The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-03-21
GEOLOGY OF THE ORE ZONE
Report on the Wardner, Big Creek and
Placer Creek Ore Zones by
Chas. F. Ruddy.

L.
the Wardner Big Greek and Placer Creek the first
installment of which appeared this paper the issue of
March IA.
The eminent authorities who have examined this zone
and they second to all agree that the of the
have been deposited by the replacement process viz internal
disturbance has shattered the earh crust fitting up
side and lowering Of the other of the strata thereby making
fault assure hanging wall and corresponding fault ssure
foot WALL the ground between being fractured by the process
and forming convenient recepces for the mnerazers which
from the igneous dyke of the hanging wall assure which
is vent Of and directly connected with the molten magma
beneath the earth's crust.
The minerazers ascend and circulate unampered lowing
to the absence of mud through the assures cracks and
ices of the quarzes and attack these rocks slowly decom
posing them and substituting the minerals held in solution in
their stead and become fixed by congeng owing expan
sion and time and distance from their
The prevailing gangue matter Of the rich shoots of this
vein is derte ron carbonae which appears to be the first
to metasomacaly exchange with the quarze and in turn is
replaced with eadsver sui phde.
Surface exposures show the derte altered to mone and
hemate and the gaena carbonaes and subordinate quaint
ties Of phosphate Of lead
Instances of suphde appearing at the surface very
and only where the enclosing rocks found very firm
protecting the original deposits from oxidzng influences
The of the great Bunker Hill mine situated in the west
end of this mnerazed fault block appears to have been de-
wall Bunker Hill fssure) the north to undetermined
distance south through greatly disturbed and fractured
rock strata the strike of which is northwest and extends
to the western end of the fault block.
The paying portion of the shown by present deve
opment in the norhery portion thereof and confined to
few hundred feet in width lying close to the hanging wall
and grades into eanness prospecting has been carried to
the south The dip of these shoots vary from 40 degrees
the south near the about 80 degrees the deepest
levels
Although diabase appears the surface in close
Unity the Wardner deposits has been encountered in
the development of the NINE which fact tends to confirm the
theory that the connected through the with
the magma of the molten The surface Of the is
of bold and rugged relief where streams and filled
with cracks assures and minor faults that everywhere
filled with sderte and limonite.
The geological conditions just described prevailing in the
westerly portion of this may be readily traced its
entire length the eastern end of the fault block at Placer
creek and being particularly prominent at the crossing Of Big
creek and the West Fork of Placer creek where the dabas
dyke comes the surface with exposure Is feet wide to
the north of which the Revet rocks tilted in high rugged
cliffs with every joint fssue and crevce of which there arc
many filled with oxide and carbonate of IRON
have hestancy saying that with the experience OF u
years prospecting in the Occur dAene mountains IS my
firm belief that the distance described and lying to the south
and west of Wallace destined to become producer OF lead
silver ores second to none the entire Occur dAene