THIS WORK IS DEDICATED

ΤΟ

ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, PH.D.,

BY

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE RECORDS OF GOLD-WASHING.

Siberia, Asia Minor, Italy, Spain, France, Africa, India, Asiatic Isl-

ands, China, Japan, Russia (Table 1. Yield of gold in Russia),

Brazil, Chili, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, U. S. of Colombia,

Mexico; Australasia: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland,

South Australia, New Zealand; Canada, British Columbia; U.

S. of America: New England, Virginia, North Carolina, South

Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, other States

and Territories,

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CHAPTER II.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF PLACER MINING IN CALIFORNIA.

First Mention of California. Discovery of Lower California. Early

Explorations First Mention of Gold. First Mission in Lower

California. First Mission in Upper California. Early Dis-

coveries of Placers. Marshall discovers Gold at Coloma. Other

Gold Discoveries. First Publication of Gold Discoveries. First

Attempt to build Ditches. First Use of the " Long Tom."

Discovery of Gold-Quartz Veins. First Working of Deep De-

posits. Sluicing. First Use of the Hydraulic Method. Canvas

Hose. Iron Pipe. Inverted Siphons. Improved Nozzles.

First Rifle. Deflector. First Drift-Mining. Table Mountain.

Deep Tunnels,

CHAPTER III.

GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF CALIFORNIA.

The three Great Belts of California.-Belt of the Coast Ranges:

Topographical Limits. Mountain System. General Topographi

cal Structure. General Geological Structure. Metamorphism.

Cretaceous Formations. Coal and Cinnabar Deposits. Tertiary

Strata. Asphaltum Deposits. Tin Ore. Pliocene Gravels.

Gold, Silver, and Copper Veins. Eruptive Rocks.-Great

Valley of California: General Topography. Drainage. Rain-

fall.-Belt of the Sierra Nevada: Topographical Structure.

General Geological Structure. Granite, Auriferous Slate For-

mation. Gold-Quartz Veins. Carboniferous Limestones.

Ma-

rine Sedimentary Deposits. Lava. Sedimentary Volcanic Layers.

Gravel Deposits. Deposits at La Grange,

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CHAPTER IV.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD IN DEPOSITS AND THE VALUE OF DIFFERENT

STRATA.

Top Gravel sometimes pays.
Gold in the Grass-Roots. Pay Gravel
sometimes high above Bed-Rock. Pay Gravel generally near
Bed-Rock. Tuolumne River Claims. Nevada County. Sand
generally poorer than Gravel. Rich Pay in Undulations and De-
pressions.—Examples of the Comparative Values of the Different
Gravel Strata: North Bloomfield. Patricksville Light Claim.
La Grange Light Claim. Polar Star Mine,

CHAPTER V.

AMOUNT OF WORKABLE GRAVEL REMAINING IN CALIFORNIA.

Minimum Pay Yield,

CHAPTER VI.

THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF MINING GOLD-PLACERS.

Miners' Classification of Deposits. Classification of Mining Opera-

tions.-Surface-Mining: Dry-Washing. Beach-Mining. Bar

and River Mining. Ground-Sluicing. Booming.-Deep-Min-

ing Drifting. Fig. 1. Sunny South Mine. Hydraulic Mining.

Origin in California. Hydraulic vs. Drift Mining. Require-

ments for Financial Success,

CHAPTER VII.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS.

78

Indications. Explorations at Malakoff. Fig. 2. Section of Malakoff

Shaft No. 1,

87

of Dam.

CHAPTER VIII.

RESERVOIRS AND DAMS.

Storage Reservoirs: Sources of Water-Supply. Requirements for

Sites. Elevation. Streams. Rainfall. Snowfall. Absorption

and Evaporation. Reservoir Gauge. Reservoir Statistics.

Distributing Reservoirs. Table 2. Reservoirs on the Yuba,

Bear, Feather, and American Rivers.-Dams: Foundation.

Wooden Dams. Abutments. Masonry Dams. Fig. 3. Section

Earthen Dams. Puddle Walls. Shrinkage of Em-

bankments. Table 3. Angles of Repose and Friction of Em-

bankment Materials. Fig. 4 Dry-Stone Dam. Dams in Cali-

fornia. Table 4. Principal Dams in California.-Bowman Re-

servoir and Dam: Main Dam. Fig. 5. Bowman Main Dam.

Waste Dam. Fig. 6. Bowman Waste Dam. Débris Dams.

Table 5. Rainfall at North Bloomfield and at the Bowman Dam.

Table 6. Rain and Snow Fall at Bowman Reservoir, .

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