,A - ,., -,., &', ' - "' -".: ,,,.,,-I .,, DEPhRTMEHT OF THE INTERIOR I>= UNITED STA!I'ES GFDWOICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIg WMiTE, D~DXOE i MINERAL RESOURCES KOTSINA-CHPIWA REGION, ALASKA .: ' .5. FRED Ii. MOF'FIT AND A. a. MADDREN -. , , ,I., - , . WASHlNaTON . QOVBBRMENT PFlIETIHB OFFIQI 19 0 0 .. .. m . , . ---- CONTENTS. Pmfaee, by $Vred B. Brnkfi-----,_,---,,,,,-.-.,,,----,--,--,-,-,--- ~n~n~tI~------------------------~----~-,~-------*--~------- wphgg~a hi&~m ---,,,------, ,- ---------,,_ ------------------------ PmItion-,---,----,,,-----,*-~~----,,---------------------~----- mfla d ran- ---,------,--,------,- --,---- Vdtimand cllmatlc condttlaarr--,,,-,--titititi-ti-----__,-- History ,---,------,d-----------,,,--,-----*d----------4----- heral mlogs----------------------------+--*--------------+--- lntrodnction---------------------------,----,-----,,----------- Undetermined rocks on Kotsina Rivet,,,,--,----,,,,-------------- Nikolai green&one-------+----,,-------~---,,,-,-,,,_-,,,-------- Dewription - -+-- -- - - -,.-- ---+ ,, .- ,, -,,- ,- - Occurrence and dlMrlbutIon,,--- --------. .,-- -- _,,---,,,----- Structure of the greenstni~r--------_,-------------*---,-+------- Age d the greens ton^------------^- ----,--.--,,,-,,,-------- Chitistone limealone (Trhi~ic)-----,---_-,,---,-, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Dewrlptlon----,,----,-------,------------,---------- Orrcnrrenoe and dl~tribntinn-,,--------------------------,-+-- Thlcknesa of QtltI8tone limestone------,,--------------------- Age of the Chitimtone Ilm&one,,------,-----,,,-----,---,--,- Trlamde Timestones and sbalea-------------------------+---------- Dmpflm,-,-------------,-----,--------,----------+- Occnrreoce and dImtrfbnUon ----------------------------**-,+- Fmlla -I-,--------------,,,--- - -,,--- . -,,-, ,, , - ,-- --- Dtetnrb~nwfoll- depMtlon of Tela-lc ,-----,----------=---- Kenntcott fmadon--,-----------+-----------------------**~- Deacd~tition,-----------------,-------------~------------- Occertence and dlstrbntion---------------------,A*,---- dm of Kennfcott formation-----------------n--n---------n-, 1,,,, h8t-Kwnfmtt dlhrbance and emsfon-------------------*-------- -1-beaslng racks,--+---------------------------------,,-,,- TertIam volmnlc serIe~----------------------------------------- Ikwtlption and mnmnrp-----------,,----------,---,-- TlilcRneu8 of volcanic 8eri~~----------,----- 2 ---------------- Ajre of volcanic 8eries-----------------,-------,-,,----- rgumua rocks_--,-------,-------------------+---,,,-,,,,-- Prellmlnarg glatement _,- ------------------ Granular racks in the nnmetamorphoeed 8edlmwts ,-,,-,,,--,,, Porpbyrlea in the uumetAmorpbo& sedtmwt~,--,,,--,,------ Andtwite cutting the Triassic-------------_-I------------------ Intrarrlve rocks In Tertiary volmlc wries-------,,,,---------- Andesite flo~&--,----------------~----------------------+-- S Wnlle --,-------4,,---,,,,,----------_--------------------~ Plelsto~weand Recent dmlts latrodnctlm-,,,,,,-----------~~---------------------------- Preaent fatures,,,,-----,---------------,--+------------ Pm-Plelntocene land m&c& ,,,,,--,--I----C&-C&C&C&C&C&--------C& Emaioa and depcaltlon dallng Pldstocene and Recent time---- Character of tbe v~lle~-plnlndemstte ,,,,,-------------------- hornic ~eoto~-----------,,_----------------------------------- Generat stntmeat--------..