The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1942-02-07
IRON ORE
DEPOSITS
ON KASAAN
Geological Survey Con-
firms Presence Of Ex-
fensive High Grade

Deposits Of iron ore on the Ka-
saan Peninsula in Southeast Alas
ka have been confirmed as extern
sive and high grade by the Geo
logical Survey, United States De-
partment Of the Interior.
First appraised in 1917 during
the World War as possible sources
Of iron, the deposits now are be-
lieved to be much larger than the
earlier estimates of minimum re-
serves CT 10,0000OO tons.
Field examinations of more than
a dozen Of the ore bodies, classified
as magnetic, indicate that the
ircn content may approach so per-
cent. Although no adequate spe-
cific determinations have been made
of the tenor and impurities in the
ircn ores of Kasaan Peninsula, the
copper content is estimated at
about O5 percent, and the sulphnr
content may be about is percent.
Large Tonnage
Many of the individual bodies of
high-grade magnetic probably con-
tain between $4,000 and 100000
tons each, and some of the bodies
may contain even more than D.
100000 tons, it was reported by the
Geological Survey. These substan-
tial deposits, if their grade holds
with depth, may have national
significance in connection with the
large hydroelectric installations at
the Grand Coulee and Bonneville
power projects The availability Of
large quantities of cheap electric
power in the Pacific Northwest
area, coupled with the needs for
iron and steel of the Nations war
machine. focuses attention of ex-
panding industrialization, not only
on the Kasaan deposits. but also
ON similar deposits on Texada and
Vancouver Islands, British Column
bia. and in the vicinity of Copper
Mountain, Prince of Wales Island,
Alaska
Location
The Kasaan Peninsula is
long, narrow peninsula on the east
side OF Prince of Wales Island, the
southernmost large island of the
Alexander Archipelago of South
east Alaska. 1t separates Kasaan
Fay -en the southwest from large
waterway, Clarence Strait, on the
northeast No point on the PENN
sula is more than three miles
from salt water. Kasaan, predom-
inantly native village about 35
miles by water nearly west of Ket-
chikan, is the only permanent set
Element.
Freighters loaded with iron ore
could move through the compare
lively calm inland waterway to
United States port on the west
coast Shipping rates are favorable,
as indicated by the shipment OF
crushed limestone from Alaska via
this route to Puget Sound ports.
Iron Deposits
On the peninsula, extensive con-
tact zones have been formed at
and near the boundaries between
granite intrusive rocks and older
stratified rocks, particularly lime
stones, according to geologic studies
of the area. The iron deposits are
bodies Of magnetic in these con-
tact zones.
In these deposits, metallic min
erals other than magnetic include
some chaleopyrite "a copper ore),
pyrite tiron pyrites Or "fool's gold
and pyrrhotite can iron sulfide
compound, often containing nickel
Locally, where chalcopyrite was
relatively abundant, the contact
material has been mined for It's
copper content.
In fact, the geology of the Ka-
saan Peninsula was studied and
mapped in 1907 and 1908 by the
Geological Survey, and the mineral
deposits we're then examined in
considerable detail However, in
those days there was no POSSIBLE
ity that they could be worked il
the near future for iron, and con-
sequently the emphasis of these
studies was placed almost entirely
en- the possible value of the copper
that the ores contained
Previous Appraisal
Although the 1917 World War
appraisal indicated the presence of
significant amounts of iron ore,
none has yet been shipped purely
for its iron content. Some of the