Investigations for 

Radioactive Deposits 

in Southeastern 

Alaska

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1024-B

This report concerns work done on 

behalf of the U. S. Atomic Energy 

Commission and is published with 

the permission of the Commission

Investigations for 

Radioactive Deposits 

in Southeastern 

Alaska

By WALTER S. WEST and PAUL D. BENSON

MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA, 1954

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1024-B

This report concerns work done on 

behalf of the U. S. Atomic Energy 

Commission and is published with 

the permission of the Commission

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON ; 1955
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

Washington 25, D. C. - Price 55 cents (paper cover)
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract ___-_______._-_--_-___-_______-___-----__-______-__-______ 25

Introduction ______________________________________________________ 25

Hyder district________._________________.________. 27

Geography_--__--___-_---__--_-___-___-__----_-____-___-_____ 27

Geology. _______________________________________ 29

Geology and development of the Mountain View property__________ 31

Radioactivity investigations.___________________________________ 32

Field methods________.______________________ 32

Laboratory methods_______________________________________ 33

Mineralogy ___________________________________________________ 37

Distribution of radioactive material_____________________________ 43

Economic outlook_ ____________________________________________ 44

Ketchikan, Goddard Hot Springs, Chichagof, Funter Bay. and Juneau

areas. ___-___-_-__-_--_--_-_-__--___--___-_____-_-_-______-_____ 45

Measurement of radioactivity.__________________________________ 45

Areas investigated.____________________________________________ 46

Ketchikan area__________________________________________ 46

Goddard Hot Springs area._________________________________ 47

Chichagof area____________________________________________ 49

Funter Bay area___________________________________________ 51

Juneau area--___-_--_-__----__-_____________-_____.-__-_-__ 52

Economic outlook.____________________________________________ 53

Literature cited___________________________________________________ 54

Index_ ____________________________________________________________ 55

ILLUSTRATIONS

[Plates 7-9 in pocket]

PLATE 7. Geologic map of the Hyder district, Alaska.

8. Geologic sketch map showing location of underground samples 

on part of the Mountain View property, Hyder district, 

Alaska.

9. Map showing the location of surface samples on the Mountain

View property, Hyder district, Alaska. Page 

FIGURE 5. Map of southeastern Alaska showing areas investigated-____ 26

in
IV CONTENTS

TABLES

Page

TABLE 1. Equivalent-uranium content and uranium-bearing minerals 

of samples from the Mountain View Gold Mining Co. 

property and other parts of the Hyder district, 1949______ 34

2. Mineral composition of selected radioactive heavy-mineral fractions of samples from the Mountain View Gold Mining 

Co. property and other parts of the Hyder district- ______ 38

3. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral 

fractions of samples collected in the Ketchikan area, Revillagigedo Island______________________________________ 47

4. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral 

fractions of samples collected in the Goddard Hot Springs 

area, Baranof Island___________________________________ 48

5. Mineralogy of the heavy-mineral fractions of selected samples

collected in the Goddard Hot Springs area, Baranof Island, _ 49

6. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral 

fractions of samples collected in the Chichagof area, Chichagof Island__________________________________ 50

7. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral 

fractions of samples collected in the Funter Bay area, 

Admiralty Island____._________________________________ 52
MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS IN 

SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

By WALTER S. WEST and PAUJ. D. BENSON

ABSTRACT

A radioactivity investigation during 1949 in the Hyder district, southeastern 

Alaska, revealed that radioactive material is widely distributed on the property 

of the Mountain View Gold Mining Company. However, no uranium deposits 

of commercial value were found in the small part of the district covered by this 

investigation.

Above-normal radioactivity was detected at a number of localities on the 

Mountain View property, but the source could not be determined at all sites. 

The most highly radioactive unconcentrated vein sample collected in 1949 contained 0.049 percent equivalent uranium, and the most intensely radioactive veinmaterial concentrate (specific gravity greater than 2.89) contained 0.398 percent 

equivalent uranium. Both samples were from the Skookum tunnel on the Mountain View property.

The radioactive material on the properties investigated in the Hyder district 

appears to be chiefly uranium, which occurs in an unidentified highly radioactive 

opaque mineral and in trace amounts in the sulfides of the vein deposits. Some 

of the radioactive material, however, is disseminated in the igneous rocks of the 

district and, to a minor extent, occurs as thin secondary coatings on fracture 

surfaces in veins and rocks. In addition to the unidentified highly radioactive 

opaque mineral and 2 distinct secondary uranium-bearing minerals, the following 

16 minerals were found to contain uranium in minor amounts: biotite, chalcopyrite, 

chlorite, galena, hematite, limonite, magnetite, marcasite, molybdenite, pyrite, 

pyrrhotite, scheelite, sericite, sphalerite, sphene, and zircon.

Investigations for radioactive deposits during 1949 in the vicinities of Ketchikan, Goddard Hot Springs, Chichagof, Funter Bay, and Juneau, southeastern 

Alaska, revealed no significant concentrations of radioactive materials. Concentrates from stream gravels and disintegrated bedrock near Goddard Hot Springs 

were the most radioactive samples collected in these areas. They contain from 

0.012 to 0.016 percent equivalent uranium. As the chief radioactive mineral in 

these concentrates is allanite, most of the radioactivity is ascribed to thorium.

INTRODUCTION

Early in the summer of 1949, Howard M. Fowler, a mining engineer 

of the Territorial Department of Mines, made a brief radioactivity 

investigation on the property of the Mountain View Gold Mining

25
26 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

Company in the Hyder district (see pi. 7, pi. 9). Several significant 

radioactive anomalies were detected, but the source material could 

not be determined. On the basis of Fowler's work, a Geological Survey party spent several weeks in August and September, 1949, making 

additional studies in an effort to determine the source of the radioactivity and to attempt to locate and study other possible radioactive 

deposits in the Hyder district. The Geological Survey field party 

consisted of Walter S. West and Paul D. Benson, geologists, and Arthur E. Nessett, camp and field assistant. This work was done on

138° 134'

XYUKON__,_- "BRITISH COLUMBIA

2 KetcKikon and vicinity

3 Goddard Hot Springs

4 Chichogof and vicinity

5 Funter Bay

6 Juneau and vicinity

54'

138* 134° 

FIGURE 5. Map of southwestern Alaska showing areas investigated.
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S.. E. ALASKA 27

behalf of the Division of Raw Materials of the U. S. Atomic Energy 

Commission. In addition to surface and underground radioactivity 

investigations on the Mountain View property, brief reconnaissance 

 examinations were made of several other properties and along most 

of the roads and some of the trails in the district. To supplement 

sampling done by the Geological Survey, Arthur O. Moa, manager 

of the Mountain View Gold Mining Company, kindly submitted additional samples from various radioactive veins that he had located 

on the property.

Reports of radioactive materials led to the investigations in the 

Chichagof area on Chichagof Island and the Goddard Hot Springs 

area on Baranof Island. The Funter Bay area on Admiralty Island 

and the Ketchikan area on Revillagigedo Island were examined because ore deposits at both localities contain minerals commonly 

associated with uranium elsewhere in the world. The examination 

of likely radioactive prospects and localities in the Juneau area, 

southeastern Alaska, were made primarily as a matter of convenience while the party was unavoidably detained there several times 

by weather. (See fig. 5.)

The.staff of the Washington laboratories of the Geological Survey 

conducted intensive mineralogic studies of specified samples and the 

personnel of the Alaskan Geology Branch assisted in the radiometric 

analyses and part of the mineralogic determinations of the samples. 

The authors received valuable information and many kindnesses in 

the field from many prospectors and residents of Alaska. The authors 

are especially indebted to Arthur E. Nessett of Missoula, Mont., for 

the consistently effective service he rendered in furthering the work 

as field and camp assistant.

HYDER DISTRICT

GEOGRAPHY

The Hyder district of southeastern Alaska is situated near the 

head of tke Portland Canal and comprises the area drained by the 

Salmon River (fig. 5, pi. 7). Its limits are defined on the north and 

east by the international boundary, on the west by the divide between 

the headwaters of the streams tributary to the Salmon River and 

those tributary to the Chickamin River, and on the south by the 

Portland Canal. The property of the Mountain View Gold Mining 

Company is about 5 miles north of Hyder, near the junction of Skookum Creek with Fish Creek. The town of Hyder is near the mouth of 

the Salmon River and extends along the Portland Canal to the international boundary.

Supplies for the area are obtained from Hyder or from Stewart, 

British Columbia, which is 2 miles northeast of Hyder at the head of
28 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

the Portland Canal. These towns are accessible the year round by 

both seaplane and boat.

Many of the mining properties in the district are accessible from 

Hyder and Stewart by roads and trails (pi. 7). A good gravel road 

between Hyder and the Premier mine in Canada affords access to 

some of the mineral deposits east of the Salmon River. About 11 

miles of this road is in Alaska. Another narrow road has been constructed from the bridge across Salmon River above Ninemile, where 

the road connects with the main highway, to the vicinity of Texas 

Lake at the head of the West Fork valley. The road follows the 

West Fork of Texas Creek for a distance of about 10 miles. Some of 

the properties not accessible by road may be reached by pack trials 

.built and maintained by the U. S. Forest Service.

The Hyder district is a mountainous region of great relief. The 

valley floors of Salmon River and Texas Creek, which represent the 

only relatively level land in the district, rise from sea level to about 

500 feet; and the mountains extend steeply upward to heights of 4,000 

to 6,000 feet. The area in general is heavily forested to altitudes of 

3,000 to 4,000 feet. The timber, mainly western and black hemlock 

and Sitka spruce, is of sumcient quantity and quality to supply local 

mining needs. Within this forested zone thick underbrush constitutes 

a hindrance to exploration in many places. From the timberline up 

to the lower limit of the snow and ice fields is a zone of alternating 

bare rock, talus, and glacial debris covered in part by .heather, scrawny 

trees, and patches of snow. Snow and ice caps cover all large areas 

above 5,000 feet, and glaciers are found in protected basins and valleys 

at much lower altitudes. Some of the glaciers, such as Texas, Casey, 

Ferguson, and Thumb, are retreating quite rapidly. The major 

streams in the area are glacial streams containing a large quantity of 

mud, silt, and suspended triturated rock. On some of the properties 

there are clear mountain streams sumcient in volume to furnish adequate waterpower for prospecting and, in a few places, for mining.

The area is subject to extremely heavy snowfalls, and, because of 

this fact, prospecting and development have been seriously retarded. 

The heaviest precipitation occurs in the late fall and winter months, 

mostly in the form of snow. The average annual snowfall is about 

18 feet in the lowest areas and occasionally amounts to as much as 

40 to 60 feet at higher altitudes. The summer season is relatively 

short. Properties that lie at the higher altitudes rarely have more 

than 4 to 5 months of open season, whereas those, such as the Mountain View, lying at altitudes of less than 1,500 feet are favored with 

an open season of from 7 to 8 months during the year. The rainfall 

is moderately heavy during late spring, summer, and early fall. It 

is least in May and June and greatest in July, August, September,
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 29

and October. The mean annual temperature at sea level is 40°F 

and the winter temperatures rarely fall below zero.

