The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-22
UNCLE SANS RICH FIND.
DISCOVERY or An AURfFEROUS
BELT 500 MILES LONG.
Geological Survey Expedition Returns
With Wonderful News of tho Wealth
ofOur Northwest Terrific y.

province OF an immense Sv'' 49, -
promises to rivai in producuFene7a '.i'
rntnce ~ south Africa. Unlimited quaint
,ics Of ore ave actually IN sight, inc "ui j.
ferous area being not less than o0 miles
long with a width. az from hity 10 ~
miles. ,.,.,.
This expedition was Gent out las spring
Tor fbe purDogo Of asccTiaininE, IT pos
sible. tho source OF the gold FOUND IN tho
placers Of tho Yukon Valley. DURING '"e
last three years there has boon a lusn %
miners 10 that region, where inc !e"o"
metal IS obtained so abundanuy az ~
Weld excellent returns. not~lthstaholhb
the difctilfies involved in getting u. Inc
counfrv has no resources worth mention
fne, so that even the Resident Indians are
half starved. not being able 10 eaten
enough rSh 20 supply their wants. Con
seouenflv. provisions and supplies OF an
sorts for the miners must De ietoheu II oi"
the state OF Washington or from IaI-
fornia. involving great cost. Inc eN-
pcusc Of Transporting machinery IS pro
portionate. and thus 10 comes about thdt
The workers employ the most primitive
means for securing the gold.
The placcrs occur en- gulies through
which streams flow. The courses OF the
streams are altered from time TO tme
and SO IL happens that the entire bottom
OF each gully IS covered commonly WIN
gravcs that have been brought 10y ,no
water The streams. wearing away the
yold-hoarlng rocks. have ctIileo uoNn
from the hills their burden OF ueltltu7
durinc thousands OF years. Naiuftiiy'
the fighter stuff was borne away hy theI
currents. while the heavier PARTICLES III
Guiding the gold. sank 90 the bottom
Thus was formed at the bottom OF c"D"
gully a sort OF aurifcrous concentrate.
Miners wash these graNeis by means .,
eluice-lOxcs. which are long lhoiiheu
trouchs with cleats at tho lower END
,rhrouah each trouch continuous stream
az water is made 10 flow, while the crave
A. ebovrlcd into the upper era. Inc
..,.yel Is carried on by the water. while
sbc cold sinks % the bottom Of the trough
ana iq retained by the cicats. IL VIII be
eeen that this SIS merely an adoption OF
tho natural method by which gold IS ac-
cuniilatod ln stream beds. or course,
good deal of the metal escapes WIN tne
gravel 90 that 10 pays TO WORK over INC
"tailirrs.'
LOCATED THE GOLD BELT.
Now. il IS obvious that the gold In the
eraNels must come from somewhere. IL
has been realized that tuc orieinat source
OF supply existed iu rlcn soid -n'"IiIs
rock. undiscovered up 90 date. TIE eA-
uedtfiou OF the Geological survey was
sent out for tine purpose of locating theae
rocks. and with orders 90 gamer an
obtainaile facts respecting ineH Beolos
lead formation. extent. dc. J. ms mas pe.h
most satisfactorily accomplished Dy WI.
SPUR and MS assistants, VINO nav"
brought back with them specimens 10
show the richness of the deposits nc
auriferous belt passes from British Ter
,ftorv into American iu the nclbnbol-
hood Of Forty Mile creek. To has "a north-
westerly trend, and keeps on parallel 10
the yukon on the northeast ana TO the
'ranana River on the southwest III
crosses the Yukon just below the hlhln
bend Of that great stream. e. near 'le
mouth of the Porcuplne River. Ihence
- trends stil 20 the northwest. and prona-
Nv n continues further i'm the same gem
.ral direction. but the rest OF that coun-
trv remains up 70 the present an I'M
The survey made by the expedition
proves that the gold belt Is at least oV0
miles I'm length its width being as mucn
as 100 miles in some parts. IL runs
through "a range of low mountains, which
are composed chiefly of schists, enoiss,
and granite. Near the rivers the land Is
covered with forests, but the hills are
hare of trees. On the slopes above the
trees line grows a thick MOSS covering
the rocks. Ii is only on the higher levels,
where the rocks are bare, that the Goid
deposits can be located easily. Occasion
ollv one can see the gold on the surface
of the rocks. showing in bright yellow
specls. Some Of these specks are DIG
enough TO be observed with the naked
eve. while others are visible only with
the aid of a magnifying glass.
SOME GEOLOGICAL HISTORY.
The eold-bearing formation is very an
cient. and its geological history Is quite
complicated. Ages ago that Whoie region
WAS under water, ana on the bottom was
laid down a sedimentary deposit which
eventually became rock. IN the course
uf time there occurred great outburst
Of subterranean ire. and great quantities
of volcanic stun were forced up through
the sSdimentary layer. Thus to-day the
sedimentary rocks are found mixed up
10 a considerable extent with volcanic
rock. Al this business required an enof-
nous length OF time. MeanWhlle' inc
crust of the earth was undergoing Inn
portant structural changes, and its con-
traction OF 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 a bit hot solutions bearing silica
and gold were poured into the cracks
and crcVlces. The silica and gold were
deposited by the solutions Ia the cracks.
iilllng 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
scrlbod. This Is evident from the iact
the to-day the eoid-bcarlng formation ~
covered in parts by sedimentary shalcs.
Weathcring has worn away the shale
from the tops OF the ranges of hills which
reprosent the renal folds. so as TO ox-
pose the aurifcroua stratum beneath. In
the valleys Between the ranges OF hills
the supcrlntcudcut shalts are thousands
OF feet and even miles thick, so that 10
would be impracticabic 20 penetrate
through them. The mining must all be
done In those parts OF the belt where
the gold-boarine eneisscs and schists are
exposed
ALASKA RIVALS SOUTH AFRICA.
Nevcrthelcss. the accessible areas are
sufficiently great 10 aGord expectations
weil-nieh unlimited. lu one respect the
opportunity resembles that offered by the
mines OF the Rand n South Africa
there are gigantic bodies % ore in sight
and easily accessible though Of no more
than moderate richness. The deposits Of
the Rand yield only an average OF Sli
ton. but the production rs uniform and
The bulk enormous. and for these reasons
they are the most profitable mines ever