900 feet of Hume were built to connect up the work of last year. The shovel and Hume work were finished about the same time and water turned through the first week in August
 Water began dropping until the last day of June found the crew working to disadvantage trying to mine with the slack water of Lyons Gulch.
 Following the first cleanup in the middle of July the day shift was kept on work in the pit, drill ing and blasting boulders and bed rock, taking up and moving the pipe line and monitors until water was got through from Bucks gulch. After that three eight-hour shifts of three men each, began mining. In few days the water started dropping. Operations were con- tinued in the expectation of raise in water the same as last year when there was high water in both Lyons and Bucks gulches. Working at such disadvantage the crew succeeded only in getting strip of bedrock uncovered 34 feet  piped off and not cleared. They were not able to pipe through the left limit of the channel which carries the best pay The last cleanup was made in cold weather, the temperature averaging IA de- grees above zero with ice covering everything. Ha
 The work this season, says MT. Bryant, has demonstrated with out doubt the existence of an am cient channel, carrying gold bear | ing gravels, heavy gold in bed rock wash and fine gold well dis tributed through the upper grav- els. Very little of this gold reached the sluices, and will re- main in the pit until bed rock is uncovered and cleaned.
 As a result of the seasons work 1 the property looks better than ever to mining engineers. every thing is in readiness now to take | advantage of high water next spring, without delay, and encour- aging results from the first sixty udyo plpihS may uO dutiClpdteu with confidence.
 MT. Bryant's plans for future operations will take all advantage of high water in the spring and fall, slucing all heavy gravel through boxes possible and when water drops off the latter part of ] July or first part of August, to sluice top gravel or lighter wash, and to put on additional sluice boxes when needed, shift pipe and giants when necessary, and do oth- CT dead work This can be done ] during the low stage of water without loss of time, and everyz thing put in readiness for fall rains. More water may be secur- ed by building 45O0 feet of ditch