Year: 1859

"HYDRAULtc" WAsHING.-The apparatus re-
quired is simple, and is modification of the
common "penstock" used to drive waterwheels.
1t was known that high column OF water esca-
ping at bottom, possessed great motive power; at
first experiment. penstocks were built which
produced the desired effect, but adjacent mining
ground having been washed away, great trouble
and expense were incurred in replacing the fix
ture. To defer removal as long possible canvass
hose was attached, and then some rejecting genius
began to think that, perhaps, the hose might
answer tcahout the troublesome penstock. Ex-
pertinent confirmed his opinion, and now a
Hydraulic" apparatus is nothing more than a
long piece Of hose with an iron or copper pipe.
The claim is usually located on hillside. Water
is brought in small fume or trough to the place
required, the boxes being supported directly
over the place by long-legged benches; for a
while the stream is permitted to fall unobstructed
from the dumc, and thus, in a short time it digs
out gullcy and makes beginning. Miners,
with picks, crowbars and hoes, assist the ecolumn
of water to dig until it has reached the " bed
rock or made an excavation large enough for
their purpose. Then hose six or ten inches in
diameter when filed but much wider at the up
per end is fastened TO the 1ume above, and per-
mittcd to hang down the steep bank, and term-
mating at bottom with an iron pipe fitting the
hose at junction, but narrowing down six or seven
feet to a nozzle Of an inch, or more. The hose
filling with wafer accumuates immense projectle
power, which the "piper' turns to advantage by
directing the pipe against the bank which is
required to be washed down. The water from
this prodgious squirt" borcs into the bank
which crumbles and falls and is washed Off thro'
an "open cut or ditch, to the creek or ravine
below This preparatory work is called opening
up claim" no gold is expected until face"
has been put on the bank; that is, until the bank
has become perpendicular from the bed rock up


1t is then asccrtained by trial with a common
wash pan " how deep the pay dirt is, or expert
ence may determine that by looking at the for
nation and fixing the limit whore gravel or
cement begins. All above that line is considered
"top dirt and is washed down and away as
fast as possible until bench" of thirty or fifty
feet square is cleared down to the pay dirt.
Then search for gold begins; the pipe is applied
at the bed rock, until large mass Of earth is
undermined and falls the piper then turns the
stream on the fallen earth until it is all washed
away, other miners throwing out the large rocks
and assisting the process with shovels and hoes
After the "cave' has been disposed Of, the pipe
is again turned against the bank to pipe down
another. In the meantime, whatever gold existed
in the ground washed off, settles in the water
course or ground sueo" by which the rubbish
went Off In this manner operations go on for
several weeks without investigation Of amount
of deposits in the ground sluicc, Or trench-that
important fact is not ascertained until water
begins to diminish, when the miners are thus
admonished that it is time to clean up"-a
process TO be described hereafter.


Sometimes, pending this investigation, some
spcculating fellow averse to hard work. takes
advantage Of the miners deep sleep, visits his
claim at night and scoops mp bag-ful Of deposit
at the head Of the tench and takes it aud himself
Off but where claims rich. dear experience
has advised the necessity Of night watch or the
caving down Of a large quantity Of earth in the
evening which the thief is unable to remove
from the buried treasures.