The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-06-04
ALASKA MINERAL,
REPORT OF UNUSUAL VALUE
BEEN ISSUED.
Gold, Coal, Copper and Other Nj
eral Deposits eff the Mo,,.
Wrangel, Chestochena and N.
zlna Regions--Map of Comm.
River Valley.

Washington, June IA report .,
unusual value has been published h.
the geological survey on the gold, con-
pert, coal and other mineral deposits
of the Mount Wrangel district in Alas.
ka, including description of the Cbes.
tcohena and Nazina regions. A man
has also been published on the Come,
river valley and the contiguous region
Extensive observations were made last
season by Walter G. MeHdenhall AMI
Frank c.. Schrader, of the survey. and
a special effort has been made to rem.
der this report of particular value to
the mining prospector.
The paper opens with brief intro.
duction in which the history of the
now we'll known Wrangel copper dis.
trict is traced from the time of the
stampede of 1898 to the present. The
discussion of the mineral resources is
then taken up, and the copper, gold,
coal and other minerals that are known
to exist or to have been reported from
time 20 time are treated in turn. The
information presen ted is the latest OBJ
taionable, having been collected in
great part in the course of geologic in.
vestigatlons made during the last sea.
son.
The cooper deposits occur in two
somewhat widely separated fields, ".
ing along the southern and northern
slopes respectively of the Mount Wran.
gel group of mountains. lofty volcan-
ic chain which DIVORCES from the st.
Elias chain near the Alaska Canadian
boundary and extends $50 miles west
ward, ending abruptly in the Copper
river valley. The best known copper
field lies within the southern area, and
is generally spoken of as the Chitna
copper belt. The geologic history Of
this belt is briefly reviewed with spe.
cial reference tn the processes that
have affected the greenstones and lime.
stones within which the copper depOs
it's are found. After this review the |
various properties are discussed in de.
tail, some of those that are best known
being the Elliott creek group, the b.
nanza claim, just east of Kennicott
glacier, and the Nicholai properties, in
the Nazina country. The last named
region has recently attracted widespread
attention on account of the operations
of Robert Blei and his associates, In
GLIDING some English capitalists.
A review is given of the district north
of the Wrangel mountains. This dis
trict is similar in some respects to the
area, and the prospects that have been
found within it are described in detail
in the SURVEYS report. These pros
poets lay within the drainage basin oil
tie Nabesena, Chisana and White rlv'
ers, and consist of sulphide deposits
and native copper, the latter usually |
appearing in placer deposits. In con-
nection with the description of the va
rious properties, information is given
as to the rontes to be followed in reach' |
ing the regions under discussion, and as
to the best method of transporting 1000
supplies and outfit.
In Connection with the gold deposits
the report describes the low grade min'
eralized zones within the regions adls,
cent to the Nabesna, Chisana ana
White rivers and the Mentasta noun,
tains. and also discusses in some deMn
the we'll known Chestochena gold helu'
the principal placer region of Southern
Alaska. Such information as is avalr
able as also been collected concerning
the new Nazina gold field, which w@
the object of stampede of considerao'
proportions last year, and whiln'i
several large outfits and many men
have gone this year.
The occurrences of silver, platinum
tin, mercury, osmiridium and irn'
which have from time to time pe.H
reported in different parts of the u;' '
trict considered in this report, are u;
cussed, and the probabilities OF 'nen
existence and of their commercial 'aI
ne are dealt with. The report cio'eI
with description of a number OF 'Ua s
deposits of varying commercial Vaius,
found at widely scattered points wi'H''
the field. =,
The paper is illustrated by tWe :'b
reproductions of photographs, VIZ
show mining camps, placer claims o.
copper properties, and by several nlsps