GEOLOGY

The geology and the ore deposits of the Hyder district have been 

described by Brooks (1902), Wright and Wright (1908), Chapin (1916), 

Mertie (1921), Westgate (1921), Buddington (1925 and 1929), Jewell 

(1927), Buddington and Chapin (1929), and Erickson (1946). The 

geology of the Hyder district as described below is taken mostly from 

Buddington (1929).

The district lies adjacent to and includes a part of the northeastern 

border of the Coast Range batholith, which parallels the shoreline of 

British Columbia and southeastern Alaska for about 1,100 miles and 

ranges from 20 to 110 miles in width. The batholith at the latitude 

of Hyder is about 50 miles wide; the batholith and the outlying dikes, 

sills, and stocks genetically related to it affect an area more than 100 

miles wide. Mineral deposits are widespread in this border belt, 

which is generally referred to as the eastern or interior belt of mineralization.

The four major rock units (pi. 7) distinguished in the Hyder district 

are as follows:

Hazelton group: A sequence of bedded rock which are both volcanic and 

sedimentary in origin and which consist of greenstone, tuff, volcanic 

breccia, graywacke, slate, argillite, quartzite, and rarely limestone.

Texas Creek granodiorite: A central batholithic mass of gray granodiorite 

which is bounded on the east and west by, and is intrusive into, the Hazelton group.

Hyder quartz monzonite: A batholith of pinkish quartz monzonite which 

lies along the southern border of, and is intrusive into, the Hazelton group 

and the Texas Creek granodiorite.

Boundary granodiorite: A pink granodiorite stock lying on the north side of, 

and intrusive into, the Hazelton group and the Texas Creek granodiorite.

 " ^SS

The Hazelton group is considered to be of Jurassic (?) age; and the 

Texas Creek, Hyder, and Boundary granitic rocks, all of which are 

facies of the Coast Range batholith, are probably of Jurassic or Cretaceous age. Small stocks and dikes of gray sheared porphyry, genetically related to the Texas Creek granodiorite, cut the sedimentary and 

volcanic rocks of the Hazelton group. Also, both the Texas Creek 

granodiorite and the rocks of the Hazelton group are intruded at 

numerous places by dikes of pink and white granodiorite or dark diorite porphyry which are allied genetically with the Hyder quartz 

monzonite and the Boundary granodiorite. All four major groups of 

rocks and the associated dikes and stocks are cut by narrow lamprophyre dikes. Aplite dikes are also found in all four groups of rocks.

334310 55 2
30 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

Fluvial, glaciofluvial, and glacial debris of Pleistocene and Recent 

age has been deposited along the flood plains of the main streams, 

on benches along the stream valleys, in some of the tributary valleys, 

and on the less steep mountain slopes.

At the present time large quantities of silt, sand, gravel, and 

cobblestones are being deposited on the floors of the Salmon River 

and Texas Creek valleys; and the upper valleys of West Fork and 

Thumb Creek are likewise being aggraded with the same kinds of 

material. The Salmon River is building a delta into the Portland 

Canal. Terminal and lateral moraines are being formed by many of 

the glaciers. Rock waste in the form of talus and landslide aggregates 

continues to accumulate at the bottoms of cliffs and on the sides and 

near the bases of the steep mountains.

The rocks of the Hazelton group and the Texas Creek granodiorite 

have been subjected to a considerable amount of minor faulting, but 

no fault of any great magnitude has been observed. Although joints 

have been developed in the Texas Creek granodiorite, there appears 

to be no constancy in the direction of their strike or dip except locally. 

A better defined joint system occurs in the Hyder quartz monzonite. 

Only the Texas Creek batholith, with its associated outlying stocks 

and dikes, and the rocks of the Hazelton group are known to contain 

mineral deposits of economic importance. Some of the mineral 

veins, which occur along or near the contact between the batholith 

and the Hazelton group, are cut by granodiorite and diorite porphyry 

dikes that are associated with the Hyder quartz monzonite and the 

Boundary granodiorite. Some mineral veins are cut by still younger 

lamprophyre dikes.

The mineral deposits of economic importance in the Hyder district 

have been classified by Buddington (1929) and are somewhat modified 

and condensed by the authors as follows:

Quartz fissure veins of the lead-silver type: The veins are found principally 

within the Texas Creek granodiorite but are found also in the rocks of the 

Hazelton group and within outlying stocks and dikes of porphyry associated with the Texas Creek granodiorite. The sulfides are in shoots 

within the quartz veins. The predominant metalliferous minerals are 

galena and pyrite. Sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, pyrrhotite, and 

native gold are present in lesser amounts. Barite is the most common 

gangue mineral. Examples of the lead-silver type are found on the 

Fish Creek, Mountain View, Homestake, Riverside, Cantu, and Texas 

Comstock properties and constitute one of the major types of veins in 

the district.

Veins of the gold type: An example of this type is a siliceous heavy-sulfide 

body of ore in the Premier mine in Canada (Schofield and Hanson, 1921). 

A similar mineral aggregate seems to occur in the Texas Creek hatholith 

on the Cantu property and possibly on the Mountain View property in 

the Hyder district. The predominant minerals are quartz and pyrite, and 

small amounts of chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena are present. Assays
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 31

show that the ore contains moderate to high amounts of gold and practically no silver.

Disseminated and lenticular replacement deposits: Deposits of these types 

are mainly in the greenstone parallel to the schistose structure and are 

principally of the base-metal types. The predominant metalliferous 

minerals are pyrite, galena, sphalerite, and pyrrhotite, or pyrrhotite with 

minor amounts of chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, and sphalerite. Gold is 

found in the sphalerite. Chalcopyrite is the predominant ore mineral in 

some deposits, and tetrahedrite is present in many deposits. The gangue 

minerals are quartz, calcite, and barite. Examples of this type are found 

on the Daly-Alaska, Virginia, Hobo, and Stoner properties and form one 

of the major types of deposits in the district.

Mineralized fissure zones: The zones are approximately parallel to the 

structure in the slate and the tuffaceous graywacke of the Hazelton group. 

The deposits consist in part of fissure fillings and in part of partly replaced 

country rock. Galena and sphalerite are the most common sulfides; the 

amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, tetrahedrite, and arsenopyrite 

differ in each deposit. Examples of this type are found on the Silver Bell 

and Iron Cap claims.

GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OP THE MOUNTAIN VIEW PROPERTY

The eastern contact between the Texas Creek granodiorite and 

the rocks of the Hazelton group extends approximately through the 

middle of the Mountain View property and strikes a little east of north 

(pi. 8). The following data on geology and development of the property have been extracted principally from Buddington (1929) and 

from an unpublished report prepared hi 1928 for the Mountain View 

Gold Mining Company by J. E. Kania and kindly made available to 

the authors by Arthur O. Moa.

Rock outcrops are few because the property is covered by a layer 

of glacial till, decomposed rock, and vegetation. The youngest known 

igneous rocks on this property are fine-grained lamprophyre dikes 

of moderate widths (pi. 8). They strike either northeast or northwest 

and have dips consistently to the west. Before the injection of these 

mafic dikes there was the intrusion of at least one quartz porphyry 

dike believed to be genetically related to the Hyder quartz monzonite. 

Before the intrusion of the quartz porphyry dike there was a period 

during which a few aplite dikes, thick barren quartz veins, and large 

rather siliceous granodiorite dikes and stocks were injected, as the 

acid end products of the batholithic invasion of the Texas Creek 

granodiorite, into the already cooled periphery of the batholith and 

into the rocks of the Hazelton group. The Hazelton group on the 

Mountain View property is composed chiefly of volcanic rocks.

The period of primary mineralization is believed to have followed 

closely upon the intrusion of the Texas Creek batholith and its associated dikes and stocks, but there is a possibility that some of the 

mineral veins were formed before the invasion of some of the dikes. 

The ore bodies are cut by the lamprophyre dikes and by many frac-
32 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

tures and minor faults, as evidenced in the Skookum tunnel and in 

the surface strippings of the Gray Copper vein.

The primary mineral deposits were formed at considerable depths 

beneath the surface, and they are represented by veins belonging to 

the high- and intermediate-temperature types and by combinations 

of both. Secondary minerals have been deposited by circulating 

meteoric waters.

Some of the mineralized veins on the property have been traced for 

distances of several hundred feet on the surface by trenching and for 

corresponding distances in depth by drifts. For example, the Gray 

Copper vein has been traced in trenches, pits, a drift, a crosscut, and 

a shaft for 460 feet along its strike; underground drifting (stations 24- 

29W, pi. 8) in the Skookum tunnel has exposed this vein for a distance 

of 315 feet, and the distance up the dip between this drift and the 

surface outcrop is 360 feet. The Gray Copper vein pinches and swells 

and is probably typical of most of the other veins on the property in 

physical characteristics. The pinched segments are shattered, contain thin traces of gouge, and are sparsely mineralized; the wider 

parts of the vein display only slight shattering, no gouge, and are 

generally well mineralized.

The most extensive underground development on the property is 

the Skookum tunnel, which consists of more than 4,200 linear feet of 

drifting and crosscutting (pi. 8). Cross sections of the diifts and 

crosscuts in this tunnel range from 5 by 7 to 9 by 9 feet. The roofs 

and walls throughout the tunnel stand without timbering, and water 

seepage presents no problem because of a gravity drain. In 1949 the 

tunnel was equipped with mine track (12-pound rail), 2 ore cars, and 

1 flat car. Besides the Skookum tunnel, several smaller drifts and 

many prospect holes have been made on the property. The one shaft 

that has been sunk on the Gray Copper vein is almost filled with water 

and is inaccessible for study.

RADIOACTIVITY INVESTIGATIONS

FIELD METHODS

The instruments used for field radioactivity studies in the Hyder 

district were standard commercial models of portable survey meters 

modified to accept probes consisting of 6-inch beta-gamma tubes or 

a gang of four 1- by 18-inch brass-walled gamma tubes connected in 

parallel. For radioactivity traverses on foot, the survey meters 

equipped with the gamma probes were mounted on packboards; for 

spot checking outcrops, underground workings, ore dumps, talus 

blocks, veins, dikes, and rock and. mineral specimens, 6-inch betagamma probes were used in place of the large gamma probes.

Surface traverses were made along the Salmon River and Texas
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 33

Lake roads from Hyder to Texas Lake, along the Mountain View and 

Titan trails, and over parts of the Mountain View, Ambrose, Adanac, 

Titan, Sixmile, and Riverside claims (pi. 7). Subsurface traverses 

were made in the Sixmile, Titan, and Skookum tunnels and in the 

Riverside mine as well as in several other drifts on the Mountain View 

property. In addition, 43 rock and mineral samples collected in 19491 

by William H. Kerns of the U. S. Bureau of Mines on the Mountain. 

View, Ambrose, Last Shot, Howard, Sixmile, Hobo, Daly-Alaskar 

Stoner, and Liberty claims were scanned for radioactivity with a, 

portable survey meter.

During the course of the investigation 72 rock and mineral samples,. 