-------,,----+---------------------- Copper,,,-,,-,--,~~*~-",,-~----*~-*--,*~----~d-------------- The copper ml~etals---,---------~--,---,----------~-------,- PrPllmtnary Rtatement -- - -- -., _, - - - ,- .- - - - - .. ----- ----,_ Katlve copj~?r---,,,-------~----------- ,--,,,------,,---- Cuprite ,------------,,+,+,-----d--u--------------------- Tenorite ----,-=---------,,,--------------------------- Chalmite----------,------,---------,,-.---------------- Bornite ,-----,-d,, ----- .--,,-. +, +, ----------,,,,,,-,_,_ Chalcopyrite Melachite ----------------,--------------------------+-- dzuslte -,,,----,,,,-+,+,,-----------,-+-,+------------ Chal~anthite-----,----------~~~~~--~-~------+*---------- Occmrrence of the ore@ - -,+--,----+--+--,,-----+----- General ~temmt--,d,,,,---------~~~~--~~-~-~~-~~--h~ Copper sulphide deposlta In mnrttone r~ndllmwtone-,,- - - Native cogpcr amlated wttlr the mstonp,---,,-,,*---- Placer copper-,,,-,-+------------,,,------,, Rource and character of the copper depwlts-,-------,,,-+----- Dmriptlon of propertia,-----,-------------+-----------,--- Kobslns Hlwr basl~-------,------__,,-------~----*---- Kotsioa Bfver--,+,-------------------,,,,,----,, Amea Creek----------------------.-----------,--- Rock Creek- --,,---,,--------------------------*- Iionrlng Creet,---,------- t----t--tt----------- Peacock Cree-,-,----------+---------------- Roee cIaim-------------,,,----,,,------ White IMg and M3nt clafma------------,---------- BIoantain cIaim--------------------------------- 8hower Sorprie CmIr-,-----------,--------------------- bddle claim,--,,---------------------+---- Rheehan rlalm-----,-----------------------,__ Hubbard cldm--------------------------------- &lav~rmn Wk-----,,---------------,-------------- Oopp~rCreek---,,,,------------------------+--- General descrlptlo~----- ,---I,---I,---+ Coppet Rhg and MineraI Klng claims_ Clslm at the bend of Qnm Creek ---------------- Van Dyke claim Copper Qnew clalm---------,---,--------------- REver rwlon, Aln~ka,,,-,-,--,,----,-----,----4------- In pocket. II. Qeolodc mnnaloirnnce map and wtlons of the ChItLna copper belt, Ala~kn,,--,,,,,,,,,~~,~-,---,---- In pocket. m. A, Contact ni Nlkolnl maoneand Chitlame Hmestone west of Nlalna Itlv~r,nmr Nlkolal mine: B, UbmM mesnstone on gouth nlde of Kntmlna HIver helow Flnrprlrr~Creek------- IV. A, Thin-ledrlPd Trlna~lclirne~tone nud shale on WPMbrnnch of Rock Crppk; n, Crumpling In thtn-Wdal TrlamLc J!m&me on rld~rPIIR~ of U11nhlna RIrW ,,,,---,,,,,,,,--,------ V. Head of Nlknlnl Crwk -------,-,,-,------------------------ VI. A, Intraalon~of Rne-~rninodporph~lry In black ~hale(m Pnnng Crwk ; It, Ct~stleXIountatn ,------,,-,,----------------d VII, A, PMrrtmne gmrel btuR~along north bank d Chitina Rlver: R, Chlffstono Ilmmtone on the north Bide of Elliott Cree%--,- Tfff. Vlew of Ibnnnm mfn~fmm JFormhw trail+,----,,-----,,,, IX. A. View nb th~XfknluI v~lnnnd ~hnft;B. Vlew dmg the r~la of the Henry Prnther clnlrn,,---------,-,------+----,- X. A, Cdntact of the