The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-07
! WEALTH OF ELY
HARD TO CONCEIVE
Astounding Figures in Regard
to Copper Deposits Given
by Fitz-Mac.
EXPERTS FEAR LOSS
OF POPULATIONS
Mineral Future Involves Not
Millions, but Many Bill
lions of Dollars.
Snccial TO Tho TrihunN.

Special to Tho Tribune.
ELY, April 6-Thc difficulty in pre-
senting a public statement OF Elys great
copper deposit is not. as with other
camps, to make a big and attractive story
by strengthening the truth. but to make
a believable story by judiciously sup
pressing large part of the actual truth
tho magnitude and value of the stu
pendous deposits arc SO far beyond
the limits of mining experience. The
whole truth about the camp. boldly
but candidly stated carries the mind
onto a plane OF moncy-reckonIng so
much higher than ordinary financial
computation that the mind at first re-
sists. resents. repudiates the figures
as incredible, unbelievable. There Is
not much room for dispute as TO the
superficial area OF the stupendous de-
nome as q mile Wide and seven miles
long. As TO the length there is no
possibility OF dispute. Developments have
proven II. The width OF the zone is not
so clearly proved, but II may be taken
rs proved to width of at least 2oo0 feet.
Thickness Is Illustrated.
The next point to determine is the
depth-or not the depth exactly but
the thickness OF the plane OF secondary
enrichment" This is q technical ex~
preston in mlneralogy the fun ex-
planntion OF which would be too COM
pick to go into here. but the reader will
OF, say three large books on toble-n
thick black one at the bottom. blue one
OF medium thickness In the middle
and thin black one on the top. These
must be imagined as in their original
character constituting one more less
uniform mass of eruptye rock imPreg-
stratum OF Secondary, enrichment in
this Ely deposit, though neither the top
nor the bottom of the actual stratum is
really a plane-a smooth. straight sur
face. 1t varies in thickness from point
To point, and is only called plane in a
top and the black book on the bottom
In this rude Illustration must be thought
valuable to work under present condi-
tions lies mostly in the stratum OF the
blue book-"the plane OF secondary en-
rchment." This is not at all peculiar
TO Ely. IT occurs everywhere in mineral
deposits. and its causes are we'll under
stood by all enlightened miners.
Experts Fear to Describe 1t.
The problem in estimating the mineral
and money value of our vast Ely deposit
is In forming just average of the
thickness of that plane of secondary
enrichment Shafts have proved 1t TO
be- In SO some parts of the neid. nearly, or
so thick in other parts. Probably an
average OF 800 feet would not be too
nlGH an estimate OF the average, but
when the mineral content and value are
figured on that basis II gives results so
astoundinsly large that cautious mining
engineers, Tor rear OF dlscrediting their
professional regulations Will not consent |
10 let their names be used in connection |
with such estimates. even when privately |
have In mind the unhappy fate OF |
the indiscreetly honest Siberian who |
got himself beheaded in India as an |
impudent liar for telling a great poten- |
tate that in his native country the water |
froze so hard that an elephant could |
walk over Il.
What They Do Acknowledge.
Rather than jeopardze their profess
9ional regulations by stating truths
which the general public is not yet pre-
pared TO believe, the more cautious mi |
ming engineers of the camp figure the |
stratum of enrichment as $50 feet thick !
and they refuse to allow their names to |
he published In connection with even so |
conservative an estimate as that; II the !
reader Will Just take the dimensions and |
figure the problem out to the money value !
for himself he Will gee the strong com |
mon3sense reason for this professional |
GGnutioGsness-the eau total is almost incred |
ible. II simply knocks the eye out OF |
credulity itself
What Figures Will Show.
Adopt the following Dimensions and |
average of ore values and extend your |
calculations 10 the money value and you
Will perceive why mining engineers fear
10 JeopardiZe their professional reputa-
tions by indorsing the truth-because the
ruth runs so far ahead OF all previous
mining experience that humanity simply |
cannot believe It. For convenience in
figuring call
Known length. 35000 feet
Admitted width. 300 feet
Thickness OF enriched plane. 500 feet
Total in cubic feet. 02. 900 000,00G
Cubic feet to ton OF this ore 10
Tons OF ore, 3,500.W0.000
Copper value. 31A per cent.
Pounds OF copper, 245 100000.
Present market price. 1872 cents.
Money value of the copper content. SS,-
325, COO
Total Values.
Figure the gold value at 30 cents 10
the ton and the silver at so cents-no one
VIII dispute thcse averages except to,
claim that they arc too low-and we
have
,Ioio -----s'-'--'''s' .--.'.sS l,fvurupVtu
Silver ....s......,.... ........... 100000 COO |
Copper ............,. ........... &. .525 600 900
Total metal value S3e So5 00O OQn /