Getting Gold: A Gold-Mining Handbook for Practical MenJohnson, J. C. F. (Joseph Colin Francis)
History
Getting Gold: A Gold-Mining Handbook for Practical Men
Johnson, J. C. F. (Joseph Colin Francis)
Gold mines and mining
Fig. 35A represents another primitive dolly (Plate VI. hand dollying).
[Illustration: PLATE VI.--HAND DOLLYING _To face p._ 152]
ROUGH WINDLASS.
Make two St. Andrew’s crosses with four saplings, the upper angle being
shorter than the lower; fix these upright, one at each end of the shaft;
stay them together by cross pieces till you have constructed something
like a “horse,” such as is used for sawing wood, the crutch being a
little over 3 feet high. Select a log for a windlass barrel, about 6 in.
diameter and a foot longer than the distance between the supports, as
straight as is procurable; cut in it two circular slots about an inch
deep by 2 in. wide to fit into the forks; at one end cut a straight slot
2 in. deep across the face. Now get a crooked bough, as nearly the shape
of a handle as nature has produced it, and trim it into right angular
shape, fit one end into the barrel, and you have a windlass that will
pull up many a ton of stuff.
PUDDLER.
This is made by excavating a circular hole about 2 ft. 9 in. deep and,
say, 12 ft. in diameter. An outer and inner wall are then constructed of
slabs 2 ft. 6 in. in height to ground level, the outer wall being thus
30 ft. and the inner 15 ft. in circumference. The circular space
between is floored with smooth hard-wood slabs or boards, and the whole
made secure and water-tight. In the middle of the inner enclosure a
stout post is planted, to stand a few inches above the wall, and the
surrounding space is filled up with clay rammed tight. A strong iron pin
is inserted in the centre of the post, on which is fitted a revolving
beam, which hangs across the whole circumference of the machine and
protrudes a couple of feet or so on each side. To this beam are
attached, with short chains, a couple of drags made like V-shaped
harrows by driving pieces of rod iron through a heavy frame, shaped as a
rectangular triangle (Fig. 36).
[Illustration: FIG. 36. PUDDLING MACHINE (SECTIONAL VIEW).]
[Illustration: FIG. 37. PUDDLING MACHINE.]
To one end of the beam an old horse is attached, who, as he slowly walks
round the circular track, causes the harrows and drags to so puddle the
washdirt and water in the great wooden enclosure that the clay is
gradually disintegrated, and flows off with the water which is from
time to time admitted. The clean gravel is then run through a “cradle,”
“long Tom,” or “sluice,” and the gold saved. This, of course, is the
simplest form of gold mining. In the great alluvial mines other and more
intricate appliances are used, but the principle of extraction is the
same.
A MAKESHIFT PUMP.
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