A, Economic Qeol y, 25 Rofeasional Paper No. 15 Series{ B, Dwmiptins Q&, 80 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNlTED S'l'hTES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES U. \flALCOTT, I)IRECTOR THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE MOUNT WRANGELL DISTRICT, ALASKA BY WALTER C, MENDENHALL AND FRANK C, SCHRADER WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1903 .I MOUNT WRANGELL. VIFW t-keri frnm thi, Giivr,~nment im1 above To~is~iaBr~iloe 41 mles from tire sumtnit of tits maunin,~ I; NkDlNA RIVER BARS, Mnunt Drum in backgniuncl. Page . Introduction ................................................................................ 9 Copper ................................................................................... 13 Southern area ......................................................................... 13 Location ................................................................ ., ....... 13 Routes and trails ................................................................. 13 Geologic sketch .................................................................. 14 Nikolai greenstone ............................................................. 14 Chitistone limestone .......................................................... 14 Triassic shales and limestones ............................ .. .......... 15 Kennicott formation .......................................................... 15 Intrusive rocks ............................................................... 15 Copper occurrences ............................................................... 16 General statement ............................................................ 16 Description of properties ...................................................... 18 Cheshnina River .......................................................... 18 Kotsina River ............................................................ 18 Keyetone claim ...................................................... 19 Copper King claim ................................................... 19 Eleanor, Davy, and associated claims .................................. 19 Skyscraper claim ..................................................... 20 Warner prospect ..................................................... 20 G. & B. and United Verde claims .................................... 21 Kluvesna Creek ...................................................... 21 Copper Creek ........................................................ 21 Elliott Creek ......................................................... 22 Location and accessibility......................................... 22 Geology .......................................................... 22 Relation of ore deposits to geologic structure ...................... 23 Description of proepects.......................................... 24 Mineral King ................................................. 24 Copper King ................................................... 24 Copper Queen ................................................ 25 Marmot ...................................................... 25 Louise ....................................................... 25 Goodyear .................................................... 25 Henry Prather ............................................... 26 Elizabeth .................................................... 26 Fog ......................................................... 26 Albert Johnson ............................................... 26 3 4 CONTENTS. Southern area--Continued . Copper occurrences~Continued. Description of properties-Continued . Deposits in the Chitina drainage basin .................................... Strelna Creek . deposits................................................ Kuskulana River occurrences ......................................... Bonanza mine ........................................................ Old Independent vein ................................................ Nikolai mine ......................................................... Other occurrences .................................................... Northern area ........................................................................ General statement ................................................................ Routes and trails ................................................................. Copper occurrences ............................................................... Upper Copper River region ................................................... Upper Tanana or Nabesna and Chisana region ................................ Geologic sketch ........................................................... Monte Cristo diorite .................................................. Nabesna limestone .................................................... Charact~erand occurrence ......................................... Age ............................................................... Diabmic series ....................................................... Character and occurrence......................................... Relations and age ............................................... Mesozoic series ....................................................... Occurrence and character .......................................... Relations ......................................................... Age .............................................................. Occurrence of copper ..................................................... On the upper Nabesna ................................................ On Camp Creek .................................................. On Cooper Creek .. ............................................... On the Chisana ...................................................... On White River ...................................................... Upper White River .............................................. Middle White River .............................................. Economic considerations .............................................................. Gold ................................................................................*.... Nabesna River region ................................................................. Chisana River region ................................................................. White River region ................................................................... Mentasta Mountain region ............................................................ Routes and trails ................................................................. GYeologic sketch .................................................................. Gold occurrences ................................................................. CONTENTS . 5 Gold--Continued . Page. Chitochina gold field ...................................................... 48 Location ......................................................................... 48 Geography and drainage .......................................................... 48 History .......................................................................... 49 Trails ............................................................................ 49 Mail and telegraph facilities ...................................................... 50 Geologic sketch .................................................................. 51 Gold occurrences ................................................................. 52 Output ......................... .. ..................................... 52 Miller Gulch ................................................................. 52 Slate Creek ................................................................... 53 Big Four claims .............................................................. 54 Chesna River ................................................................. 55 Upper Chesna-Ruby Gulch ............................................... 55 Lower Chesna ............................................................ 56 Origin of the gold ................................................................ 57 Influence of glaciation ............................................................ 58 Economic conditions. ............................................................. 58 Delta River district ................................................................... 59 Nizina gold field ..................................................................... 59 Bremner district ...................................................................... 62 Tiekel and Tonsina districts .......................................................... 62 Fall Creek ....................................................................... 62 Quartz Creek ..................................................................... 63 Other minerals ........................................................................... 63 Silver ................................................................................ 63 Platinum ............................................................................. 63 Tin .................................................................................. 64 Mercury .............................................................................. 65 Osmiridium .......................................................................... 65 Iron ................................................................................ 65 Nabesna region: .................................................................. 65 Gakona-Chistochina region ........................................................ 66 Coal