2 slope-wash samples, 13 stream sand and gravel samples, 1 millshipping concentrate, and 1 mine-water sample were collected. Many 

of the rock and mineral samples obtained in the Skookum tunnel and 

from various prospect holes and outcrops on the Mountain View 

property were crushed in a portable lever-action jaw crusher and a 

hand-operated wheel-type jaw crusher on the property. A large part 

of each crushed sample was screened and partly concentrated by 

panning to reduce the size and weight of the sample and to concentrate 

the heavy minerals. This concentrate was saved for later studies in 

the Geological Survey's Washington laboratories. The localities from 

which samples were collected in the Hyder district beyond the limits 

of the Mountain View property are shown on plate 7. The localities 

of the surface samples from the Mountain View property are given on 

plate 9. Plate 8 shows the localities of the underground samples from 

the Mountain View property.

LABORATORY METHODS

Selected rock and lode samples were crushed and screened in the 

laboratory. Measurement of the equivalent-uranium content of the 

minus 20- plus 150-mesh size material of each sample was made with 

a standard commercial model of a laboratory beta counter. The 

samples were treated then with bromoform to float off the minerals 

with a specific gravity of less than 2.89, and the heavy residues were 

analyzed for radioactivity. The rock and mineral, slope wash, and 

stream sand and gravel samples, which had been concentrated by 

panning in the field, were screened to minus 20-mesh size and split 

according to standard laboratory procedure. A split of the minus 

20-mesh size material of each sample was further concentrated with 

bromoform, and the equivalent-uranium content of the heavier-thanbromoform mineral fraction was determined. The analyses for equivalent-uranium content of the samples were made principally by 

Arthur E. Nelson and Paul D. Benson of the Geological Survey at 

Washington, D. C. The percent of equivalent uranium for each 

sample is given in table 1. 
34 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

TABLE 1. Equivalent-uranium content and uranium-bearing minerals of samples 

from the Mountain View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the Hyder 

district, 1949

[The parts of the concentrates analyzed for equivalent uranium were the heavy-mineral fractions with a 

specific gravity greater than 2.89. The presence of uranium in the minerals listed as uranium bearing was 

determined qualitatively by sodium fluoride flux tests in the Washington laboratories of the Geological 

Survey]

3336

OOQ7 OOO/

3338

3339

3341

3342

3343

3344

3345

3346

3347

3348

3349

3350

3351

3352

3353

3354

3355

3356

3357

3358

3359

Location

Floor of first tunnel north of

Fourmile along the Salmon

Eiver road on the Sixmile

claim.

Second stream north of Fourmile along the Salmon River

road.

First stream north of Riverside

mine along the Salmon

River road.

Fish Creek, just above the

road bridge at Fourmile.

Salmon River, about 1 mile

north of Hyder.

Hyder quartz monzonite

about 2 miles north of Hyder along the road.

First stream north of Hyder

along the Salmon River

road.

Floor of first right side cut

from the portal in Skookum

tunnel.

Floor of second right side cut

from the portal in Skookum

tunnel.

Floor of third right side cut

from the portal in Skookum

tunnel.

Floor of fourth side cut from

the portal in Skookum tunnel.

Floor of fifth and sixth side

cuts from the portal in

Skookum tunnel.

Floor of seventh side cut from

the portal in Skookum tunnel.

Floor of eighth side cut from

the portal in Skookum tunnel.

Floor of ninth side cut from

the portal in Skookum tunnel.

Floor of Skookum tunnel at

station 12.

Floor of 10th side cut near

station 18 in Skookum tunnel.

Floor of Skookum tunnel at

station 20 and 12 ft in both

directions along the right

wall.

Floor of Skookum tunnel at

and near station 22.

Wall of side cut near station

24 in Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of side cut near station 

24 in Skookum tunnel.

.....do.. ... ..... ..... ......

.....do.. ................

Type of sample

Waste rock __ .

Sand and gravel.

 do .... ...

.... .do ......

 do .....

Slope wash.. ....

Sand and gravel.

Waste rock.. ... .

 do ... 

.... do ......

....do 

....do .... 

....do... ........

.... do 

... -do ......

.... do ......

 do........ ...

 do. 

 - do -

Wall rock. ...

Was te rock... .

.... .do 

-..-do...........

Concentration 

ratio

40:1

260:1

240:1

300:1

110:1

1 QK> 1

ioo.i

55:1

60:1

55:1

500:1

1,440:1

120:1

90:1

50:1

45:1

90:1

270:1

80:1

260:1

150:1

Percent equivalent uranium

Raw 

sample

...

... _ ..

........

... _ ..

_ .....

........

... _ _.

... _ ..

........

........

........

Concentrate

0.007

.002

.002

.002

.007

.002

.01

.002

.001

.002

.004

.002

.002

.007

.002

.005

.003

.014

.009

.006

.042

.012

.019

Uranium-bearing 

minerals

Hematite and limonite

Zircon.

Sphene.

Molybdenite, pyrite 

(with hematitic coating), pyrrhotite,

scheelite, and an unidentified opaque

cubic mineral.

Molybdenite, pyrite 

(with hematitic coating), pyrrhotite, and

an unidentified

opaque cubic mineral.

Do.
INVESTIGATIONS FOE RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 35

TABLE 1. Equivalent-uranium content and uranium-bearing minerals of samples 

from the Mountain View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the Hyder 

district, 1949 Continued

3360 

3361 

3362

3363

3364 

3365 

3366 

3367

3368 

3369 

3370

3371 

3372

3373 

3374 

3375 

3376

3377 

3378 

3379

3380 

3381

3382

3383 

3384

3385

3386

3387

Location

Floor in end extension of 

Skookum tunnel beyond 

station 24. 

Floor near the end of long left 

side cut near station 29 in 

Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of Skookum tunnel 

along the base of right wall 

between stations 51 and 52 

and in left side cut at station 52. 

Floor of right side cut near 

station 54 in Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of left side cut at station 

58 in Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of right side cut at station 61 in Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of left side cut at station 62 in Skookum tunnel. 

Floor of Skookum tunnel 

along right wall at station 

64. 

Floor near the termination of 

Skookum tunnel beyond 

station 65. 

Walls at station 12 and 15 ft 

in both directions in Skookum tunnel. 

Skookum Creek, 40 yd above 

the portal of Skookum tunnel. 

Fish Creek, just below the 

Mountain View powerhouse. 

Adanac Creek, 15 yd below 

the Mountain View trail 

bridge. 

First major tributary to Fish 

Creek below Adanac Creek. 

Third tributary to Fish Creek 

below Adanac Creek. 

Fourth tributary to Fish 

Creek below Adanac Creek. 

Floor of the Gray Copper 

vein prospect tunnel, Mountain View property. 

First small tributary to Fish 

Creek below Adanac Creek. 

Fifth tributary to Fish Creek 

below Adanac Creek. 

Rock dust removed from the 

walls of Skookum tunnel at 

station 12 and a short distance in both directions.

Wall of Skookum tunnel at 

station 6. 

Gray Copper vein in Skookum tunnel between stations 26W and 27W. ' 

Wall of Skookum tunnel at 

station 8. 

Wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 17 and 18 (2 

locations) . Wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 14 and 15 

(2 locations). 

Wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 51 and 52. 

Wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 55 and 56.

Type of sample

Waste rock... ...

 ..do ........

.....do ........ 

.....do...........

.....do........... 

 ..do...........

.....do...........

-....do...........

Wall rock........

Sand and gravel.

. . do ........

.....do...........

 ..do...........

. .do..........

 do.... .......

Sand and gravel, 

 .do ......

Mill concentrateWall rock.... .... 

.. do.... ..

. do.... .. 

.... .do ..... ...

. do ...

Concen 

tration 

ratio

100:1

25:1

140:1 

390:1

400:1 

50:1

50:1

30:1

50:1

100:1

150:1

12:1

220:1

55:1

190:1 

14:1

45:1 

75:1

55:1

100:1 

120:1

Percent equivalent uranium

Raw 

sample

........

........

........

0.003

.004 

.006

Concen 

trate

0.006 

.003 

.008

.040

.029 

.001 

.003 

.001

.002 

.003 

.002

.001 

.002

.001 

.001 

.001 

.001

.001 

.003 

.006

.001 

.044

.001

.006 

.003

.002

.015 

.034

Uranium-bearing 

minerals

Molybdenite. 

Do.

Molybdenite, and pyrite (with hematitic 

coating).

Molybdenite and pyrite. 

Molybdenite, galena, 

and pvrite.
36 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

TABLE 1. Equivalent-uranium content and uranium-bearing minerals of samples 

from the Mountain View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the Hyder 

district, 1949 Continued

3388

3389 

3390

3392 

3393

3394 

3395 

3396

3732

3733 

3734

3735 

3736

3737 

3738

3739 

3740

3741

3742 

3743

3744 

3745 

3746

3747 

3748

3749

3750 

3751

3752

Location

Wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 58 and 59.

Wall of Skookum tunnel at 

station 60. 

Floor of south drift on Sixmile 

claim along the Salmon 

River road. 

Lode in right wall of Skookum 

tunnel about 4 ft from end 

of the right side cut at station 24. 

Right wall of Skookum tunnel about 4 ft from end of 

the right side cut at station 

24. 

Right wall of Skookum tunnel between stations 55 and 

56. 

Lode material on the floor of 

Skookum tunnel in right 

side cut at station 24. 

Right wall of the Skookum 

tunnel between stations 58 

and 59.

"Blue Gouge" cut, 7 ft south 

of sample 3733. 

West end of cut on Marsh vein. 

Marsh vein cut, 5 ft east of 

sample 3735.

Outcrop about 100 ft north of 

sample 3738. 

Hanging wall of Canyon vein 

on the south side of Fish 

Creek and about 1,000 ft 

south of the Skookum tunnel portal. 

Hanging wall of Canyon vein 

on the south side of Fish 

Creek. 

Canyon vein on the south side 

of Fish Creek. 

West side of upper tunnel on 

Silver Falls vein, footwall 

side of vein, and about 

2,000 ft south of Skookum 

tunnel portal. 

Silver Falls vein, near sample 

3743. 

Bluff about 100 ft south of 

sample 3743. 

Slide vein, east of Fish Creek 

and the Silver Falls vein.

Discovery outcrop on the 

Morning claim, about 3,300 

ft south of the Skookum 

tunnel portal. 

Two-inch stringer near Canyon vein on the east side of 

Fish Creek. 

Footwall side of Canyon vein. 

 do 

Western opencut on Ruby 

Silver vein.

Type of sample

Wall rock. .. ...

 do 

Vein material...

Wall rock and 

vein material.

Vein material. .. 

 do 

Vein material 

and wall rock.

Rock __ . ...

 ..do ...........

Vein material. .. 

.. do...........

Rock.. ..... _ .

Dike _ . ........

.. do...........

Rock and vein 

material.

Rock.... ........

 .do..... ...

 do 

 .do_.. -..

.... do....... ... .

 .do 

... -do.... 

. do .._-.-.

