The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-19
Washington Post.

Wonderful news is brought by geo.
logical survey expedition, which has just
returned from Alaska, under the leader
ship Of J. &. Spur. 1t is nothing less
than the discovery in Uncle Sans A1c-
tic province of an immense geld belt,
which promises to rival in productive
ness the mites of South Africa. Unlim-
tied quantities. of ore are actually in
sight, the auriferoLs area being not less
than 500 miles lung, with width Of
from fifty to one hundred mileE.
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. Dur
ing the last three years there hns been
rush of minerg to that region, where the
yellow metal is obtained so abundantly
as to yield excellent returns, notwith-
standing the difficulties involved il get
ting iG. The country has no resources
worth mentioning, Sd that even the resi-
dent Indians arc half starved, not being
able to catch enough fish to supply their
wants. Consequently provisions and
supplies of all sorts for the miners must
be fetched from the State of Washington,
or from California, involving great cost.
The expense Of transporting machinery
ia proportionato, and thus it comes about
that the workers employ the NEST primi-
tive means for securing the gold.
The plRcers occur in gullies 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
grayels that have been brought by the
water. The streams, wearing away the
gold bearing rocks, have carried down
from the hills their burden Of dstritus
during thousands Of years. Naturally
the lighter stuff was borne away by their
currents, while the heavier particles, in
Guiding the gold, sank TO the bottom.
Thus was formed at the bottom of each
gully sort OF aurferous concentrate.
Miners wash these grayels by means of
sluice boxes, which are long inclined
troughs with cleats at the lower cid.
Through each trough continuous
stream of water is made to flow, while
the gravel il shovelled into the upper
end. The gravel is carried off by the
water, while the gold sinks to the bot
tom of the trough and is retained by the
cleats 1t will be seen that this is merely
an adoption of the natural method by
which gold is accumulated in stream
beds. Of course good deal CT the metal
escapes with the gravel, SO that it pays
to work over.
Now il is obvious that the gold in the
gravels must come from somewhere. 1t
has been realized that tie original source
Of supply existed in rich collaborating
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
tainabls facts respecting their geological
formation, extont, etc. This has been
most satisfactorily accomplished by Mr..
Epurr and his assistants, who have
brought back with them specimens to
show the richness of the deposits. The
nuriferous belt passes from British terri
tory into American in the Eeighborhood
Of Forty Mile CTeak. 1t has north west
erly trend, and keeps on parallel to tho
Yukon on the northeast and to the Tan
ana River on tire southwest. 1t crosses
the Yukon just below she main bend
of that great stream-i. e. near the
mouth of the Porcupine River. Theuce
it trends still TO she northwest, AMI
probably it continues still further in the
same general direction but the rest of
that country remains up 10 the present
an unknown land
The survey made by the expedition
proves that the gold belt is at least 200
mile in length, it's width being rs much
as leo miles in some parts. 1T runs
through range of low mountains,
which are composed chiefly OF schists,
gneiss and granite. Near tho rivers tina
land is covered with forests, but the hills
are bare Of trees. On fhe slopes above
the tree line grows thick moss, covering
the rocks. 1t is only OIL the big her lev
els, where the rocks are inre, that the
gold deposits can be located easily. Oc-
casionallv one can see the gold on the
surface Of the rocks, showing in bright
yellow speckS. Some Of these specils ara
big enough to be observed with the
naked eye while others are visible only
with the aid of magnifying glass.
Tho gold bearing formation is very
ancient, and its geological history is
quite complicated. Ages ago that whole
region was under water, and on The bot
tom was laid down seGimentary depns-
1t which eventually became rock. In
the course Of time there occurred great
outburst of subterranean fire, and great
quantities Of volcanic stuff was forced
up through the sedim entary layer. Thus
today the sedimentary rocks are found
mixed up to considerable extent with
volcanic rock. All 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 cause',
folded the layer described into series
Of huge corrugatIons, forming ranges of
hills with valleys between.E The fold
ing process cracked tho layer in all direc-
tons, and after bit hot solutions bear
ing silica and gold were poured into the
cracks and crevices. The silicn 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 geologi-
cal history Of the region. That part of
the present continent may have emerged
more than once from the ocean during
these ages, but it must have been under
water for great length of time after the
conclusion of the events already de-
ecribed This is evident from the fact
that to-day the gold bearing formation