Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-22
UINTAH MOUNTAINS IRON ORE
Deposits OF Hematlte In Utah Along the
Route OF the Moffat Railroad.

The last issue OF the Mining Report.
or, OF Denver, contains an interesting
article on the co0l deposits Of Utah
by A. W. Warwick, In which, after
abiding TO the iron felds Of Iron ooun-
IS, the writer makes special mention
OF the iron measures OF Uintah and
Wasatch counties Mr.. Warwick says:
The deposits OF Iron county, Utah.
have been attracting the attention of
iron and steel producers during the last
year or two, and from current reports
the Rio Grande Western railroad Is
contemplating the construction Of "A
road for the express purpose Of mar
koting those ores Yet II il but few
years since, the writer remembers, that
these deposits were looked upon as hav-
ing very little value from a commercial
point OF view The construction OF the
Moffat road viii also open up iron ore
deposits OF excellent quality. the de-
posts occurring In such a way as TO
insure a downhill haul from the TANKS
OF the Uintah mountains The close
proximity of these deposits to the coal
fields OF Routt county and the excel
lence OF the grade Of iron ore greatly
enhances the commercial value of these
ores. From a number Of analyses made
It would appear that the ore is remark
ably free from sulphur and phosphoric
acid
When the railroads reach the deposits
OF Iron county Utah. and those Of the
Ulntah mountains. we expect TO see an
impetus given to iron and steel manu-
featuring I'm the west, and the sight OF
western rails made from western ores
IN foreign countries win become so ia
miliar as to pass without comment.
The Importance Of an ample supply OF
III 4 ga.s. IA ..tS lou
90 foundries and machinery manufac-
turers is so obvious as not to need di-
lating upon.
The iron mines OF the Ulntah range
have recently been studied by Mr., J.
NJ. Boutwell,, OF the United states geo.
logical survey, From these studies Mr..
Boutwell, concludes that there Is at
least one deposit OF high grade work.
able iron ore (hematite) In the Uintah
range. Mr. Boutwell's work also set
ties some interesting geological prob
lens, practically proving that the great
red sandstone series. the age OF which
has long been In doubt Is certainly ear
lier than the lower carbonife rous.
The traditional absence OF deposits of
metallic ores az is only tradition
based on error In the Uintah range.
the prospective development of this re-
glon In the near future, due to the build
Ing OF the Moffat road and of the open
ing Of the Uintah Indian reservation,
give an interest TO the geological feat
ures OF this little known and practice
ally unprospected area. The Uintah
range Is situated mainly in the north
eastern portion OF Utah, running, how
ever, over into the northwestern part
Of Colorado. II has a length of about
100 miles, and an average width OF
about thlrty-fve miles. The elevation
of the range varies from $500 feet to
10 ,4S6 feet (corrected) on Emmon's
peak The range is an elongated dome
composed OF deeply dlssected central
plateau and enclrcling cuestas.
The iron deposits recently studied by
the geological survey lie Just outside
the interior plateau region on the
southwestern slope OF the mountains.
Two deposits are described. One Is
located IN Uintah county. Utah, twen-
" miles north of Vernal and eight to
nine miles east OF the point at which
Green river enters Utah on the bound
airy between Utah and Wyoming. The
ore In this deposit is brown manga
nsse iron of llmonltic character. 1t
outcrops as a bed three to eight feet In
thickness at the crest Of a hogback,
and is traceable along its strike for sew
frequently been visited by prospectors,
who report traces Of gold in the iron In
silIclous gangue. II is generally re-
ported by prospectors and others that
the ore is of a good quality, but at the
present II Is too far from the railroad
to admit OF profitable exploitation and
that, generally speaking, 1t is mainly Of
use as fiux. The other deposits are
situated on the Rhodes plateau, and
appear to be the principal metallic de-
posts so far developed in the Uintah
mountains, The deposits are situated
In Wasatch county Utah, In the south
western portion of the Uintah range on
the main divide between the Provo and
Duohesne drainages, at the head Of
Soapstone basin, at an elevation of be-
tween $500 and 300 feet. 1t Is easily
accessible by way of Provo river and
SoapstOne creek,