Vein material. -.

 do ~ 

Concen 

tration 

ratio

280:1

230:1 

50:1

12:1 

20:1

4:1 

3:1 

60:1

40:1 

540:1

2:1 

25:1

970:1

1:1

1,100:1

180:1

210:1 

320:1

25:1 

14:1

5:1 

270:1

,450:1

140:1 

30:1

4:1 

350:1

230:1 

45:1

Percent equivalent uranium

Raw 

sample

0.005

.028 

.012

.049 

.035 

.016 

.004

.001

.001

.009

.007

.005

.002

.004

Concen 

trate

0.023

.015 

.003

.245 

.059

.089 

.071 

.398

.005

.005 

.001

.003 

.051

.032

.137 

.258

.042

.049 

.002

.007 

.006 

.032

.025 

.002

.006

.012 

.039

.001

Uranium-bearing 

minerals

Galena, molybdenite, 

pyrite, and sphalerite. 

Biotite, galena, molybdenite, and pyrite.

Molybdenite, pyrite, 

pyrrhotite, and an 

unidentified opaque 

cubic mineral. 

Do.

Molybdenite.

Pyrrhotite.

Galena, pyrite, and 

sphalerite.

Biotite, hematite, molybdenite, and pyrite.

Galena, hematite, limonite, pyrite, and 

chalcopyrite. 

Hematite and limonite.

Biotite, galena, molybdenite, pyrite, and 

sphalerite.

Biotite, molybdenite, 

and pyrite.

Chlorite, marcasite, 

and sericite.
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 37

TABLE 1. Equivalent-uranium 

from the Moun 

district, 1949

content and uranium-bearing minerals of samples 

ain View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the Hyder 

continued

3753

3754 

3755

3756 

3757 

3758

3759

Locat

Kuby Silver ve

Bluff just abo' 

tunnel on Rul 

Cliff about 75 f 

upper tunnt 

Silver vein.

Rampart vein, 

yon vein. 

Cliff vein, aboi 

and a little w 

3757. 

Cliff vein

ion

?e the upper 

y Silver vein. 

; north of the 

; on Ruby

west of Can1 100 ft south 

est of sample

r

Type of sample

Book and vein 

material. 

Bock............

.....do...........

Rock and vein 

material. 

_. do..... _ -

.....do.......--.

Rock-.....-.-.

Concentration 

ratio

90:1 

450:1

100:1

110:1

45:1

100:1

80:1

Percent equivalent uranium

Raw 

sample

0.001

Concentrate

0.005 

.019 

.012

.003 

.002 

.002

.005

Uranium-bearing 

minerals

Molybdenite, pyrite, 

and marcasite. 

Hematite, limonite, 

magnetite, pyrrhotite, and molybdenite.

Pyrite and marcasite.

In order t4>

chemical anal 

certain sampl 

(specific gravi 

magnetic and 

of the heavie 

were completed 

tration or frac 

logic, spectogriph 

the exception 

Berman, E. 

Onoda, J. N. J 

Washington

expedite microscopic, spectrographic, X-ray, and 

the heavier-than-bromoform mineral fractions of 

were further concentrated with methylene iodide 

3.3) and separated by an isodynamic separator into 

lonmagnetic subfractions. Mineralogic determinations 

-than-bromoform mineral fractions of some samples 

without necessitating further heavy-mineral concenionation by the foregoing methods. All of the mineraic, X-ray, and chemical studies of the samples, with 

of those made by the authors, were made by Joseph 

Cisney, M. H. Fletcher, Robert Meyrowitz, Kiyoko 

Itich, and C. L. Waring, all of the Geological Survey's 

laboratories.

MINERALOGY

paits

Tune has m 

the samples fr 

and other 

pi. 8) has the 

heavy-mineral 

samples colled 

of this sample 

of pyrrhotite, 

and minor 

zite(?),

tropic mineral 

than 2.89) of I 

in the Washin

334310 5

t permitted a thorough study of the mineralogy of all 

im the Mountain View Gold Mining Company property 

of the Hyder district. Sample 3396 (table 1 and 

most radioactive (0.398 percent equivalent uranium) 

fraction (specific gravity greater than 2.89) of all the 

ed in the Hyder district in 1949. A mineralogic analysis 

by the authors showed that it contains major amounts 

rutile (with an opaque coating), molybdenite, and pyrite, 

amounts of chlorite, prehnite, apatite, amphibole, monacarbonate minerals, and an unidentified brownish-black isoThe heavy mineral fractions (specific gravity greater 

6 other samples were analyzed for their mineral content 

ton laboratories of the Geological Survey; the samples
TABLE 2. Mineral composition of selected radioactive heavy-mineral fractions (specific grav

View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the 

[Numbers indicate estimated volumetric percent of minerals present in the heavy-mineral fractions of the samples; (

tr indicates trace]

Minerals

Barite 

Calcite-.- --------- _ _ - _ ------ ___ ... ... _ 

Chlorite-- 

Epidote - ... . -. -. ..--

Fmorite-..---- ____ . _ .... ____ _____ ------

Galena

Gold-..-..----- 

Hematite

Olivine .... ___ __ - _ . _ - _ .. __ _____ - _

Rock fragments- ------ __ _. _ _ ......... __

3336

20

tr

tr

1

1

*20

30

tr

1

5

3337

20

2

5

tr

25

2

1

tr

45

3338

2

10

3

15

15

tr

55

3341

10

3

2

5

15

10

3

*45

3343

4

1

tr

2

SO

1

2

5

3357

15

tr

tr

tr

21

tr

tr

tr 

*2

*24

*7 

*15

3358

tr

tr

*1

tr

2

*18

*18

*44

3359

2

tr

tr

11

tr

*4

tr

*35

*7 

*46
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S, E. ALASKA 39

to

0

0 £

to t~ »

4 oo 

»~

5 g

§

Tjl

CO

Tjl

o»

1O -H

*

13

"O

C»

a. 

SS§ ilU-

^CQOQOT^

i*

3

(-.

h

4

(-. (-.

JH JH « +»

P

IO

Tetrahedrite-.--.-...--.------- -- 

mineral. Unidentified cubicopaque __ 

'.. Wulfenite- .... -.. -____ ........... ....... ..- Zircon. ------ - .... 
TABLE 2. Mineral composition of selected radioactive heavy-mineral fractions (specific grav

View Gold Mining Co. property and other parts of the Hyder d

[Numbers indicate estimated volumetric percent of minerals present in the heavy-mineral fractions of the samples; (*) 

tr indicates trace]

Minerals

Prehnite.. _______ _____ . __ ____________

Prehnite and quartz _ -.__- . _ . _ __ . _ _ . __ _ _.

Pvrite.-_-__ __ -__ __ - ___ . _ ___ --- '- ____ _ --.

Pyrite with hematite coatings and chalcopyrite--. . ____ -

Pyriteandmarcasite--- ____ ...... _ ._. __ ... ___ ..

Pyrrhotite. - - - ________ ______ . _ .. __ .. __ 

Quartz-bar ite rock. .... _ .. __ ............. ___ ... _ ..

Quartz-barite carbonate rock... _ ... ___ .............. ..

Rutile--. --_.. .--_..-- - _.-_..

Sphalerite..-- __ ... _ .- .. __ ............ __ .....

TsUc..... ............................................... __..

S

3388

3

tr

*3

"*

50

 4

 17

18

*5

33S9

*tr

3

*2

35

*5

 25

*30

3392

tr 

tr

4

*2

4

*2

*50

22 

tr

*tr

3393

5

tr 

tr

4

*2

*2

*35

62

tr

tr

*tr

3394

1

tr

 98

tr

1

3732

*5

2

*3

50

*40

3736

*tr

5

tr

*5

15

*2

 16

*60

3

3738

10

*3

*12

25

tr

*5

45

f- r

3
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 41

were selected on the basis of their equivalent-uranium content or 

location. These mineralogic studies indicated the presence of the 

sulfides: bornite, chalcopyrite, galena, marcasite, molybdenite, pyrite, 

pyrrhotite, sphalerite, and tetrahedrite; the oxides: hematite, limonite, 

magnetite, and pyrolusite; and also: apatite, barite, biotite, celestite, 

cerussite, chlorite, clinozoisite, diopside, epidote, fluorite, garnet, gold, 

hornblende, muscovite, olivine, prehnite, pyroxene, rutile, scheelite, 

sericite, sphene, wulfenite, and zircon. The minerals identified in 

each of the 36 samples are given hi table 2. Table 2 also shows the 

estimated volumetric percent of minerals present in each sample and 

indicates the minerals which gave a positive qualitative test for 

uranium.

The mineral deposits in the Hyder district in some respects resemble 

the uraninite-bearing veins lying to the east in British Columbia 

(Stevenson, 1950). Therefore detailed mineralogic studies were made 

of the heavy-mineral fractions of samples 3357, 3392, and 3393 (table 

2 and pi. 8) from the vicinity of station 24 in the Skookum tunnel on 

the Mountain View property in an attempt to determine whether 

uraninite was the cause for all or part of the radioactivity at this site. 

The site was selected because it was believed to be fairly representative 

of the several locations of above-normal radioactivity in the Skookum 

tunnel. The work of Cisney, Fletcher, Onoda, and Stich (written 

communication, January 24, 1950) shows that a primary uranium 

oxide mineral was not identified as the cause of the radioactivity in 

the samples studied. According to their studies the uranium in these 

samples occurs in a highly radioactive opaque cubic mineral closely 

associated with rutile (TiO2 ), which is present in only limited quantities, and in the metallic sulfides in trace amounts. Whether the 

highly radioactive opaque cubic mineral occurs as intergrowths or as 

inclusions in the rutile is not known. Spectrographic analysis of this 

mineral shows that it also contains titanium, iron, and niobium. 

Chemical analyses of impure concentrates of the mineral obtained 

largely by handpicking under the binocular microscope show that it 

may contain as much as 7 percent uranium.

In addition to the highly radioactive cubic mineral associated with 

rutile ha samples 3357, 3358, 3359, 3392, and 3393, sodium fluoride 

flux tests indicate that minor amounts of uranium occur, probably 

as an impurity, in the following minerals identified in these and other 

samples from the Hyder district:

biotite magnetite sericite

chalcopyrite marcasite sphalerite

chlorite - molybdenite sphene

galena pyrite zircon

hematite pyrrhotite

limonite scheelite
42 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

The uranium-bearing minerals identified in each sample are given in 

table 1.

Two secondary uranium-bearing minerals are known to occur as 

thin coatings on certain weathered rock surfaces, fracture surfaces in 

veins, and mineralized dikes on the Mountain View property. One 

is a fluorescent mineral that has a wide distribution and is best represented in samples 3742 and 3744 from the Canyon and Silver Falls 

veins, respectively (table 1 and pi. 9). This mineral is very fine grained 

and granular and occurs generally as crystalline aggregates. It gives 

a positive qualitative test for uranium, and, according to K. J. Murata 

(oral communication), it exhibits strong uranium lines through a 

hand spectroscope. A qualitative spectrographic analysis by Stich 

showed the major constituents to be calcium, aluminum, and silicon; 

the minor constituents are magnesium and iron and a trace of manganese. Cisney indicates that the X-ray powder pattern of this 

mineral resembles that of the feldspar group, but no specific name 

could be assigned to this mineral. The other secondary mineral 

showed a positive qualitative test for uranium and appears as a thin 

yellow coating on fracture surfaces. It is fine grained, nonpleochroic, 

and nonfluorescent under short wave ultraviolet light. This mineral 

is closely associated with quartz and hydromica on the weathered rock 

surfaces and was found to be most abundant in sample 3732 from the 

vicinity of the Ruby Silver vein (table 1 and pi. 9). Sufficient material 

could not be separated, however, for X-ray or spectrographic analysis, 

and this mineral was not identified.

