53

is centred along the main creek from the mouth as far west as the junction
with the north fork. Fairly coarse gold is recovered from the low-lying
gravel benches on or close to bedrock. Much gold has also been recovered
from the outlet end of an ancient channel of Lorne creek known as the
“Dry Hill.” The total production from Lorne creek is estimated at more
than $70,000. Placer gold also occurs on Porcupine and Kleanza, creeks,
and operators were working their leases on these creeks during the past
summer. Some sluicing for placer gold has been done along the low-lying
bars along Skeena river, principally between Pacific and Hazelton.

Dry Hill Placer Group (33)

References: Ann. Repts., Minister of Mines, B.C.: 1898, p. 1152; 1899, p. 657; 1900,
p. 790; 1901, p. 991; 1902, p. H47; 1903, p. H52; 1904, p. 101; 1905, p. 82;
1906, p. 109; 1914, pp. 137, 175; 1930, p. 154; 1931, p. 77; 1932, p. 86.

The Dry Hill placer group, owned by Stewart A. Corley of Prince
Rupert, is on the north side of Lorne creek a short distance west of Skeena
river. The claims cover an ancient channel of Lorne creek about 2,000
feet in length. The channel is a gravel-filled depression which joins Lorne
creek a mile above its mouth and enters the Skeena valley half a mile west
of Skeena river at a point three-eighths of a mile north of Lorne creek. The
outlet end of the stream known as the Dry Hill pit has been worked from
time to time by various operators for almost fifty years. Large-scale
hydraulic operations were carried out here between 1901 and 1917 by the
Dry Hill Hydraulic Mining Company, but without the success anticipated.
In 1905 it is recorded that the clean-up amounted to $12,800, but that
mining expenses were $20,000. In 1916 the clean-up is said to have been
$10,000 and operating expenses $14,000. During this period only 350 feet
of a total length of 2,000 feet of virgin ground in the buried channel was
worked. j

An excellent detailed description of the operations on this property is
given by Douglas Lay in the Annual Report for the Minister of Mines,
B.C., 1930, pages 154 to 159.

During the year 1936 S. A. Corley was engaged in driving an adit in the
bedrock beneath the outlet end of the Dry Hill channel in the expectation
of finding a narrow, deeper channel of the old stream. In September the
adit had been driven 240 feet in a westerly direction, with a 15-foot cross-
cut to the north at the face, but no deeper channel was found.

In the pit where hydraulic operations were carried out the floor of the
old channel slopes downward in an upstream or westerly direction, and the
walls of the ancient stream course are steep and narrow. At the outlet
where the stream spilled into the Skeena valley the confining walls are
spread apart fan like and the floor rises for a short distance. A slightly
higher rim of bedrock might be expected at the outlet as a result of less
cutting power of the water with the broadening out of the channel.

Provided the adit is low enough it might be continued westerly to
break into the floor beneath the centre of the Dry Hill pit. It would then
form an excellent drainage channel for sluicing operations of bedrock
gravels from farther upstream.