River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-05
COPPER IN ALASKA.
The Mineral Resources of the Interior oi
Our Arctic Territory.

The Mineral Resources of the Interior OF
Our Arctic Territory.
From Lieutenant Henry p. Aliens
report of his explorations up the Cop
per river we learn the following inter
esting facts about the country.
Copper river is stream of consid-
cradle size, very swift, and difficult to
ascend i'm boats. 1t is not confined to
one channel, thus forming many large
islands, and its volume of water is SO
great that the stream spreads over
nearly the entire bottom of the valley.
Along its banks are large gravel bars,
and the country throughout is marked
with extensive glacial deposits. After
passing the glaciers, which lie
about forty miles back from the
coast, the climate in summer is
dry and warm, and in the winter
it is mild and no great depth of snow
falls. The mountain ranges are very
high and are marked by many lofty
peaks, the highest of which is Mount
Wrangle, which is now considered the
highest mountain in North America.
But a few years ago Mount Wrangel
was an active volcano, breathing out
flames and molten lava, and she now
sends out clouds OF smoke and vapOrs.
The mountain is situated northeast OF
Mount St. Elias and about two hun
dred miles back from the cost, and in
the very heart of the mineral regions
of Alaska.
In regard TO the mineral resources OF
that section, Lieutenant Allen speaks
as follows:
1.-The minerals of Copper river have
long been a source of speculation, ow-
ing to pieces of pure copper, knives
and bullets of the same metal having
been brought down to the coast by the
natives. Some of the specimens are
supposed to be associated with silver,
and in fact / have heard of some
brought down which assayed in Boston
| $50 per ton in silver, and so per cent.
of copper. Nicolai's house, situated
on the Chittystone, the south branch
of the Copper, and SIX miles above the
mouth of the Chittyto river, is sup
posed to be in the heart of the mineral
region. and by him we were shown a
vein near his house, which at that sea-
son of the year (ApriD was above
the snow line. He gave us,
however, some specimens which
proved to be bornite, sulphuret OF
copper and iron. He said the pure
copper was on the Chittyto river, be-
tween his house and the central branch
of the Chittyna, as we'll as on other
tributaries o. the same. He had bull
lets OF pure copper in his possession.
We found specimens of bornite also in
the hands of the natives at Nandell's
just across the divide from the head of
/ Copper and on the headwaters of the
| Tananah. The waters of the Chittyto
| Copper water) are of deep yellow
color, from flowing through beds of
copper, and the natives informed me
that the waters were poison, and that
salmon would not ascend the stream.
Its length is probably not over fifteen
miles. At one place on the main Cop
per, on an island, were springs so
strongly impregnated with minerals
that their water could not be drank.
Even a sip sft for long time dis
agreeable taste. In ascending the Cop
per river, it was observed that the
banks were green hornblendic rock, in
tersected by mineral-bearing quartz
veins. Up further these gave way to a
green basalt, which had at its northern
end fine quality of slate that split
easily into lamine transversely to
its bed. A few miles from the mouth
of the Chittyna it cuts through bluffs
Of beautiful green stone, intersected by
white veins, which appeared to be lime
stone. The pebbles and powders in
this river bed are much diseOlored by
copper stains, but not to such a re
markable degree as those of its trib-
utary, the Chittystone. The mount
aims around the headwaters of the
latter are sandstone and felspathic
granite A feature OF some of the
high banks of the Upper Copper is the
strata OF powders many feet below the
surface. --,IsBeaK fAiassal Free Press.