A sample of mine water collected from the drainage ditch in the 

Skookum tunnel at station 11 (pi. 8) was analyzed for uranium and 

other metals. The residue of the water sample was found to contain 3 

parts per billion of uranium when analyzed fluorimetrically by 

Meyrowitz. Because the sample was not acidified when taken, it is 

likely that the uranium content shown by this analysis is relatively 

low.1 A spectrographic analysis by Waring of the residue of part of 

the mine-water sample showed the following elements:

Mg, Ca, Na________________________________ More than 10percent.

Fe, Si, Cu, Sr________________________________ 0.1 to 1.0 percent.

Sn___________________________________________ .01 to 0.1 percent.

A qualitative spectrographic analysis by Stich of a mill concentrate 

from the Riverside mine (sample 3380, table 1 and pi. 7) showed the 

major constituents to be lead, copper, silver, iron, and silicon; cobalt, 

bismuth, nickel, and manganese were looked for but not found.

> Milkey/R. G., 1953, Stability of metallic ions in dilute solution: U, S. Geol. Survey Trace Elements 

Inv.Rept. 373.
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, s, B. ALASKA 43

DISTRIBUTION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Radioactive material has a rather widespread distribution on the 

property of the Mountain View Gold Mining Company and seems 

to be principally associated with sulfides in veins and veinlets. However, some of it occurs in disseminated deposits and, to a minor extent, 

in the form of thin secondary coatings on rock and vein fracture 

surfaces.

The largest lode occurrence of radioactive material found during 

the 1949 investigations occurs in the Skookum tunnel on the right 

wall about breast high and 4 feet from the end of the right side cut 

at station 24 (pi. 8, sample 3392). The most highly radioactive samples collected in this tunnel were sample 3396 from a vein on the right 

wall half way between stations 58 and 59 and sample 3394 from a vein 

on the right wall between stations 55 and 56. Probably additional 

occurrences of radioactive material could be found in the Skookum 

tunnel by employing a more detailed study than was possible in the 

time allotted for this investigation and by washing the heavy coating 

of mine dust from the walls and ceiling wherever anomalous radioactivity is detected.

The most highly radioactive surface sample on the Mountain View 

property was 3740 collected by Mr. Moa from the hanging wall of the 

Canyon vein on the south side of Fish Creek about 1,000 feet south 

of the Skookum tunnel portal (pi. 9). Because very little time was 

available for studying the outcrops, not only on the Mountain View 

property but also along the entire extent of the contact in the Hyder 

district of the Texas Creek granodiorite and the Hazelton group, 

there appears to be a very good possibility that radioactive deposits 

have a more widespread distribution than is known now. More detailed studies or additional prospecting in the Hyder district may show 

that occurrences of radioactive materials are not only near the contact 

between the Texas Creek granodiorite and the Hazelton group, but 

may also occur some distance from the contact in these or other formations in the area.

A highly radioactive area was found during the course of the investigation at station 12 and for about 20 feet in both directions from 

this station in the Skookum tunnel (pi. 8). Although samples were 

collected from the floor, from the walls and ceiling, and from the mine 

dust that forms a thick coating on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel 

within this zone, they showed only small amounts of equivalent uranium (samples 3351, 3352, 3369, and 3379, table 1). The intense 

radioactivity may be due to a concentration of radon in this part of 

the tunnel. However, this seems unlikely as the meters on the instruments did not continue to show higher-than-normal readings after 

being carried beyond the limits of the highly radioactive zone or after
44 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

being brought out of the prospect tunnel, thus indicating that the 

instruments had not been contaminated with radon gas. In the 

presence of radon, instruments which do not have their probes tightly 

sealed with plastic or rubber covers readily become contaminated 

and continue to give readings above background for some time after 

being removed from an area of radon gas concentration. Perhaps 

deep channel sampling or drilling would reveal the source of the material that is responsible for the abnormal radioactivity.

No significant radioactivity anomalies were detected by foot traverses made along the Mountain View trail from the Salmon River 

road to the buildings on the Mountain View property, along the Titan 

trail from its junction with the Mountain View trail to the Titan 

tunnel, along the Salmon River and Texas Lake roads from Hyder to 

Texas Lake, and over parts of the Adanac and Ambrose claims; nor 

were anomalies found in underground traverses in the Sixmile and 

Titan drifts and the Riverside mine (see pi. 7). The scanning of 43 

samples collected by the U. S. Bureau of Mines in the area during 

1949 did not show that any of them were abnormally radioactive.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

The Hyder district, readily accessible by water transportation the 

year round, is a highly mineralized region and seems to contain ore 

deposits of potential commercial value. The known ore and gangue 

minerals of the district (Buddington, 1929) are listed below:

anglesite fluorite pyrite

ankerite freibergite pyrolusite

arsenopyrite galena pyrrhotite

azurite gold quartz

barite hematite rutile

bornite limonite scheelite

calcite magnetite silver

cerrusite malachite specularite

chalcopyrite marcasite sphalerite

covellite molybdenite tetrahedrite

cubanite proustite wulfenite

The most valuable metals of the ores are gold, silver, and lead; zinc, 

tungsten, and molybdenum also have been found in abundance locally. 

The Riverside mine has produced lead, silver, and gold for a number 

of years. In addition, the barren quartz veins, which attain a width 

of as much as 50 feet on the Mountain View property, represent a 

possible economic source of silica flux.

It appears that the Hyder district may contain uranium in commercial quantities, and prospecting in this district should include the 

search for radioactive ores as well as for other metals. The radioactivity anomalies found, the discovery of minor amounts of uranium
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 45

in 16 different minerals, the occurrence of an unidentified highly radioactive uranium-bearing mineral associated with rutile, and the 2 

secondary uranium-bearing minerals in the small area covered by this 

investigation indicate that prospecting for uranium in the Hyder 

district should be encouraged.

A detailed radioactivity investigation and the use of more sensitive 

instruments for measuring radiation intensities might prove successful 

in locating a primary source of the uranium, and might determine 

whether uranium occurs in commercial quantities anywhere on the 

property of the Mountain View Gold Mining Company. A more 

extensive reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the Hyder district 

than was possible in 1949 might reveal other areas that warrant intensive study and would eliminate the areas least favorable for the 

occurrence of uranium deposits. Geochemical methods of prospecting, such as water, soil, or vegetation sampling, might be successful 

for locating uranium deposits in localities which are believed to have 

been mineralized but where there are few outcrops. Also, the collecting and testing of heavy mineral concentrates from stream gravels, 

slope wash, and disintegrated bedrock for radioactivity, in a fashion 

similar to that used in 1947 by West and Matzko (Gault, Killeen, 

West, and others, 1953) and in 1948 by West (1953) on the eastern 

part of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, might help to determine where 

uranium-bearing minerals occur in some parts of the Hyder district.

KETCHIKAN, GODDARD HOT SPRINGS, CHICHAGOF, 

FTJNTER BAY, AND JUNEATJ AREAS

MEASUREMENT OP RADIOACTIVITY

Field measurements of radioactivity in the Ketchikan, Goddard 

Hot Springs, Chichagof, Funter Bay, and Juneau areas, southeastern 

Alaska (see fig. 5), were made with modified commercial models of 

portable survey meters adapted for the attachment of probes consisting of four 1-inch by 18-inch gamma tubes connected in parallel, 

as well as the standard 6-inch beta-gamma tube. The large gamma 

tubes were used for routine radioactivity traversing, and the betagamma probe was used for taking selected contact readings on outcrops, talus blocks, ore dumps, mine tailings piles, exposures of rocks 

and veins in underground workings and prospect holes, and for scanning drill cores and rock and mineral specimens.

The main emphases in the investigations were placed on radioacitivity traversing and the collection of rock and mineral samples. However, concentrates were taken from the gravels of many streams to 

test for the possible presence of radioactive minerals transported by 

the streams from areas which time did not permit covering by traverses or where there were no bedrock outcrops. Some slope-wash.
46 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

samples were also collected where bedrock outcrops were absent. 

Mine tailings and mill concentrates were obtained wherever possible. 

The same laboratory methods were used for the samples collected 

in the Ketchikan, Goddard Hot Springs, Chichagof, Funter Bay, and 

Juneau areas that were used for the preparation and the radiometric 

and mineralogic analyses of the samples from the Hyder district. 

The equivalent uranium analyses given in this section were made by 

A. E. Nelson and P. D. Benson in the Geological Survey laboratory 

at Washington, D. C. The mineralogic determinations of the samples 

not made by the authors were made by B. W. Wilson and J. J. Matzko 

of the Geological Survey.

AREAS INVESTIGATED 

KETCHIKAN AREA

GEOLOGY AND 1MHERAI DEPOSITS

The geology of the Ketchikan district has been described by Brooks 

(1902) and Wright and Wright (1908).

The rock formations in the vicinity of Ketchikan are Jurassic (?) 

greenstone and slate and also Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous 

quartz diorite which grades locally into granodiorite. The greenstone 

and slate include black slate, phyllite, greenstone schist, and green 

bedded tuff.

The ore deposits occur as quartz fissure veins in quartz diorite and 

in mineralized zones in greenstone and slate along their contacts with 

the quartz diorite. Metallic minerals are also disseminated in both 

the greenstone and slate and in the quartz diorite. The metallic 

minerals in the veins are free gold, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite. Small amounts of bismuth (tetradymite) and antimony are 

reported to occur with gold ores in veins in quartz diorite on the 

Wildcat and Hoadley claims about IK to 2 miles north of Ketchikan 

and half a mile northeast of the beach (Brooks, 1902, p. 61, and 

Buddington and Chapin, 1929, p. 332).

RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES

A radioactivity traverse was made on foot along the road south of 

Ketchikan for about 2 miles and along the road north of town for 

approximately the same distance. Traversing was also done along 

the network of trails and roads which lie north of Ketchikan and east 

of the main road. Some traversing also was done on what was believed to be the Wildcat and Hoadley claims, but these claims are so 

old and so thoroughly covered with thick vegetation that their exact 

location could not be definitely determined. A subsurface radioactivity traverse was made in a prospect tunnel, and a considerable 

number of ore dumps and prospect pits were scanned and sampled on
INVESTIGATIONS FOE RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 47

the assumed Wildcat and Hoadley claims. Some mining properties 

east of Ketchikan were traversed and sampled.

No abnormal radioactivity was found in traversing and scanning. 

As shown in table 3, none of the samples that were analyzed for radioactivity contained more than 0.001 percent equivalent uranium.

TABLE 3. Analyses showing equivalent uranium of the heavy-mineral fractions 

(those greater than 2.8 specific gravity) of samples collected in the Ketchikan area 

Revillagigedo Island

No.

3330

3331

3332

3333

3334

3335

Location

Hoadley Creek, 50 ft below falls and 100 yd

above the road bridge.

Old prospect tunnel about one-half mile from

beach and 1H miles north of Ketchikan.

