THE GRAVEL CLAIMS AT GOLD HUN. 



147 



It was of course impossible to tell what the depth of bank had been at all points over this extent 

 of ground, but relying upon the statement that the slope of the country had been pretty gradual 

 from west to east, and upon my measurements and estimates of heights at a great number of points, 

 I obtained the results given below. On the Canon Creek side and near the ravines the banks were 

 seldom more than thirty or forty feet high on the average for any considerable distance, while on 

 the western and northwestern sides of the diggings we find as a rule banks of from ninety to 120 

 feet or more in height. At the Cedar No. 2 Claim, where the highest bank of all is to be seen, it is 

 as much as 240 feet from the bottom of the flume to the top of the bank, but this depth is reached 

 only over a comparatively small area. It will hardly be necessary to give in detail all my notes 

 concerning the heights of banks, the results obtained from their use being all included in Avhat 

 follows. The three prominent ravines crossing the Gold Kim deposit of gravel and emptying into 

 Canon Creek furnish such good lines of division that it is most convenient to subdivide the whole 

 mass into four portions, measuring and calculating each one by itself. It is not claimed that abso- 

 lute accuracy is attained in this way, but I think as good and trustworthy a result is here offered 

 as could be expected from the small amount of time available for making the measurements. I am 

 convinced that I am not far out of the way, and really cannot tell whether any of my figures are 



around the whole region. 



too low — probably — or too high. My endeavor was to strike as near a mean value as possible 



in all cases. 



My estimate of the average thickness of gravel which has been removed between the railroad 

 and Goosling Ravine is sixty feet, — based upon observations of height of bank every few rods 



One or two small ravines had their heads within this region, but I have 

 made such allowances as seemed to me most nearly correct. The same estimate I made for the 

 portion between Goosling Eavine and Gold Run Ravine. Between Gold Run Ravine and Potato 

 Rarine the average is a little lower, — say fifty-seven feet. But to the south of Potato Ravine 

 (even without the deep part of the excavation at Cedar No. 2) the average would be notably higher. 

 For this portion I adopted seventy feet as the average thickness. My calculations to determine 

 the number of cubic yards of gravel washed away gave the following results : 





Between the railroad and Goosling Ravine 



Between Goosling Ravine and Gold Run Ravine 



Between Gold Run Ravine and Potato Ravine 



South of Potato Ravine (excepting a part of Cedar No. 2) 



Add for deep part for Cedar No. 2, say . . ... 



Total 



439,084,800 cubic feet. 

 202,554,000 " " 

 91,808,040 * " 



440,009,400 

 50,000,000 







1,224,116,240 



l. 



u 



These calculations are made on the supposition that the bottom of the old workings is always 

 smooth and level, which is for from being the case. In many places there are sluices of consider- 

 able size which have been cut deeper than the surrounding gravel, — and in many other cases 

 considerable masses of gravel have been left standing. This is particularly the case where different 

 claims have been worked from opposite directions, and a wedge or pyramidal shaped mass has been 

 loft as a landmark. To allow for what has been left in this way I estimated that a deduction of 

 about five per cent from the grand total would be nearly correct. Making this deduction, I get 

 1,162,910,428 cubic feet as the amount of gravel which has been removed since the commencement 

 of the washings between the railroad and the Cement Mill. Or, in round numbers, 43,000,000 

 cubic yards. This number I shall refer to again. 



It is pretty safe to say that there remains within the limits referred to in the above calcula- 

 tion an average depth of as much as a hundred or a hundred and twenty feet more of gravel before 

 bed-roek will be reached. On this supposition, then, we can calculate upon as much as 86,000,000 

 cubic yards, left to bo washed, to say nothing about the outside claims which have not yet been 

 touched to any great extent. These will add considerably more to the grand total, and make in 

 all, say, 125,000,000 cubic yards ; much of this will undoubtedly prove richer than the portions 

 already worked out, though some, with equal certainty, will be poorer. 





