Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-11-22
SEAS0N
IN ALASKA PROVES
PROSPEROUS
Gold Camps Have Increased
Output According to Geo
Iogist of United States Sur
Vey Just Returned,
Morning Journal Bureau.
6I3 Munsey Building.

around the circle in the far north
west. "While dry weather and 9TH
er unfavorable conditions have cur
tanned the placer gold production at
Nome. most of the other camps have
either maintained or increased THEN
output. Figures of gold output are
not yet available, but il seems proba-
BILE thai the production for 1908 will
be between nineteen and twenty mill
lion dollars. The low price of cop
per has not encouraged mining OF
that metal but about hall a dozen
properties shipped ore during 1909. 1t
appears probable that the Alaska cop
per output for the year viii exceed
-four million ounds."
Another season's field work in the
exploration and surveying of Alaska
has been completed by the geological
survey men. Thirteen parties We're
| working In various portions of the
big territory during the season, the
Investigations covering country con-
tanning both quartz and placer gold
deposits, silver. copper and coal, as
well as inquiry into Alaskan water
resources. The work outlined for the
| season was all successfully carried out
and many important results were OBJ
tanned. A general preliminary state
ment will be printed and issued as
soon as ii can be prepared some time
next spring.
Study OF Coal Deposits.
In view of the recognized import
ance OF Alaska's bituminous coal de
! posits a detailed survey has been
made OF the Matanuska coal field.
The resulting map will be used as Il
| base for d%elineating the coal bearing
strata and by the time this important
| field is reached by the Alaskan Cen
| trial railway, of which over 20 miles
| have already been completed, detailed
information regarding the distribution
and magnitude of the coal deposits
will be available. This railway VIII
| also afford access to the Willow creek
| district. where some quartz veins car
rying high gold values We're opened
up IN 1908.
Railroad construction" said Mr..
| Brooks, in speaking of h Chitina
copper precinct, lis being energetical-
~ pushed on the Copper River rail-
! way. Trains. are now running on 10
| miles of this road and probably 20
miles more will be completed this fall.
| This road will connect the copper de
posits Of the Chitina with tide water
on Prince william sound Detailed
geologic mapping of the best develop
| ed portion of this important copper
| district has been completed.
Lode Deposits at Fairbanks.
Mr.. Brooks also visited a geologic
| ,A, ut atrhapl G anp9paH in the
| preliminary study of the newly dis"
| covered gold quartz of the region.
Although no large ore bodies have
| been found" said Mr.. Brooks, some
| of the vcins carry high values and APP
| pear to be persistent. Pyrite, arse
nopyrite. stibnite, sphalerite, galena
| and free gold are found in a gangue
| of quartz. P~rospectors report the
| occurrence of telluride ores, but speci-
| mems tested in the survey laboratory
| show no evidence of tellurium. Veins
| from an inch TO twelve feet or more
| in thickness have been opened up at
about a dozen localities. The level
\ opment work is chiefly surface pros
| pecting. but some deposits have been
| followed TO a depth of nearly a hum
! dred feet by shafts and tunnels, The
indications are sufficiently e%ncourag-
! ing TO warrant more extensive pros
pecting."
Exploratory Surveys.
Two important pieces of explora-
| tory work were accomplished, n in
! the region west of Cook inlet and one
| over an area between the lower Yu-
kon and Seward peninsula. Iliamma,
| about 100 miles long. and Lake Clark,
a narrow lake about so miles in
! length. Copper and collaborating
| quartz and a little placer gold have
been found in this region, but they
| have been but little developed. Ex-
| ploratory surveys in the country ly-
ing between the Yukon and Norton
bay show that the region extending
| eastward from longitude 16i degrees
holds out but little promise of con-
| tanning valuable mineral deposits. To
the west Of this line. however. there
are metamorphic rocks which may be
auriferous.
Geologic work was done by ono
party in the gold and copper regions
of the eastern Kenai peninsula and
Important information obtained con-
corning its geology, geography and
mineral deposits.
Measurements of stream flow. in
order TO determine the quantity OF
water available for placer mining dur
ing the open season. were continued
his year by the survey engineers in
the Fairbanks. Birch creek. Hot
| Springs and Rampant districts, and
also in the various placer camps Of
the seward peninsula.
Water Power Chcapcns Mining.
Water powers also play an import
ant part in the mining industry OF
southeastern Alaska. since their util-
ization will permit the mining of low
grade ores which not be CONNER
cially exploited by the use of GOAL for
power. For this reason an engineer
of the water resources branch of the
survey visited this field in order TO
familiarize himself with the water
problems involved ana to obtain a
basis on which to plan systematic
work.
Another party spent the summer in
carrying reconnaissance surveys from
Yukon to the koyukuk and thence 10
/ 81. rhandaiaF Tho annual cold ,ro-