HYDRAULIC MINING IN CALIFORNIA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 367, 24 June 1874, Page 3

HYDRAULIC MINING IN CALIFORNIA.

{Scientific American) | An article copied from the :t Calaveras Chronicle," 15th November, is calculated to mislead your readers, as it entirely mistakes the process of -hydraulic milling aa it was live years ago, or even twelve years ago. j\'o doubt that changes have beeu made, in that the great power of water has been more universally adopted for mining purposes. lam an old Californian, and will now simply relate a trial which I witnessed in 1859, in the county of Placer, near Forest Hill, -being one of a committee to test the different nozzles, in order to ascertain which among the various constructions would produce the best results in cutting down an embankment.

The water was brought in a flume from the mountain side. The conducting pipe was of iron, Bin. in diameter, except that near the lower end, where the nozzle was attached, there was about 57ft. of five-ply canvas wound spirally with rope threequarters of an inch in diametre, all made Bolid together. The perpendicular pressure was 196 ft.; the bore of the nozzles used varied from l£ to 2in. iv diameter ; the nozzles were of various tapers, some being tapered to within a few inches of the end, then going straight ; and there were various other forms. The character of the earth was cemented gravel, so hard near the bed race that it was said that a mau could not pick up by hand, four wheelbarrow loads in a day. The embankment worked upon at that time was about 25ft. in depth, but it grew deeper as they worked up into the mountain.

The work of the hydraulic was fearful to behold, and one could scarcely believe one's own eyes. Taking hold of the stream of water as, in its fury, it poured from the nozzle, I could compare it to nothing better than polished ivory ; and it could not be penetrated with, the finger. I tried to split the stream with my pocketknife by holding the edge against the nozzle at the end, but could not hold the knite sufficiently firm to do it. The operator stood about twenty two feet from the embankment, tlie water pouring with, terrific fury into the bank, roaring clashing, and filling the air with stones, the gravel flying about in every dii'oction, The stuiup of an oak, newly cut, about 18 inches in diameter, stood near the edge of the embankment, with, a few roots hanging over. The operator requested us to mark the time required to wash ifc from the bank clear : in less than twenty minutes ie w<is undermined and rolled down tlie hill, and every root washed clean. As an experiment the bark was peeled from a green oak, 20ft distant, by the furious water. When the top dirt was washed off, down to within a foot or so of the dirt rock, the operator directed the stream under the lower edge, and raised large flakes (or lifters, as he called them) hurling them over and over, breaking them among the rocks, and sending thorn down the long sluice, whore (with rocks, some of them weighing more than a ton) they went thundering down fur nearly half a mile in length wlieie most of them were ground up leaving the bewitching contents at Llie bottom of the sliiLe.

Directing the stream against the side of large boulders, which four men could not have turned over by hand, thoy were easily rolled over and over by the force of the stream. The nozzle which carried off the prize was some six inches at the large end, where the water entered, and I think l|in. at the discharge c"nd : it was very long (7ft. or Bft.) and a portion of the small end "bored out perfectly smooth to an exact focus of 92ft. , being the distance from the bank at which it wa3 commonly used. If used at a sharper focus, the currents seem to oross each other, and confuse or scatter the stream beyond ; with a portion af the end bored straight, the stream seemed to scatter from the point of discharge. As the washed rocks occasionally accumulated on the washed bed rock below the embankment, impeding the course of the dirt to the mouth of the sluice, the operator would, with a kind of sweeping stroke, direct the stream so as to sweep everything before it, often shoving ten carl loads or more over the bank into the sluice.

Even before this time I had seen hydraulic mining in Alpha and Omega, and at Nevada, as well as in other localities, of which, even in this day of improvements, California need not be ashamed ;.it levelled mountains, and^often buried men alive. J. I. Emerson Beaver Falls, Pa.

Under the heading of " Music in schools " " Larynx " writes as follows to the "Guarian" • — " To an educated, or even -a naturally pure ear, the attempt at teaching to sing in schools is harsh and untuneful. There is no system followed, and those to whom the teaching is committed are generally persons with literally no musical knowledge. They attempt to teach a few tunes by ear regardless of time, or precise tune. As the teacher has learned it, so is it imparted, with perhaps a few alterations. The cultivation of the voice is a thing totally neglected, and its principles are little understood. Let any one visit our schools, and judge as to whether there is not in each acoarse, wiry, and im melodic tone of voice pervading tht entire, or almost the entire school, while the soft and mellow passages are freqently bawled out with boldness, which is a fair mockery of the sentiment as well as the music. Music, when taught, should be re-

garded as a powerful meaus of refinement in both manners and nwals. It is one of the greatest mistakes, into which the unmusical are likely fall, to consider that music is only for mere amusement. There is nothing which will more influence the inner being of man to pure, moral, and noble feelings, or bring more into sympathy with the theme under contemplation, whether jubilant or mournful, when truly understood in its intrinsic merits thtfn music. It i 3 true that music has too often been made to serve inferior purposes. But its true and genuine effect is to. elevate the soul and inspire worthy emotions. This idea of music wa3 in the soul of Handel, when, on being cr mpliraented by Lord Kinoul for the noble entertainment he had given in the vil'age, he said, ' Sly lord, I should be sorry if 1 only entertained them ; my desire was to make the-n better." And this was but an echo of the sentiments of Plato, the Grecian sage. It will be recollected that some time ago there was a provincial singing master appointed over the schools for the purpose of teaching music. But though the notion was. good, the work set out for him Mas greatly in excess of what any man could accomplish no matter how well the man might be qualified for the work. To make. any progress in the art of music, pupils would require at least one, if not two, lessons in the week. And forthis purpose a proper system of trained teachers who would be alile to devote their time to the work should be adopted.'

The whereabouts of Mr. Archibald Campbell, who left Gippsknd for New Zealand about five years ago, is wanted by his brother, Hector Campbell, late of Tinauiba, now of Glemuuggie, Gippsland.