The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-23
BILLIONS IN YELLOW METAL.
Discovery of Gold BELT in Alaska
Five Hundred Miles Long.

Is brought by a geological survey expedi-
ton, which has just returned from Alas
ka under the leadership of j. +. Spur.
1t is nothing less than the discovery in
Uncle Sans Arctic province of an inn
mense gold belt, which promises to rival
in productiveness the mines of South
Africa. Unlimited quantities of ore are
actually in sight, the auriferous area be-
ing not less than $50 miles long, with
width of from so to 100 miles.
This expedition was sent out last spring
for the purpose OF. ascertaining, if possible,
the source of the gold found in the placers
of the Yukon valley During the last
three years there has been a rush of
miners to that region, where the yellow
metal is obtained so abundantly as to
yield excellent returns Notwithstanding
the difficulties involved in getting 1t.
The country has no resources worth men
tioning, so that even the resident Indians
are half starved, not being able to catch
enough fish to supply their wants. Con-
sequently provisions and supplies Of all
kinds for the miners must be fetched
from the state of Washington or from
California, involving great cost. The ex-
pense of transporting machinery is pro-
portionate, and thus it comes about that
the workers employ the most primitive
means for securing the gold.
The placers occur in guillles through
which streams flow. The courses of the
streams are altered from time to time,
and so it happens that the entire bottom
of each gully is covered commonly with
gravels that have been brought by the
water. The streams, wearing away the
gold bearing rocks have carried down
from the hills their burden of detritus dur
ing thousands of years. Naturally, the
llghter stuff was borne away by their cur
rents, while the heavier particles, includ-
ing the gold, sank to the bottom. Thus
was formed at the bottom of each gully a
sort or auriferous concentrate. Miners
wash these gravels by means of slulce
boxes, which are long inclined troughs,
with cleats at the lower end. Through
each trough a continuous stream of wa
ter is made to flow, while the gravel is
carried off by the water, while the gold
sinks to the bottom of the trough, and is
retained by the cleats. 1t will be seen
that this is merely an adoption of the ma
ural method by which gold is accumu-
lated in stream beds. OF course, a good
deal of the metal escapes with the gravel,
SO that it pays to work over the tail
ings."
Now, 1t is obvious that the gold in the
gravels must come from somewhere. 1t
has been realized that the original source
of supply existed in rich, gold-bearing
rocks, undiscovered up to date. The ex-
petition of the Geological survey was sent
out for the purpose of locating these
rocks, and with orders to gather all OBJ
tainable facts respecting their geological
| formation, extent. etc. This has been ac-
| complished most satisfactorily by Mr..
Spur and his assistants, who have
brought back with them specimens tc
show the richness of the deposits. The
auriferous belt passes from British terri
tory into American in the neighborhood
1 Of rafw IL
erly trend, and keeps ON parallel to the
Yukon on the northeast and to the Tanana
river on the southwest. 1t crosses tho
Yukon just below the main bend of that
| great stream, ne, near the mouth of the
Porcupine river. Thence it trends still
to the northwest, and probably it contln.
| ues further in the same general direction;
but the rest of that country remains up
to the present an unknown land.
The survey made by the expedition
proves that the gold belt it at least 500
miles in length, its length being as much
| as 100 miles in some parts. 1t runs through
| range of low mountains, which are COM
posed chiefly of schists, gneiss and gran
| lite. Near the rivers the land Is covered
with forests, but the hills are bare of
| trees. On the slope above the tree line
grows thick moss, covering the rocks.
1t is only on the higher levels, where the
| rocks are bare, that the gold deposits can
| be located easily. Occasionally one can
see the gold on the surface of the rocks
showing in bright yellow specks. Some
of these specks are big enough to be OBJ
| served with the naked eye, while others
are visible only with the aid of mag
nifying glass.
The gold-bearing formation Is very an
Client, and its geological history is quite
complicated. Ages ago that whole region
was under water and on the bottom was
lot Itt,oa1 ,fa,Kx ,4,I,
eventually became rock. In the course of
time there occurred a great outburst of
subterranean fire. and great quantities of
volcanic stuff were forced up through the
sedimentary layer. Thus to-day the sed-
imentary rocks are found mixed up to a
considerable extent with volcanic rock. Ali
this business required an enormous length
of time. Meanwhile the crust of the earth
was undergoing important structural
changes, and its contraction or possibly
other causes, folded the layer described into
a series of huge corrugations, forming
ranges Of hills with valleys between. The
folding process cracked the layer in all
directions, and after bit hot solutions
bearing silica and gold were poured into
the cracked crevices. The silica and gold
were deposited by the solutions in the
cracks, filing them up, and thus were
formed the veins Of gold-bearing quartz
which enrich the rocks.
But this did not complete the geological
history of the region. That part of the
present continent may have emerged
more than once from the ocean during
those ages but 1t must have been under
water for a great length of time after
the conclusion of the events already de-
scribed. This is evident from the fact
that to-day the gold-bearing formation
is covered In parts by sedimentary shales.
Weatherlng has worn away the shale
from the tops of the ranges Of hills which
represent the original folds, so as to ex-
pose the auriferous stratum beneath. In
the valleys between the ranges of hills
the superintendent shales are thousands
of feet and even miles thick, so that 1t
would be impracucable to penetrate
through them. The mining must all be
done In those parts of the belt where the
gold bearing gneisses and schists are ex-
posed.
Nevertheless, the accessible areas are
sufficiently great to afford expectations
well-night unlimited. In one respect the
opportunity resembles that offered by the
mines of the Rand in South Africa. There
are gigantic ore bodies in sight and easi-
=. fhouVh Of no mara thar