<p>Written on photo: Firing a drift.
</p><p>Drift mining methods were used extensively to mine placer deposits (an accumulation of valuable minerals formed by gravity separation during sedimentary processes) during the gold rush. During summer, surface deposits could be worked, but some placer deposits were buried too deeply; through drift mining methods, miners were able to recover much of the gold buried under the permafrost, with high-grade gravels to be washed during the spring thaw. 
</p>
PH Coll 298.32<p class="mw-empty-elt"></p>
<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Miners--Yukon</li></ul>
<bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q62641868" class="extiw" title="d:Q62641868"><span title="American photographer">George G. Cantwell</span></a>
</bdi>
circa 1899 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1899-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://content.lib.washington.edu/alaskawcanadaweb/index.html">Alaska, Western Canada and United States Collection</a>