Chlti~tooetlmeatone and h'lkohl. grepnstonp formations on WR'~ ~tdeof Nlaba REV-; R, Vlew ncmm Nlzlnn Riper Into Dan Creek----,,--,,,,,,,,,,,,, Fram 1. Pmrnparatlve grad- of the four mpoeed mlImad routes from the eoacrt to th~Interlor Coppw Rlver heik,,------,--, 2 Rk~trhmap of part of Elllott Cmk,-,,,,,,,,,,----,-,-, .X Cmrm section of the Elliott Creek aatlcltae,,,,,,,-,,------- 4. Dlngmrn ~howlngthe rphtfon of the fnukted portloma of the Gnarlyear claim. Elliott Creek ----,,,----,,------,- 89 B. Sketch map or the kmama mlne-----,,,,,,,,------,------- Rl & Form of on? myexposed in the mafn OF north- tunnel at the Bonanza mlne-----L,,,-----------------d-------- a4 7. lbrm of ore body ex- in the mathern tunnel at the Bonanza rnIne,,------,,,,,,,,-----,-,-~---~,~~~-- 85 a Ore WJat the Jumbo claim ---,,,---,---,-,------------8-7 9. sketch map of a part of mtltu Creek ----~----88 Desrlptlon of pmpertiHantisti#l. IintPlna River h~aln--Continmil. Elliott Creek-Contlnunl. L-le II cERI~----,,,,,,, ,,------ ----*-,*-------= My~niend Henry Prrther clr!lma---- .-.----_-_ Ellm~hPtb claim----,,------,--------------------- MHT~PAntoinette clalnl,,-- ,---,----------- * - - - -- Alh~rtJohnm clnlm ,,,,--,--------------------.. Iinthrfe clnlm- ,,,,,,,,,,,.,--------------------- f~Fanttand Iamton claEma---- ..,------.---_,---_ clin clnI~--,-,,----,,--_------_---------,,-- mane clafm- Xn~knTnn~Mlvrr l~tasln--------------,,-,---------A+--: +--+- Gpotrrnl dnwrlptioll ------------------------------k-- 'Nnu~ettCt~c~k-------------------------------------,- (#mfnI uutllnt., ,-------+-,----+ .. --- ------------- 'lrnEdm clnlm ,,-----,-----+,,-------------------- One Olrl cl~lm-------------------------.----+--- RtreJnn Cd,,,-----------------------------, LakIna Kim,,-,,,,,,,-,,-+---------------..,--.-----,-- Kennlmtt RLva basln ,,,,,,,,---------------------------- Hldaw -k,,,,,,,-----,,,--,------------------.-- Blacler and Fourth of f ulg cswks-,--,--,,---- ..---- Nebmrrk~ ~Mrn,-,,,-,,,,-------f~~----~--------- Rckka ~ndBH elrlms ,,,,,,,,-,-,----+----. -.,,-- Rm~naaCreek,,,-,,,-,,,,,,,,,-,-------,---,----.,,- Jumbo Creek-,---,,,,.,,-,,--,-----,-----------,--,, LTrk rind Ind~deoaclnlms ------ ------------------ The NMU plam ,,--.,--,--,---,,---,--------.-*-_-------- LocaHon and blntory-,,,,,,-------------------,-------+,- GeoIoglcal dmtrnh ,---,,,,,,----------------,,----,,----,- ChItitu Cnepk,-,,,--------------------.------,--_----- PREFACE. Native copper from the district dawribed in this volume is the first mineral reported $rum Alaska. SteIIer, tho naturalist who nccompaaied Bering on his voyage of discovery in 1741, notad the use of copper Icnives among the natives of Kayak Island. This copper undoubtedly came from the Chitinn-Rotsina belt. Among the Alaskan natives the use of copper was widespread, for it was the only metal utilized by them, but appnmntly the century of occupation by the Russians pamd without. nny search on their part for the lditpfrom which the supply WBS derived. The only attempt made by the Russians to explore the Copper River (Serebmnikof, 1847 resulted in the massacre of the whale pfirty by the Indians. Tila fimt successful explomtions were made by Allen (1886) and by Schwatka