| OCR Text |
Show 1290 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 3. The Clear Creek Canon mine known as the William's Lode. This mine was opened in the autnmn of 1875, aud has been worked at intervals from that time. The wall- rock is granite, overlaid by grayish clay. The vein runs north 7i° east, and is about 3 feet wi « < e. The dip is 37°. There is a tunnel 300 feet long, and a shaft 73 feet deep has beeu sunk. The minerals found are malachite, aznrite, pyrite, and crystalline- quartz. About $ f> 0,000 has lieen expended ou this mine, and but two men were working in September, 1H76. Half a mile northward is the Woodstock L-> de. The vein- matter runs northeast and southwest, and is exposed in a small prospect- hole. Both the Williams aud Woodstock Lodes are argentiferous. There are several other prospect- holes on the ridge between Clear Creek and Carson City, but no developments of any account have been made thus far. 4. The Niagara mine. I did not. visit this mine, but the following description is condensed from the report of Mr. H. 11. Whitehill for 1873- 74: " The Niagara mine is situated north of King's Caflon, and west of Carson. The vein is mcased in sUte and gneiss, and is 30 feet wide on the 100- foot level. Brides two cross- cats on the surface, there is a shaft 5 by 6 feet sunk to the depth of 100 feet. A drift about 70 feet, running in a westerly direction, ( the dip of the vein being almost 45° to the west, pitching into the hill,) cuts the vein at about 40 fiv^ r., atid tuduoo rnus 3"> feet through the lode toward the west wall. The rock contains from 5 to 30 pec cent, of copper, which gives it a g- oeu color. The copper suliist lie* east of t te gneiss, in which free gold is found. Tais mine has good clay walls, and is, doubtless, a true iissiire- vein. Assays of ore from this mine have reached into the him trods. It is incorporated, and is divided into 30,000 shares. The extent of this claim is 1,500 feet along the lode." THE WESTERN SUMMIT. This term has been given to the range bordering Lake Tahoe on the west. The portions of it explored in 187G lie between Pyramid Peak and the town of Truckee, a distance of about 35 miles. The range rises abruptly from the level of iho lake to a comparatively narrow serrated ridge- liue, and passes gradually into a series of broad plateau- like foot- hills, which extend westward to the Sacramento Valley. The Western Summit is composed of several ridges running parallel or nearly parallel to each other. Beginning at the southern end, there is the Pyramid P^ ak Range ou the extreme west; then come two minor irregular ridges between it and thoTallao Range. The la ter is of a very picturesque outline. The canons of the Western Snmruit are winding and greatly diversified. This range is not densely wooded, except al * ng the foot of the slopes, and the peaks are rocky and barren. Quaking- aspens grow on the ea8teru t- lope ami in Blackwood and Truckoe Cafl- ms. There is scarcely any vegetation in the upper parts of the range. Some of the peaks ard remarkable f > r the great variety of lichens growing on their rocky summits. Black, yellow, gray, brown, and red lichens are found ou Twin Peaks. White thorn and manzauita bush abound ou the easterly siile of the Western Summit, aud a few ferns are scattered hither and thither. The piincipal tives are pine, spruce, aud fir. lu the southern part pines attain the height of 150 feet. The truuks of these trees are ottoutimes covered with bright- green moss for a distance of 30 feet from the ground. There is but little arable land in this range; Squaw Valley, Blackwood Canon, and Tahoe City being the only places where it may be found to any extent. There are nurnerons lakes ou the Western Summit; the most important of which are Fallen Liaf, Cascade, and Ech} Lakes. The one first named is situate! in the western side of Lake Valley, about 1 | miles from Lake Taho^, which is 1V8 feet lower. Falleu Laaf Lake is about l mile wideand 3J miles loujj. The temperature of the water was 54° F. in O ; tober. Ou the northeast shore* of this lake are found pebbles of a great variety of roak, such as slate, basalt, grauite, diorite, & o., all of which have been bronght from the lofty Western Summit. Cascade L: ik- i is about 1| miles from Lake Tahoe, and lies directly in front of Tallac Peak; but, unlike Fallen Leaf Lake, its discharge- creek has considerable fall, and the surface of Cascade Lake is 350 feet above Tahoe. A lumber- road leads from the former to the latter. Echo Lake lies between two rocky ridges on top of the Western Summit, about 1 mile from the Phtcerville road. It is about 1} miles long and one- fourth mile broad. The southern bank of the lake is lined %' ith conifers aud a few alder bushes. Elsewhere the shores are very barren and rocky. B- side these just- described lakes there are at least twenty others of minor importance throughout the Western Summit. Those mountain lakelets usually lie in cup- shaped depressions in the grauite. The principal streams in the Western Summit are the south fork ojf the American River ami the Truckee River. The former rises near the " Devil's Basin," flows soutb, then southwest, and empties into the Sacramento River. The latter rises at the head of Lake Valley, flows northward through Lake Tahoe, just as the Rhone flows throagh the Lake of Geneva, then turns westward, and finally, after running northerly for several miles, takes a northeastern direction and empties into Pyramid Lake. Most of the brooks in this range rise on the ridge- line, flow eastward, and empty into |
