The Alaska daily empire., 1915-01-02
Seward penlnaula.


 Preliminary estimates indicate that the value Of the placer gold produced in Seward Peninsula in 1914 was S2,- 100000, compared with an output worth S2.5OOOOo In 1915 The gold production would have been larger had it not been for the fact that tho mining season for dredges opened much later than usual Forty-one gold dredges were operated on the penin- sula for the whole or a part of the open season, compared with S7 in 1913. Several other dredges are in process of construction. The aver age daily capacity of these dredges was about l1S00 cubic yards. There was an abundance of water during the summer. and hence large number Of small plants were operated than in the previous year It ls estimated that during the summer about t.2O0 men were engaged in mining on the pen- insula, Of which 450 were employed on the dredges A little winter min ing Gin 1919.14) was done in the Nome, Kougarok, and Fairhaven districts but the winter output was only small percentage of the total gold pro duction.
 Except for the development of the Lost River tin mine. already referred to. there was but little activity in lode mining on the peninsula in 19IA It is probable that not over DO to 15 men were engaged in gold-lode de- yelopment and these were doing chief ly assessment work
 Iron MineH.
 "A number of properties about % miles northwest of Nome, held oa potential iron mines were visited by IT, M Eakin. of the Geological Sur vey. last summer. He reports that the locations are for the most part on Isolated limonite.hematite veins only a few feet thick and on the iron-stain- ed blossom of such veins. At only one locality is a considerable body of iron ore apparent This is on Che divide between #Sinuk River and Washington Creek and hns been locatod as the Monarch group of claims Here the veins which cut @ maasiYe limestone are more numerous, and one Of them is apparently about 30 feet thick There IS no evidence available os to either the vertical or Che horizontal persistence of the veins. The ore In sight Is almost entirely residual deposit derived rom the weathoring of the veins An area about 600 feet square is underloin by this residum Go a depth of several feet The pros pecting work done 80 fer shows only the arou of the deposit and not its depth. The ores have slumped down into the head of gulch leading north ward from the main deposit. and there they are exposed in a short tunnel driven ct level about 90 feet below Che top Of the divide. lt Is unsafe, however, 10 assume that the divide is underlaln by ore 10 this depth.
 The residual deposit apparently in. cludes considerable loose ore report ed to contain 5S to 55 per cent of iron and to be practically free of titanium and sulphur and to carry only 00o per cent of phosphorus. At present there is little evidence as to the amount or availability of the ores in the un- disturbed veins beneath the residual deposit
 "A quarter Of ? mile west of thia property is a roticnlated stooi.wark of limonite and pgrolusite veinlets in Ilimestone Not enough prospecting or sampilng has been done, however to demonstrate the extent Of the deposit or its possible vnlue aa surca oi ] iron auU manganese ores