nmiNGTON.] OPEN-CUT MINING. 67 
sarrier plant of daily capacity not exceeding 200 yards. The first cost 
bi all, including a 30-horsepower boiler, was said to be $4,500. Here 
jhe gravel is shoveled into buckets holding 8 cubic feet. These buck- 
ets are trammed on small trucks running on wooden tracks, hooked 
>nto by the derrick cable and lifted and conveyed at same time to 
lie sluice. The derrick boom has a radius of reach of 40 feet, and a 
nuch smaller proportion of time is consumed by the shovelers in 
jamming than when the fixed bucket on cable is used/' The expense 
vas increased in this plant by the necessity of continually thawing with 
24 points. PI. VII, A and B (p. 64), shows the operation of the der- 
•icking plant. 
As against the 5 operations of the cable tram system, there are 
mly 3 in the derricking system if properly handled. The proof 
hat the derricking system is superior to the wheeling and cable 
ram system is evident from the comparative cost. The services of a 
nan at the dump box are generally necessary in all cases under the 
present sluicing practice, so that the self-dumping arrangement of the 
mcket helps but little. 
It should be noted that the Fairbanks operator was working under 
ligher prices generally than the Klondike miners, both for labor (at 
>10 a day, as against $7.50 a day) and for general supplies, and he also 
lad an excessive amount of steam thawing. His lower cost depended 
u'imarily on his increased capacity, resulting for the most part from 
he increased dut}^ of each shoveler, owing to the expeditious and 
daptable system of hoisting and conveying afforded by the derrick. 
^ derricking system in use on Seward Peninsula will be separately 
lescribed. 
The conclusion is that while the cable tram system, using the Daw- 
on carrier, is excellent for drifting work, it is not to be recommended 
or open-cut work where it is possible to obtain space for installing a 
lerrick. 
DERRICKING. 
The plant described below is located on Ophir Creek, in the Council 
lining district of Seward Peninsula. The stream has been turned 
dde and work is proceeding in the old bed. The distinctive feature 
the plant is the use of derricks in overcoming exceptional difficulties 
icountered in the character of the deposit. Hand labor is used in 
ccavation, while transport of material to be washed and disposal of 
ilings are accomplished by derricks. 
The pit in which work is being done depends for its shape and size 
aon the method of working and length of the derrick boom. An 
ea of 30 feet beyond the end of the derrick boom is worked. A pit, 
uglily circular, having a diameter of 140 feet, is the result, since the 
a See also special description of derricking, pp. 67-71. 
