The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-01-01
RICH GOLD ORES
OF NATIONAL CAMP
Chief Geologist of United
States Describes One Of
Modern MarvelS.
VERY RICH PRODUCTION
Believes Such Shoots Must Be
Scarce as Depth Is
Reached.
VERY RICH PRODUCTION

nc IOltpNtnS inscription % the .Nalibn-
al mining camp Of Nevada WAS delivered
recently By Waldemar Lindcrcn, chief
Seolosist OF the United States geological
survey before IN" Geological society of
Washington, II. G:
During brief reconnaissance IN this vi
cinity for the United States geological
survey tho various formations and min
eral deposits have been Investigated. lin
Wow OF the widespread interest IN the
National camp. remarkable on account of
The extremely rich character OF the orc
In iJs principal mine, soruc OF the con
cusions arrived at are made public. with
tho provjso that they pre preliminary ana
need To be suhsta Inflated by further study
of the rocks i'm the Ia laboratory.
The northern end OF Tia" Santa Rosa
range. from The Oregon line for almost
sixteen mites south Ia Canyon creek, Is
made no Of succession Of basalt flows
Suterpedded with tuffS. Some az these
nows arc sc"riaceous, others massive"
They are wcll exposed north of Flight
Mile creek, where the whole series over
2oo0 feet In thickness dips cast at gentle
angles They form part of The great vol
canic area of the Columbia river lavas
and extend far 10 the north. east and
west Of Na1ional They were GruptcI
volcanic activity all over the Cordilirrau
region. The interbcddcd iuIs. volcanic
muds and sandstoncs of volcanic origin
nsls near National.
Change III Character,
NJ one time during this great epoch Of
vIlcanlsm the character of th" layss
changed. Instead of black basalts. light
colorcd and silicious rhyolitcs were Tor a
time the lavas which poured out OF the
volcanic yeuls. The thickcSt OF these
flows nov forms Buckskin mountain.
which has an elevation Of 500 feet. AT
tho came time dikcs and masses nj rhyo-
orally trendinS north and south. forced |
their way up. through the basalts ana
iuff beds In places disturbing thcm srGat-
~; big blocks Of basalt are sometimes im-
bcddcd in the rhyolitc. Such rhEolito
intrusions are the dilics on Radiator and
Auto hills, and the great mass. which cN-
tends for n couple OF miles from the ridge
overlooking Three Mile creek. occupies the
west side OF Charleston hill and reaches
nearly to Eight Mile creek
4 third and latest intrusion Is that
occupying the northern end Of Charleston
hill above tho National mine. This dark. |
fnc grained rock. which is OF Importance
vislonally be called an andcsite.
After the eruption Of rhrolilr and ande-
site followed the formation Of the min
cral veins. But there Is also reason To
after this and that the Gnyoite. except
possibly In its highest point. became GOV
cred with successive. hows Of basal'. SUCH
as are exposed 20 the east of Bucliskin
peak. The basalts are thin flowing lavas
and easily spread out i'm even sheets. !
while the rhyolltcs arc thick and viscous
and are apt to pile up IN & neaVy masses masses
dikes may In fact be found cutting those |
of The rhyoiites and showing ,liat the
volcanic activity was complete and long
continued.
Fissures Are Opened.
Shortly after the eruptions OF rhyciite
and andesite. fssurcs were opened
frendins north and south. mainly along
the dikcs. sometimes also breaking into
sures are generally small. rarely over a
few feet In width and commonly much |
less. The nssurc illling is mainly quartz, |
With drusy structure, and the character
istic combination OF metals is antimony
tss stibpite or Sulrhidc of antimony). !
iron tas pyrits or marcasirc), gold and
silver Lead. copper and zine ar" gen
served at few places. Tho veins
throughout bear evidence, OF having hcen
deposited by hot. ascending springs at a
moderate depth below the surface.
Tho majority OF tho veins are clearly
dependent upon the rhyoiitc crpptions;
amount Of stibnitc ard the silver values
usually prevail over those OF gold. Thus
far none Of them has yielded any con-
side erable amount OF shipping ore.
The case Of the National vein Is some
what different. II Is. aE stated. mainly
contained in an sndcsitc rock but II also
cuts into basalt and rhyolitc. Though it's
mite and ruby s;lvcT), the quartz u dis
tinctiy different from that OF other veins.
being more massive and milky and less
drusy. There is. In fact, some reason
20 believe that Its naturalization took
place a lt,lc later than that Of the
veins following the Thyoii,e dilies.
Well-Dehned Shoot
Tho quartz vein. Of very moderate
thickness. contains along "A well defined
shoot a mos; remarkably rich bonanza
ore. consisting OF coarsc and hackly pale
gold tDossloiy el"ctruml firmly imbcdd ed
in the white quartz An interesting
characteristic is that within the bouanza
shoot rich and barren quartz may inter
mingie capriciously- The gold is not
secondary deposit: in fact fhcrf. is scarce
" any evidence al all Of such second
airy solution and redtspositiou or the gold
by descending surface waters. while there
ls evidence that som. or the silver has
been leached by SuTfac. water. and re-
deposited ruby silver. There is also
some secondary marcsSte. Tho shoot
has been followed for long distance
along the dip OF the vein OF about 500
feet, the lowest level being unen-I by
"A crosscut from Charleston gulch
The production Of this extraordinary
bonanza since its discoverv two years
ago Is said In have been no less than
5000. 600. mainly in gold Most OF the
orc had tenor of from $40 TO $40 per
pound some high silver values were
fcund at the surface. hut the apex OF
the gold shoot was not encountered until
about 90 feet below the surface No
piacers have been found in Charleston
gulch or In Eight Mile creek in spite
OF the fact that great deal OF rock has
been removed by erosion. Hence IL IL
proDa bic that this gold shoot meyer
reached tho surface and that no other az
4 similar nature existed within the rock
volume carried away hE erosion Tn.
almost Inevitable conclusion H. that such
shoots must be scarce below the present