Calearth Clay Deposit

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From the California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 47, No. 1, Jan. 1957:

Ownership: 6 placer claims, Calearth 1, 2, 3, and 4, Oversight, and Lakeview, are owned by the Calearth Corp., W.R. Cantley, pres., Olancha and are leased to Sierra Talc and Clay Co., 5509 Randolf St., Los Angeles.

The Calearth deposit is a bed of "fuller's earth" 16 feet in average thickness; the bed strikes N. 70° to 85° E. and dips 10° to 12° N. Tertiary basalt overlies the deposit.

The only claims being mined have a 900-foot adit, driven S. 70° W. which functions as the main entry and haulage way. A winze 100 feet from the adit portal is the important vertical opening. The mining method used is room-and-pillar; drifts are extended from the winze, and raises from the drifts to give 40-foot pillars in the direction of dip in the clay bed, and 30-foot pillars in the direction of the strike. The pillars will be removed later.

All the openings have been timbered. A unique method, that of using pneumatic spaders, or "clay diggers" rather than the conventional drilling and blasting, is employed. Other equipment at the mine includes Ingersoll-Rand 105 and Chicago Pneumatic 105 air compressors. Air slushers are used underground to handle the clay.

Most of the clay produced is from underground workings, although some is mined from surface cuts. The clay is hauled by truck, on contract, to Olancha and shipped by rail to the company's grinding plant in Los Angeles. The clay is used for filtration and decolorization purposes.

Seven men are employed.
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