Elusive Gold:Elusive Gold:Gold Mining Gold Mining

MethodsMethods

Characteristics of GoldCharacteristics of Gold

• Rare, soft metal found in natureRare, soft metal found in nature• Easily melted or hammered into new shapesEasily melted or hammered into new shapes

Characteristics of GoldCharacteristics of Gold

• A heavy metal found buried under A heavy metal found buried under sand and water, in rock cracks, or sand and water, in rock cracks, or lining quartz rock.lining quartz rock.

Gold PanningGold Panning

• One person operation One person operation • Requires dipping the gold pan in water Requires dipping the gold pan in water

to wash away the sand and gravel to wash away the sand and gravel leaving behind the heavier gold. leaving behind the heavier gold.

Rocker/CradleRocker/Cradle

• An open box An open box mounted on mounted on rockers that used rockers that used water, the rocking water, the rocking motion and motion and gravity to gravity to separate the gold separate the gold from dirt.from dirt.

Rocker/CradleRocker/Cradle

Operated by three Operated by three minersminers

Long TomLong Tom

• About 12 feet About 12 feet longlong

• More efficient More efficient than the rockerthan the rocker

Courtesy California State Library

Long TomLong TomWhat other tools are the miners using?What other tools are the miners using?

Courtesy California State Library

Sluice Box Sluice Box

Series of riffle boxes connected together Series of riffle boxes connected together into a long chain that water flowed through.into a long chain that water flowed through.

Courtesy California State Library

Water = GoldWater = Gold• As mining methods changed, more As mining methods changed, more

water was needed. water was needed. • Dams and flumes were built to store Dams and flumes were built to store

and redirect water.and redirect water.

Hydraulic Hydraulic MiningMining

• Powerful jets from Powerful jets from water cannons water cannons (monitors) (monitors) sprayed hillsidessprayed hillsides

• Dirt and gravel Dirt and gravel washed into washed into sluicessluices

Hydraulic Mining & the Hydraulic Mining & the EnvironmentEnvironment

What happened to all that dirt and gravel?What happened to all that dirt and gravel?

CoyotingCoyoting

• A form of “dry A form of “dry mining”mining”

• Miners dug a hole Miners dug a hole straight into the straight into the ground. ground.

• Gravel then raised to Gravel then raised to the surface and the surface and washed in sluice washed in sluice boxes or crushed boxes or crushed

CoyotingCoyoting

• Often the shafts were not supported Often the shafts were not supported and many coyote miners lost their and many coyote miners lost their lives in collapsed holeslives in collapsed holes

Coyote mine shaft still visible at Red Rock Canyon Coyote mine shaft still visible at Red Rock Canyon State ParkState Park

Hard Rock Mining/tunnelingHard Rock Mining/tunneling

• Underground tunnels Underground tunnels followed veins of gold followed veins of gold found in quartz rockfound in quartz rock

• Required large Required large companies of mencompanies of men

Hard Rock MiningHard Rock Mining

• Miners used drills Miners used drills and blasting powder and blasting powder to remove the gold to remove the gold bearing quartzbearing quartz

Hard Rock MiningHard Rock MiningCarts carried the ore to the surface where stamp Carts carried the ore to the surface where stamp mills crushed the quartz and gold was removedmills crushed the quartz and gold was removed

Hard Rock Mining & the Hard Rock Mining & the EnvironmentEnvironment

Why are underground mines still Why are underground mines still dangerous today?dangerous today?

California Mining LegacyCalifornia Mining Legacy

Columbia State Historic ParkBodie State Historic Park