First stream north of Sawmill Creek, about onehalf mile from the beach and 1% miles north

of Ketchikan.

Old shaft believed to be on the Wildcat claim __

Old prospect tunnel believed to be on the Wildcat claim.

Below workings in the stream believed to drain 

the Wildcat claim.

Type of sample

Sand and gravel from

middle bar.

Waste rock from floor .

Sand and gravel from

bar.

Waste rock from dumpWaste rock from floor. 

Sand and gravel from 

bar.

Concentration

ratio

10:1

61:1

371:1

233:1

121:1

72:1

Equivalent

uranium

(percent)

<0.001

<.001

<-001

.001

.001

<.001

GODDARD HOT SPRINGS AREA

GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS

Knopf (1912) gives an account of the geology of the Goddard Hot 

Springs area.

Goddard Hot Springs consists of four springs, listed (with temperature of the water) from west to east:

Magnesia Spring (142°F) 

Main Spring (149°F) 

Sulphur Spring (124° 

Old Russian Spring (95°F)

All four springs issue at the surface from granite which has been cut 

by narrow dikes of spessartite lamprophyre. The waters of the hot 

springs probably come from considerable depths through crevices or 

fissures along contact zones between the intrusive granite and the 

altered sandstones, conglomerates, graywackes, and slates (Waring, 

1917, p. 30).

Merle Colby (1942, p. 175) reported the presence of radium in the 

Goddard Hot Springs water. Previous mineral analyses of waters 

from the Main Spring and the Magnesia Spring (Waring, 1917, p. 32) 

did not show radium as a constituent.

No mineral deposits are known in the immediate vicinity of Goddard 

Hot Springs. Some quartz veins as wide as 4 inches were observed 

in the granite. Most of these veins have no sulfides, but a small 

.amount of pyrite is found in a few of them.
48 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES

Several radioactivity traverses were made on foot in the Goddard 

Hot Springs area. The first was a systematic traverse over the granite 

areas in the immediate vicinity of Goddard. The second was south 

along the coast for 2 miles to the first major stream and up this stream, 

which connects a series of lakes, for approximately 2 miles. The third 

was north along the coast for 2 miles. And the fourth was over the 

trail from Goddard Hot Springs to Redoubt Lake. Many rock, 

stream gravel and sand, and slope-wash samples were collected. 

Water samples were taken from Magnesia, Main, and Sulphur 

springs.

The traverses revealed no significant concentrations of radioactive 

material. However, the background count was considerably higher 

over the granite areas than over the areas of altered sedimentary 

rocks.

The three hot-spring water samples were analyzed for radium by 

W. R. Champion of the Geological Survey laboratory at Washington, 

D. C., and were found to contain less than 5X10~13 curies (Ra per 

200 cc).

Equivalent-uranium analyses of some of the samples collected in 

the Goddard Hot Springs area are given in table 4.

TABLE 4. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral fractions 

(those greater than 2.8 specific gravity) of samples collected in the Goddard Hot 

Springs area, Baranof Island

No.

OOO f\

QOQR

3297

3298

3299

3300

3301

3302

3303

3304

3305 

3312

3313

Location

southeast of Goddard.

miles southeast of Goddard.

three-fourths mile south of Goddard. 

Stream about one-half mile south of Goddard -

Goddard.

miles northeast of Goddard.

Goddard.

Between Main and Magnesia Springs at Goddarddard.

Goddard.

Type of sample

. .do -. ..............

.... .do....... ...........

.....do ...............

.-...do .... .. ....... ..

.....do... ............... .

Granite slope wash . . __

Concentration 

ratio

1,335:1

446:1

876:1

620:1

1,146:1

690:1

447:1

919:1

580:1

337:1

844:1 

987:1

1,405:1

Equivalent 

uranium 

(percent)

0.009

004

.009

.008

.009

.007

007

rnt;

.016 

.015

.001

The heavy-mineral fraction of sample 3305, containing 0.016 percent equivalent uranium and taken from disintegrated rock material 

between the Main Spring and Magnesia Spring, was the most radioactive sample collected in the area. The minerals with a specific 

gravity greater than 2.8 which have been identified in the following
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 49

samples are tabulated in table 5. The samples listed are 3305; 3299 

(0.012 percent equivalent uranium), collected in the stream formed by 

the hot, springs; 3302 (0.007 percent equivalent uranium) from a stream 

1 mile northeast of Goddard; 3303 (0.014 percent equivalent uranium) 

from the beach at Goddard; and sample 3312 (0.015 percent equivalent 

uranium), panned from a stream draining a lake north of Goddard 

Hot Springs.

TABLE 5. Mineralogy of the heavy-mineral fractions of selected samples collected 

in the Goddard Hot Springs area, Baranof Island

Mineral determinations are by B. W. Wilson (samples 3299, 3305, and 3312) and J. J. Matzko (samples 3302 

and 3303) of the Alaskan Geology Branch, U. S. Geological Survey; numbers indicate estimated volu 

metric percent of minerals present in the heavy-mineral fractions of samples; tr indicates trace]

Biotite. -__._-.. ....... ___...______..._..____.__..____

Chlorite,,. ...... _ ..................... ___ .. ....

Epidote. .......... _ ... _ ................... ......

llmenite____ _______ . ...........................

KutUe.. ......... ............... __ .................

3305

6

tr

3

1

tr

14

6

tr

0

tr

2

0

tr

tr

2

3299

3

tr

5

0

1

1

5

30

40

0

tr

0

0

0

0

1

4

Sample no

3302

tr

0

tr

0

0

0

12

23

5

tr

55

tr

tr

0

0

tr

0

0

3

3303

0

0

tr

0

0

0

5

11

2

15

tr

45

tr

tr

0

0

0

tr

0

tr

20

3312

7

0

3

1

1

tr

1

2

15

10

5

44

tr

3

0

tr

1

0

tr

1

5

Except for sample 3303, the radioactivity of the above samples and 

most of the other samples from this area is due mainly to the allanite

 content. Monazite, sphene, and zircon may add to the radioactivity 

«of some samples.

CHICHAGOF AREA

GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS

Reed and Coats (1941) give a detailed account of the geology and ore

 deposits of the Chichagof mining district.

The country rock in the Chichagof area consists of both massive and 

slaty graywacke of Early Cretaceous (?) age which has been faulted 

and cut by fine-grained light-colored dikes. A few lenses of greenstone 

and thin beds of conglomerate occur in the graywacke.

The principal ore bodies are masses of mineralized quartz that lie in 

fault and shear zones. Some mineralization has taken place in quartz 

veinlets which fill joints, and in one instance fault gouge constituted 

good ore in the Chichagof mine. The metallic minerals include pyrite, 

arsenopyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and gold. None of
50 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

the metallic minerals are abundant, and on the average they constitute only a little more than 2 .percent of the ore. The gangue 

materials are quartz and calcite; fault gouge and fragments of the 

wall rock; and sparse amounts of albite, sericite, and apatite.

RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES

Radioactivity traverses in the Chichagof area were made on foot: 

along the west shore of Klag Bay and inland a short distance to a point 

2 miles south of Chichagof; from Chichagof around the head of Klag 

Bay and 1 mile south along the east shoreline: inland IK miles from the 

east shore of Klag Bay along the powerline; over the trail from the 

Chichagof mine to the Hirst-Chichagof mine on Kimshan Cove; and on 

the east side of Doolth Mountain to the elevation of the Golden Gate 

mine. A subsurface traverse was made in the accessible part of the 

Golden Gate mine. The ore dumps and tailings piles of the Golden 

Gate, Chichagof, and Hirst-Chichagof mines, as well as several other 

smaller ore dumps and many prospect pits and trenches, were traversed 

and scanned for radioactivity.

No radioactive material was disclosed by traversing or scanning. 

The rock, mineral, flotation and settling-tank concentrate, mill concentrate, sluice-box concentrate, and stream gravel and sand samples 

contained no more than 0.002 percent equivalent uranium. Radioactivity data on some of the samples collected in the Chichagof area 

are given in table 6.

TABLE 6. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral fractions- 

(those greater than 2.8 specific gravity) of samples collected inlhe Chichagof arear 

Chichagof Island

No.

3314

3315

3316

3317

3318

3319

3320

3321

3322

3323

3324

3325

3326

3327

3328

Location

from bay. 

Second stream from head of Klag Bay on the

east side of bay. 

Fifth stream from head of Klag Bay on the east

side of bay.

east side of bay. 

Chichagof mine, Klag Bay ____________

Hirst-Chichagof mine, Kimshan Cove _____

Stream, along the trail to Sister Lake, that flows

into large lake east of Klag Bay.

northwest end of large lake east of the head of 

Klag Bay.

side of Klag Bay.

side of Klag Bay.

side of Klag Bay.

side of Klag Bay.

side of Klag Bay. 

Golden Gate mine, Klag Bay ...................

Type of sample

.....do. ... ... ... ...

.....do. ... .... ... .....

..... do ... ... .

Mill-table concentrate...

Flotation- and settlingtank concentrate.

.....do -......- . -

.....do, ... ... 

.....do 

.....do ... .... 

.....do ..... ... 

.....do ... ... ... ... ...

Tailings.. _______ .

trate.

Concentration 

ratio

392:1

729:1

375:1

461:1

(0(')

705:1

582:1

700:1

334:1

506:1

380:1

590:1

2,600:1 (>)

Equivalent 

uranium 

(percent)

<0.001

<.OOI

<.001

.OOL

<.001

.001

<.001

<.001

<.oor

.001

<.001

<.001

<.001

.002:

<.00i

 Unknown.
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, 8, E. ALASKA 51

FUNTER BAY AREA

GEOIOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS

The geology of the Funter Bay area has been described hi detail by 

Wright (1906), Eakin (1917), Mertie (1921), Buddington (1926), and 

Reed (1939).

The rocks at Funter Bay are massive greenstones, greenstone schist, 

chlorite schist, mica schist, quartz-chlorite schist, quartz-chlorite-mica 

schist, zoisite-chlorite schist, albite-zoisite schist, albite-chlorite schist, 

albite-mica schist, black graphitic phyllite, albite granite gneiss, albite 

syenite gneiss, and marble. Dikes and sills are of olivine diabase, 

gabbro, albite granite, albite syenite, and albite trachyte. A large 

part of the area is covered with glacial moraine.

The ore deposits occur mainly as quartz veins, but some minerals are 

disseminated in the country rock. Another type of deposit consists of 

a gabbro sill (the Mertie lode), which contains nickel and copper. In 

the latter, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite were among the 

latest minerals to crystallize in the sill and are mostly interstitial to 

the silicate minerals. The metallic minerals found in the vein deposits 

are gold, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite.

RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES

The radioactivity studies in the Fanter Bay area were confined to 

the property of the Admiralty-Alaska Gold Mining Company, which 

consists of 52 claims. The short time available permitted only partial 

coverage of this property.

