Webexplore long island's storied maritime past and its significance in american history. Discover the historic lighthouses, shipwrecks, and seafaring tales that shaped the region. Visit museums and sites dedicated to preserving and sharing long island's maritime heritage. The sand that covered the shores of what became port washington had a mixture of grain sizes and. Webit’s safe to say that the “gold coast” has a long and storied history for new yorkers, but what isn’t spoken about as often is the fact that the area’s geological past runs much deeper and is just as interesting. Webwebthe cook islands is at the vanguard of a quest to mine the ocean floor for minerals used in electric car batteries. Mining these deposits has never been attempted. Webhistory of mining — gold was one of the first metals mined as it appeared naturally as a pure metal due to its chemical stability. Ancient cultures decorated tombs and temples with gold, paying homage to significant figures. Webin 1865, mining began on the northern shore of long island, to collect sand washed out from retreating ice age glaciers. Immigrant workers from europe, many from sardinia, others from poland, ireland, and scandinavia, first hauled sand with wheelbarrows; The excavations grew with mechanization, and eventually the cliffs and. Webbetween 1870 and 1920, workers were drawn to long island from all over europe to mine this in demand resource. Webby brian james leech and eric c. The most exciting variation from the crushing drudgery of placer sluicing was, for the early california miner, the day the headgate shut and the water stopped running. It was time to see what all.