Hydraulic Mining Video

[Slatco]

Neat old video of one of the largest hydraulic mines to operate in BC.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Gg1b ... sp=sharing

[Jim_Alaska]

Did anyone notice the riffles lining up with the flow of the water? This was pretty common and is also the reason that the old hydraulic miners lost a lot of fine gold. They were running such huge volumes of material that they ran the riffles this way as a sort of means of making them self cleaning; in other words riffles running across the box, like ours do, would tend to pack up with material pretty quickly. If that happened then they would even lose some of the larger gold. I guess they reasoned that riffles running with the flow would clean out somewhat, washing away the finer material and leaving the nuggets. I have even seen some of the old sluice boxes in Alaska that used small pole riffles, I have seen those positioned with the flow as well as across the box.

[chickenminer]

Neat old video! Thanks for posting.
Is there any permafrost in BC ?

[chickenminer]

Here is a few old mining videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUzZT1jZWvw

This one on the dredge is pretty cool, footage of them changing the pins in the dredge
bucket line .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXZ8JAxjPI

This one if from Wiseman... shows sluicing a dump from winters drifting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0VqeW03Fo

[chickenminer]

Jim...
Having a section of those 'pole style' riffles was pretty common even in the early 70's. I seen guys use pipe and my grandfather had a section using small gauge railroad rail in his box. I hated cleaning those things! In fact, I can't think of many good memories of that old 40' sluice box. Way to many long days of pulling big rocks down its length!!

[Jim_Alaska]

Jim...
Having a section of those 'pole style' riffles was pretty common even in the early 70's. I seen guys use pipe and my grandfather had a section using small gauge railroad rail in his box. I hated cleaning those things! In fact, I can't think of many good memories of that old 40' sluice box. Way to many long days of pulling big rocks down its length!!

Yes Dick, our forerunners did not have it easy. I too have seen the remains of those old sluices that used railroad track. they worked hard for what they got. I'll bet your having the experience of working those old boxes gave you an appreciation for just how hard mining was in those days.

There was also the factor that many never realize, that is the factor of just "getting there". Having lived in Alaska and seen many of the old mining operations, I was always amazed at how difficult it must have been to get the equipment and supplies overland to their mining sites. Some of that old equipment was huge and/or heavy. I think of steam boilers, pipe of various sizes, metal for fabricating, steam points, scraper blades, cable and the list goes on. They had to get it all overland using horses, mules and when possible boats.

You know how difficult remote travel is in Alaska, I have walked over much of the different kinds of terrain and marveled at the tenacity of those old timers in getting what they needed to where they were going to work.

Now on to watch those old videos you posted, I love watching that old stuff, thanks for posting them.

[Slatco]

Neat old video! Thanks for posting.
Is there any permafrost in BC ?

No not typically which makes life easier for sure.