The Nome daily nugget., 1915-06-09

The central part or the huSKokWlm basin is the only portion of Alaska where, up to the present time lode de- posits of quicksilver that have attract ed serious attention have been discov- cred. That there were deposits of quicksilver in this region has been known since 1880, but not until the summer of 1914 were they visited by members of the U. s. Geological Sur vey. At two localities on the Kuskok- wim--the Parks prospect and pros pect near Kolmakof-some quicksilver has been produced and sold to the gold miners of the adjacent region. The Parks prospect was visited by Philip s. Smith and the prospect near Kol- makof by A. G. Maddren,
 Both of these prospects are situated close to the Kuskokwim river-a large stream navigable in summer by good sized river steamers for several hun dred miles above the easternmost of the known quicksilver prospects. Oc- eangoing vessels can ascend the Kus- kokwim to point within 150 miles of the westernmost prospect. The river is open for navigation from June to September. inclusive. but during most of the winter even Bering Sea- beyond the mouth of the river, is blocked with ice. Small timber suitable for mine use is fairly plentiful in the better drained lowland areas, but on the hill sides it seldom extends to elevations of more than 800 feet above the Kus- kokwim. Only a few settlements have been made in the Kuskokwim basin, and probably less than 100 white people live in that part which lies west of the easternmost place where quicksilver has been found. Few except the most ordinary supplies can be bought in the region that equipment for eXten- siVe mining or prospecting must be brought from the States. Only two small power schooners or boats on special charter visit the region once or twice year, and no regular line of passenger steamers calls at the Kus- kokwim
 Parks Prospect.
 The Parks prospect is about 250 miles by river upstream from the mouth of the Kuskokwim. The main workings are not more than 100 feet from the river nor more than 15 feet above it. The ore is exposed along the north bank of the river for a distance of a few hundred feet and has been found in prospect pits sunk on the hill- side. The main underground develop ment at this place has been the driving of crosscut adit 200 feet long Only a small amount of prospecting has been done, and even that has not been planned so as to disclose most effec- lively the character and extent of the deposit Unquestionably considerable quicksilver ore has been found, but the underground developments have not been carried far enough to block out a body of ore.
 The country rock at the prospect consists of shades and sandstones which are probably of Cretaceous age. These are cut by di<es of granite in trusive rock The metallic minerals are almost exclusively cinnabar and stbnite. Near the surface the ore is weathered to rusty brown iron stained color. In the more oXidized parts of the deposit the cinnabar is practically unrecognizable by inspec- ton owing to the coating of iron oxi- des. In the less decomposed parts the characteristic red of the cinnabar be- comes more evident until in the unal- tered parts the blood red cinnabar is very striking A little metacinna bar ite the black sulphide of quicksilver, was recognized No livingstonite nor any compounds of quicksilver and sell enium or tellurim were found.
 The relations of the mineralized body were best exposed in the cross- cut adit. The first 75 feet of the adit was driven through unmneralized sedimentary rocks. A 3-foot dike fol- lows. The country rock adjacent to the dike and the dike itself are some what mineralized. Beyond the dike the sediments are followed by 100 feet of igneous rock which is sparngly min eralized. At the northern limit of the wide igneous dike more black shale containing considerable cinnabar was disclosed
 The amount of exploration has not.l peen sufficient to determine the size or shape of the igneous masses, but judged from surface indications they