A radioactivity traverse was made on foot along the shore of Funter 

Bay within the property limits and inland a short distance on a trail 

which runs parallel to the beach. Another traverse was made from 

the mill to the end of the narrow-gauge railroad, then south along a 

water ditch to the first stream, and then to the head of the stream, 

which has an elevation of more than 2,000 feet; the stream was retraced to its junction with the ditch, and the traverse was continued 

south to the end of the ditch. Part of the area west of the ditch was 

traversed on the way back to the mill. A subsurface traverse was 

made in the Big tunnel. All the available drill cores on the property 

were scanned for radioactivity. These drill cores were principally 

from the Mertie lode and surrounding rock formations. The materials 

in the ore shoots and bins in the mill, in several ore dumps, and in 

many prospect pits and trenches were scanned for radioactivity. 

Samples were panned from the gravels of two streams which drain 

areas that were not sampled or traversed.

No radioactivity anomalies were discovered by traversing or by 

scanning. As shown in table 7, none of the samples, which were 

submitted to the laboratory for radiometric analyses, contained more 

than 0.001 percent equivalent uranium.
52 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

TABLE 7. Analyses showing equivalent uranium in the heavy-mineral fractions 

(those greater than 2.8 specific gravity) of samples collected in the Funter Bay 

area, Admiralty Island

No.

3291

3292

3293

3294

Location

Co. mill (material probably from Uncle Sam 

vein).

Type of sample

Concentration 

ratio

48:1

282:1

261:1

105:1

Equivalent 

uranium 

(percent)

<0.001

.001

.001

<.001

JUNKA.U AREA

GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS

The geology and mineral deposits of the Juneau area have been discussed in detail by Spencer (1906) and Buddington and Chapin (1929). 

The various types of rocks, which form nearly straight parallel 

northwest-trending bands in the Juneau area, are listed below. They 

are named in order from the interior on the mainland southwestward 

across Gastineau Channel and Douglas Island to Stephens Passage. 

Diorite of the Coast Range intrusives and associated aplite dikes. 

Schist and phyllite.

Black slates intruded by gabbro. The slates were intruded again later by 

a large number of diorite masses genetically related to the Coast Range 

intrusives and still later by dikes of basalt and related rocks. 

Bedded greenstones and greenstone schists with intercalated slate strata. 

Black slates, with intercalated bands of greenstone, intruded by diorite dikes 

related to the Coast Range intrusives and by younger dikes of diorite 

porphyry. 

Massive bedded greenstone.

The ores in the area occur in veins, in impregnated masses of rock, 

and as mixed deposits in which veining and impregnation are both 

present. The vein deposits are confined mainly to the black slates, 

and the other two types of deposits are found mostly in the diorite, 

gabbro, and diorite porphyry dikes. Some of the schists and greenstones have been mineralized, but they have not been found to contain 

important mineral deposits. The metallic minerals found in the deposits of this area are pyrite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, gold, 

chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, molybdenite, and native arsenic. Realgar 

and orpiment also occur in some of the deposits. The gangue minerals 

are quartz, calcite, siderite, rutile, dolomite, sericite, chlorite, biotite, 

tourmaline, albite, and zoisite.

RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES

A radioactivity traverse was made by automobile along the Auk 

Bay road north of Juneau and along the road from Juneau to the 

Alaska-Treadwell Gold Mining Company property on Douglas Island. 

The latter traverse was extended on foot from the Treadwell property 

south along the shore of Gastineau Channel to the Ready Bullion
INVESTIGATIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE DEPOSITS, S. E. ALASKA 53

mine and for 2 miles along the road running north from the Gastineau 

Channel bridge on Douglas Island. Another traverse was made for 

about 3 miles on foot along the road and shore south of Juneau. None 

of these traverses revealed significant radioactivity anomalies.

A sluice-box concentrate from the Ready Bullion mine tailings 

contained 0.001 percent equivalent uranium. The heavier-thanbromoform minerals (those greater than 2.89 specific gravity) 

identified (by B. W. Wilson) in this sample are in order of decreasing 

abundance: magnetite, pyrite, epidote, garnet, ilmenite, barite, 

actinolite, gold, ankerite, augite, limonite, hornblende, hypersthene, 

muscovite, sphene, scheelite, and zircon.

A sluice-box concentrate from the Alaska-Juneau mine tailings 

contained 0.001 percent equivalent uranium. The heavier-thanbromoform minerals identified (by B. W. Wilson and W. S. West) in 

this sample are in order of decreasing abundance: magnetite, pyrite, 

sphalerite, ankerite, hornblende, limonite, garnet, galena, gold, 

chlorite, epidote, ilmenite, zircon, scheelite, and feldspar. A spectrographic analysis (by J. C. Rabbitt) of an Alaska-Juneau mine tailings 

sample collected in 1943 showed the sample to contain 0.03 percent 

vanadium, 0.02 percent nickel, 0.003 percent cobalt, 0.001 percent 

molybdenum, and less than 0.001 percent of antimony, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, niobium, germanium, indium, mercury, platinum, 

rhenium, tantalum, tin, and tungsten.

The radioactivity of a 2-ton rhyolitic glacial boulder at Lena Point, 

north of Juneau, was called to the attention of the Survey party in 

1949 by Lee Dunlap, a local prospector and Civil Aeronautics 

Authority employee. When examined in the field the rhyolitic 

boulder gave a uniform reading of approximately three times the 

normal background count. A heavier-than-bromoform mineral 

concentrate (concentration ratio 86:1) from a piece of the boulder, 

however, was found to contain only 0.002 percent equivalent uranium.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

No uranium deposits of commercial value were discovered in the 

course of the 1949 investigations in the vicinities of Ketchikan, 

Goddard Hot Springs, Chichagof, Funter Bay, and Juneau.

On the basis of field and laboratory studies no further reconnaissance 

investigations for radioactive deposits are recommended in the small 

parts of the five areas examined. In these areas the metallic minerals 

are so scarce and constitute such a small part of the ore that other 

mineral deposits having the same source and occurring in the same 

formations, even beyond the immediate limits of the areas thus far 

examined, do not appear likely to contain uranium ore of commercial 

grade.
54 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA

LITERATURE CITED

Brooks, A. H., 1902, Preliminary report on the Ketchikan mining district, Alaska,

with an introductory sketch of the geology of southeastern Alaska: U. S.

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 1. 

Buddington, A. F., 1925, Mineral investigations in southeastern Alaska: U. S.

Geol. Survey Bull. 773, p. 73-95. 

 1926, Mineral investigations in southeastern Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey

Bull. 783-B, p. 41-62.

1929, Geology of Hyder and vicinity, southeastern Alaska: U. S. Geol.

Survey Bull. 807. 

Buddington, A. F., and Chapin, Theodore, 1929, Geology and mineral deposits of

southeastern Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 800. 

Chapin, Theodore, 1916, Mining developments in southeastern Alaska: U. S.

Geol. Survey Bull. 642, p. 94-98.

Colby, Merle, 1942, Guide to Alaska: New York, The Macmillan Co. 

Eakin, H. M., 1917, Lode mining in the Juneau gold belt [Alaska]: U. S. Geol.

Survey Bull. 662-B, p. 77-92. 

Erickson, A. W., 1946, Exploration of Mountain View tungsten deposit, Hyder,

Alaska: U. S. Bureau Mines Kept. Inv. 3944. 

Gault, H. R., Killeen, P. L., West, W. S., and others, 1953, Reconnaissance for

radioactive deposits in the northeastern part of the Seward Peninsula,

Alaska, 1945-47 and 1951: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 250, p. 21-31. 

Jewell, W. B., 1927, Mineral deposits of the Hyder district, southeastern Alaska:

Econ. Geology, vol. 22, p. 494-517. 

Knopf, Adolph, 1912, The Sitka mining district, Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey

Bull. 504. 

Mertie, J. B., Jr., 1921, Lode mining in the Juneau and Ketchikan districts and

notes on the Salmon-Unuk River region [Alaska]: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull.

714-B, p. 105-142. 

Reed, J. C., 1939, Nickel content of an Alaskan basic rock: U. S. Geol. Survey

Bull. 897-D, p. 263-268. 

Reed, J. C., and Coats, R. R., 1941, Geology and ore deposits of the Chichagof

mining district, Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 929. 

Schofield, S. J., and Hanson, George, 1921, The Salmon River district, British

Columbia: Canada Geol. Survey Summary Rept. for 1920, pt. A, p. 6-12. 

Spencer, A. C., 1906, The Juneau gold belt, Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 287,

p. 1-137. 

Stevenson, J. S., 1950, Some notes on uranium in British Columbia: Canadian

Min. Metall. Bull. 460, p. 434-435. 

Waring, G. A'., 1917, Mineral springs of Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply

Paper 418.

West, W. S., 1953, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the Darby Mountains, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 1948: U. S. Geol. Survey Circ. 300. 

Westgate, L. G., 1921, Ore deposits of the Salmon River district [Alaska]: U. S.

Geol. Survey Bull. 722, p. 117-140. 

Wright, C. W., 1906, A reconnaissance of Admiralty Island [Alaska]: U. S. Geol.

Survey Bull. 287, p. 138-154. 

Wright, F. E., and Wright, C. W., 1908, The Ketchikan and Wrangell mining

districts, Alaska: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 347.
INDEX

Page

Acknowledgments . 26,27,31,33,37,41,42,45,46,53 

Adanac Creek. ___.___ 35 

Admiralty- Alaska Gold Mining Co. property, 51,52 

Alaska-Treadwell Gold Mining Co.--._... 52 

Alder Creek.........___.______.__ 52

Analyses of samples.. ___ 33,

35-36,37, 38-40,41,42,43,44,45,46, 49

Chichagof area-..__ .. 50

Funter Bay area....__ . 52

GoddardHot Springs area.__..___.. 48 

Juneauarea....___.. 53

Ketchikan area... _ . .. 47

B

Big tunnel, subsurface traverse. 51

Champion, W. R., analysis by..___.___ 48

Claims:

Hyder district:

Adanac .__________.____ 33,44 

Ambrose...---------.._-------_. 33,44

Cantu_____.________-__ 30 

Daly-Alaska -_-_....-.-._ 31,33

Fish Creek..---.---.---.------- . 30

Hobo.... . .. ..- 31,33

Homestake. ___-- ------ 30

Howard .... __ 33

Iron Cap_____. ____.____ 31 

Last Shop___.- -.- -_------ 33

Liberty .------ 33

Morning..______________ 36 

Mountain View._.__._....-- 25,27,

30,31,32,33,34,37, 41,42,43, 44, 45, pis. 8, 9 

Riverside. ._.___ ... 30,33 

Silver Bell 31

Sixmile 33,34,36

Stoner.__ -_------__ . 31,33

Texas Comstock_______.__.. 30 

Titan.. 33

Virginia.- ....---__........_- 31

Ketchikan area:

Hoadley - -- - 46-47

Wildcat-- - 46-47

Coast Range batholith.___.. _ ... 29

Coast Range intrusives .. . . -... 52

Deposits:

disseminated._______________ 31 

lenticular deposits______...____ 31 

See alto Mineral deposits.

