Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-16
The Rare Metals Vanadium and Uranium E.

wall have been intensely crushed and
sheare1 and now stand at high angles
for a distance of at least 20 feet west
OF the fault The amount OF dIsocutlon
is not apparent ON this property, but
the direction may have been downward
ON the west or footswall side. strait
graphically these beds probably lie AZ
about the base Of the main red sand
stone series and thus short distance
above the conference.-the series.
The vanadium crystals are character
lstcally found IN thln patches, ! 10 10
inches in diameter, upon the walls OF
sandstone blocks IN the shattered zons.
They are most abundant next 10 10
main fssure. yellow crystalline mate
rial, ranging In color from orange TO
canary yellow, also occurs In this man"
ncr, and some am0rphous Carnotiie Is
occasionally found there. The more
usual mode OF occurrence NJ the carnot-
ite however, Is IN small oval masses
one-siXtecnth OF | inch In diameter
along certain beds OF gray sandstone IN
the hanGing wall, These bodies are also
most abundant adjacent to the ilssuie,
but are found as FAR away as develop
ment has proceeded, about four feet
As regards their origin, II is sufficient
for present purposes to state that the
pect 70 have been formed by replace
ment OF the sandstone, as a complete
and gradual transition series may be
traced from unaltered gray sandstone
60 pure amorphous carnotite. ON the
walls of the oval cavities I'm which this
Carnotitc ls found small clusters, ros-
cites and wreaths OF the dark-grecn
variety OF vanadium crystals frequently
occur. This IS the most Intimate reln-
tlonship between the VandliferOus and
uranferous minerals observed. ana APP
pears to indicate an earlier date 81 de-
position for the Yanadiferous COM
pounds. ON some OF the specimens
OF yello'Wish- green crystals minute
pieces of robin's-egg blue min
eral appear, which resemble bits
Of silk thread in iuster, structure,
ana general appearance. The compost
ton OF this mineral has not been de-
termined.
These minerals show along groupings
for about 600 feet along the fracture
zone and have been found TO a depth OF
81 feet below the surface.
History and Development.
These deposits have been extensively
prospected and opened along two
claims, each 1900 by 600 feet, owned
by the Welsh-Lofftus Uranium and
Rare Metals company, and slightly on
adjoining claims TO the north and
south. They are stated TO have been
discovered in March, 1898, by a man
named Welsh, and prospected the Same
year by James II. Lofftus. After doing
some prospecting and making various
small shipments for testing, In June,
1902. Mr., Lofftus sent about 800 pounds
to Buffalo for analysis and experiments
in reduction. In September 1908, the
material was discovered to be RADIO
active, and some was sent TO Curie, at
Paris. who failed to affirm the presence
Of radlum. In May, 1908, the company
was incorporated. under the laws of
New York. to work these deposits on
two claims, known as the Jesse u No.
l and Jesse ID No. 2, and to reduce the
ores at the company's experimental
plant at Buffalo, N. Y.
The fracture zone along which the
property extends, and lin which the
vaniferous and uranifer0us minerals
lie, has been opened at about 20 places
by prospect pits, short tunnels and
shafts. The principal development has
been at the southwest end Of the prop
erty, where q shaft has been sunk in
the fracture to depth OF 80 feet and
along the main minerallzed zone, at
depths OF Is and 80 feet, for distances OF
is and 40 feet. respectively
In the course Of this DEVELOPMENT
work numerous shipments Of cabinet
specimens and small amounts, aggre-
gatitg about 1000 pounds, were made.
and in 1904 somewhat more than half
carload was shipped TO Buffalo for ex-
perimental purposes. The ores yield
concentrates Of uranium oxide and a
high grade mixture OF crystals OF the
various vanaudium minerals.
The property has never been SYSTEM
atically operated. but the work done
shows the walls Of the openings In the
fracture zone to be extensively coated
and blotched with the yanaGifer1us
minerals and that certain beds carry
small masses of carnotlte. The presence
and grade Of the desirable minerals
have been proved, but further develop
ment Is required to demonstrate that
the available amount of this rare pro-
duct is sufficient 10 make this property
Il regular shipper.
Traces of these minerals IN this same
general fracture zone are reported to
nave been followed from This locality
TO deposits In Colorado, and also south.
west from Richardson for several miles
san Rafael Deposits.
About Is miles southwest Of Green
River station Trio Grande Western
railway deposits Of carnotite have been
found in several places. These deposits
lie on the western margin OF the Green
River basin in a series OF eastward
dipping cuestas (hogbacks) which rise
gradually 10 san Rafael Reef. West
OF this series of ridges is a race course,
or wide, Open valley, analogous in
form and probably In origin 10 the race
courses around the Black Hnls and
me Bighorns. Rising stecply from this
u o nigh, preciptous rock wall over
The notched crest OF which the fat
topped central plateau of san Rafael
swell appears. The sandstone which
floors the central area, and also appar-
entity that which makes the enclrcling
reef, was considered by Dutton to be
triassic. Thus the soft beds forming
the low. concentric valley, over loo
teet in thickness, with the gypsum
beds intercalated In their upper portion,
are also doubtless, triassIc. The overly