D

Page

Dikes:

aplite - . 29,31,52 

basalt--___--..___---__ __ 52 

Chichagof area._______________ 49 

diorite . ... 52 

diorite porphyry-___ _ __- 30,52 

Funter Bay area__. ______. ___ 51 

Goddard Hot Springs area___. ..-. 47 

granodlorite.____________.___ 30,31 

Hyder district . 29,30,31 

Juneau area..-. ___--...__..__ 52 

lamprophyre._.. _ 29,30,31,47 

quartz porphyry.____-_.. ___ 31 

Doolth Mountain, radioactivity traverse... -. 50 

Douglas Island_________________. 52,53 

Dunlap, Lee..________ .- 53

E

Economic outlook__...__ __ .... 44-45,53

Elements:

aluminum-----------.------------------.. 42

antimony.._______________ 46,53

arsenic-__..-._.______-.____ 52 

beryllium.__.______________ 53 

bismuth - --. - 42,48,53 

cadmium. _ __.___... - 53 

calcium-..-.______________.- 42 

cobalt. . . 42,53

copper_________ .____... 51 

germanium-______________._ 53 

indium_________.________ 53 

iron....__.___.______._____ 41,42

lead. - 44

magnesium..__ __ __..-_ 42 

manganese.. - _ * 42 

mercury_-__.___-__ , 53 

molybdenum_.. . . 44,53

niobium_____________ - ___. __ 41,53 

platinum- . . 53 

radium--------------.---...- . - 47,48

rhenium_____________..__- 53

silicon 42

silver 31,42,44

sodium__.__._______...... . 42

strontium.-..____________... 42 

tantalum_._________ - 53 

tin- - 42,53

titanium.. 41 

tungsten.-..__ _ __ 44,53 

vanadium..-__.___.___... 53 

zinc.. _ 44

55
56 INDEX

Equivalent-uranium content of samples, Page 

Hyder district---.-----.-.-- -._ 34-37

Faults:

Chichagof area,_____._......___ 49

Hyder district-__...................... 30,31

Fish Creek ....................... 27,34,35,36,43

Fissure zones, mineralized------.-----___.__ 31

Fourmile__________.________... 34 

Fowler, H. M......____.................. 25-26

Fractures.___.________.__.___ 31

O

Gastineau Channel -__.._..........__ 52,53

Geography, Hyder district. __ ........ ___ 27-29

Geology:

Chichagof area________.._........ 49-50

Funter Bay area...______......__ 51

Goddard Hot Springs area......___._ 47

Hyderdistrict . - -- 29-31 

Juneauarea.-_________---------_ 52

Ketchikan area..______ _.__._ 46

Glaciers:

Casey.. . ..__.__._._____ 28 

Ferguson__________.._______ 28 

Texas.....---------..-.-.---.....-....-. 28

Thumb___...._...................... 28

Goddard..__. ........................ 48,49,50

Hoadley Creek__________________ 47 

Hot springs, Goddard Hot Springs area:

Magnesia Spring.._____________ 47,48 

Main Spring- .....___ ......_ 47,48

Old Russian Spring....__...._....... 47

Sulphur Spring..____....._....__. 47,48

Hyder......-... ................... 27,28,34,44

Joints, Hyder district. 30

Kimsham Cove, radioactivity traverse... __ 50 

Klag Bay, radioactivity traverses along.___ 50

Lena PointM

Matzko, J. J., mineral determinations by__ 49 

Mertie lode._.. ___.. ............ 51,52

Mineral composition of samples, Hyder district..__........._............ 38-40

Mineral deposits:

Chichagof area_____..._.....__ 49-50

Funter Bay area __ ..._____ 51 

Goddard Hot Springs area______. __ 47 

Hyder district ... ..... 28,29,30-31,32,41

Juneauarea________.________ 52 

Ketchikan area...____.______ 46 

Minerals:

actinoflte_......_.__..______... 53

albite...___________.__.___ 50,52

Minerals Continued Pag* 

allanite _.. ___...-. 49' 

amphibole - .-- ____..... 37,38,40

anglesite_ . __. 44 

ankerite_ .. ... ..____.... 44, 53

apatite...____._......____. 37,38,49,50'

arsenopyrite__________ 31,44,46,49,51,52' 

augite__ ____ ..__------- 49, 53

azurite__.-.--. ...- .....__... 44

barite...._____ 30,31,38,44,53

biotite .... 36,38,40,41,44,49,52-

bornite __....__... -_ .... 38,41,44

calcite -- 31,38,40,44,50,52'

celestite____......__................ 38,41

cerussite... ...... ... . ... 38,41,44

chalcopyrite 30, 31, 36,40, 41,44, 46, 49, 51, 52' 

chlorite ..- 36,37, 38,40,41, 49, 52, 53- 

clinozoisite-. -- .- 38, 41,49-

covellite_ ... -------- 44

cubanite_ ------ 44

diopside - - - - -- 38,41,49' 

dolomite_ --------- 52

epidote...__ .. -_.. 38,40,41,49,53 

feldspar..... --------- 53

fluorite __. . . 38,41,44

freibergite. ... - .. .. - 44 

galena 30, 31, 35, 36, 38,40,41, 44, 49,51, 52, 53 

garnet_ . ...__ -.-... 38,41,49, 5J 

gold-. 30, 31,38, 41,44,46,49, 51, 52, 53 

hematite...- 34,35,37,38,40,41,44 

hornblende.--.__-__ .-._. 38,41,49,53 

hydromlca. ... .... 42

hypersthene- ....... 49, 53

ilmenite_________ ____--.. 49, 53 

limonlte _ 34, 36, 37,38, 40,41, 44,49, 53 

magnetite.-. 37,38,40,41,44,49, 5£ 

malachite . 44 

marcasite. - - 36,37,40,41,44,49- 

molybdenite. .. 34,35,36,37,38,40,41,44,52,53 

monazite-.- 37, 49- 

muscovite_.. . . ...... . 38,41, 53

olckel . 42,51,53

olivine ______-_... _.. . 38,41 

orpiment 52 

pentlandite 51 

prehnite 37,38,40,41

proustite... 44 

pyrite.__- - .... 30, 31,

34,35,36, 37,38, 40,41,44,46,47,49, 51, 52, 53 

pyrolusite_______________ 38,41,44 

pyroxene.. 38,41 

pyrrhotite.- 30, 31,34,36,37,38,40,41, 44, 51, 52 

quartz . 30, 31, 40,42,44,50, 52 

realgar__ . 52 

rutile .- 37,39,40,41,44,49,52

scheellte - 34,39,41,44,49,53

sertcite. ~ 36,39,40,41,50,52

siderite__-_- _ -. .. .-.. 52 

specularite -- -- 44 

sphalerite . 30, 31,36,40,41,44,49, 51, 52, 5£ 

sphene..... 34,39,41,49, 5£

talc 38,39,40'

tetradymite.._._._ ..-- 46 

tetrachedrite....._...._- 30,31,39,41,44

tourmaline.. -.. 52' 

uraninite... --.-. .... 41
INDEX 57

Minerals Continued

wulfenite _.-..... -._..... 39,41,44

zircon..._____--..... __.. 34,39,41,49,53

zoisite. - 52 

See also Uranium-bearing minerals. 

Mines:

Alaska-Juneau- . . 53 

Chichagof-.-.______._______... 50 

Golden Gate-.. . ._______--.-_ 50 

Mountain View Hirst-Chichagof .. 50 

Premier.__________________ 28,30 

Ready Bullion... ... .... . .. 52,53

Riverside _ 33,34,35,42,44

Mine-water sample, analysis..__ _ .. 42 

Mountain View Gold Mining Co. .. 25, 

27,28,31,34-17,43,45 

N

kelson, A. E., analyses by . 33 

O

Ore bodies. 31

Portland Canal ... 27,28,30

R

Habbitt, J. C., spectrographic analysis by..... 53

Hadioactive material, distribution, Hyder district __. _. _ 43-44

Hadioactivity, measurement:

Chichagof area_.... 45-46

Funter Bay area__.. _........ 45-46

Goddard Hot Springs area.. _.... .. 45-46

Juneauarea__ .... . 45-46

Ketchikanarea _____ ,- 45-46

Radioactivity studies:

Chichagof area...__ . 50 

Funter Bay area.._ 51-52 

Goddard Hot Springs area. _. __ _. _ 48-49 

Juneauarea_ 52-53 

Ketchikanarea...__ ... .. 46-47

Badongas_____._ 43,44

Hedoubt Lake_____________ 48

Helief, Hyder district. 28

Hoads aad trails._ _ ----- - 28,33, pl.7 

Auk Bay road... 52 

Mountain View trail . __________ 33,44 

Salmon River road- 32,34,36,44 

Texas Lake road.._ . . . 33,44 

Titan trail.__ . _ - _ - _____ 33,44

Hock units, Hyder district:

Boundarygranodlorite . .- 29,30 

Hazeltongroup---------_-. 29,30,31,43

Hyder quartz monzonite- _____ 29,30,31,34 

Texas Creek granodiorite. 29,30,31,43

Hocks:

conglomerate- ... .- 47,49 

diorite__________._________ 52 

diorite porphyry .. . . 29 

gabbro-____.___..... _ ... 51,52 

granite- 47

Rocks Continued

granodiorite- . __ __. 29,46 

graywacke______________ 29,31,47,49 

greenstone - . 29,31,46,49,51,52 

greenstone schist-..__________ 46,51,52 

phyllite-..................__......_. 46,51

quartz diorite__ ....________ 46

quartz monzonite_ . _______ 29 

sandstone- . . . ___ 47 

slate____._________... 29,31,46,47,52

Salmon River.....-.-. __..__... 27,28,30,34

Sawmill Creek-.. . 47

Seward Peninsula.__...__-_______ 45 

Silica flux--.. - __ ._.. 44 

Sills, Funter Bay area_____________ 51 

Sixmile drift, subsurface traverse.. 44 

Sixmile tunnel, subsurface traverse 33 

Skookum Creek________._____ 27,35 

Skookum tunnel-.-._._... 32,33,34,35,36,41,43 

Stephens Passage._ - . . 52 

Stewart, British Columbia.. ...... ... 27,28

Stocks, Hyder district .... . 29,31

Texas Creek - . 28 

Texas Creek batholith . . 30,31 

Texas Lake__________ __- __ 28,33,44 

Thumb Creek-.-- - . 30 

Titan drift, subsurface traverse 44 

Titan tunnel, subsurface traverse --__ 33 

Trails. See Roads and trails. 

Uranium-bearing minerals:

Hyder district-_____ 34-42,45 

Mountain View property 34-37,45 

secondary_ . 42,45

Veins:

barren quartz 31,44 

cliff _ - _ 37

Canyon, Hyder district_ . 36,37,42,43, pi. 8 

gold type - -- 30

Gray Copper, Hyder district 32,35, pi. 8 

lead-silver type 30 

Marsh, Hyder district.___._ ._ 36, pi. 8 

mineral- 31 

mineralized 32 

quartz.. ________ 30,31,44,46,47,49,51 

quartz fissure.. 30,46 

Rampart, Hyder district 37, pi. 8 

Ruby Silver, Hyder district 36,37,42, pi. 8 

Silver Falls, Hyder district ..._. 36,42, pi. 8 

slide _ 36

Uncle Sam___ 52

Waring, C. L., spectrographic analysis by 42 

West Fork.... 28,30

Wilson, B. W., mineral determinations by 49,53

Q