QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS !
OF KUSKOKWIM REGION!
The central part of the Kuskokwlm
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
ered. 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
wlm—the Parks prospect and a 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 Kuskokwlm river—a large
stream navigable in summer by good
sized ri\"‘r steamers for several hun
dred miles above the easternmost of|
the known qulcksllyver prospects Oc
ean-going vessels can ascend the Kus
kokwim to a point within 150 miles ofi
the westernmost prospect. The river
Is open for navigation from June to i
September, Inclusive, but during most
of the winter even Bering Sea, beyond
tlie mouth of the river, is blocked with
ice. Small timber suitable for mint
use is fairly plentiful in the better
drained lowland areas, but on the hill
sides it seldom extends to elevations
of more than 5u0 feet above the Kus
kokwim. Only a few settlements have
been made in the Kuslyokwim basin,
ala) pruhahh less than 10U 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, so 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 a year, and no regular line of
passenger steamers calls at tlie 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 a crosscut adit 200 feet long. Only
a small amount of prospecting has
been don0, and even that has not been
planned so as to disclose most effec
tively the character anil 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 shales and sandstones
which are probably of Cretaceous age.
These are cut by dikes of granite in
trusive rock. The metallic minerals
are almost exclusively cinnabar and
stibnite. Near the surface th.- ore is
weathered to a rusty brown, iron
stained color. In the more oxidized
parts of the deposit the cinnabar is
practically unrecognizable by inspec
tion owing to the coating of iron Oxi
iles. In the loss 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 metaeinnabar
ite, the black sulphide of quicksilver,
was recognized. No livingstonite. nor
any compounds of quicksilver and sel
enium or tellurim were found.
The relations of the mineralized
body were best exposed in the cross
rut adit. The first 75 feet of the adit
was driven through unmineralized
sedimentary rocks. A 3-foot dike fol
low's. 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 sparingly 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>
been sufficient to determine the size
or shape of the igneous masses, but
judged from surface indications they
are not large and they appear to be
more or less cylindrical bodies rather
than extensive plugs or batholiths. The
mineralization seems to be most abun
dant in the breociated zones adjacent
to the igneous Intruslves. Where sev
eral dikes whose margins are mineral
ized occur exaggerated estimates of
the possible future tonnage are likely
to be made unless the true geologic
structure and relations are determined.
As Is well known, the members of
the Geological Survey do not commer
cially sample ore bodies, so that no
statement can be made as to the tenor
of the deposit. Until tills Important
factor has been ascertained and until
the deposit has been carefully pros
pected the value of tlie property can
not he determined.
Prospect Near Kolmakof.
The prospect near Kolmakof has
been known for more than 25 years.
It is situated on the north side of the
Kuskokwim about 4 miles below Kol
makof. No work was in progress on
this prospect in 1914, and the earlier
developments consist of a few shallow
pits which do little more than expose
the rock surface. The country rock
is essentially the same as that at the
Parks prospect, it is Intruded nearly
parallel with tlie bedding by Igeneuua
rocks. Tlie quicksilver mineralization
occurs mainly in the shattered country
rock adjacent lu one of llie small dikes,
but cinnabar lias also been recognized
apparently as an original constituent
o! tlie dike rock. The maximum
width of llie mineralization, including j
tne dike, which is i to 2 feet wide, ap
pears in tlie small part of the outcrop
that is undisturbed by creep to be
about 4 feet. The cinnabar is espec
ially abundant m tlie quartz stringers
and lenses, l'cw of these arc more than
than 0 inches thick or more than 2
feet long. The thickest band of fairly
pure, mure or less crystalline cinnabar
observed was about a quarter of an
inch wide. Althougti tlie sedimentary
rocks on each side of llie dike are
probably impregnated with cinnabar
in appreciable amounts, probably nu
quicksilver ore of commercial grade
occurs outside of the narrow area in
association with the smallcd still. Al
though tlie amount of ore exposed in
the existing workings does not seem
sufficient to be profitably exploited
tinder tlie present conditions of the
region, intelligently directed prospect
ing might possibly disclose larger ore
bodies.
Miscellaneous Prospects.
Several claims have been staked on
llie Kuskokwim-Ueorge River divide
about two and one-half miles north
west of the I’arks prospect. Some
quicksilver ore lias been found, but the
development lias not been carried
much farther than that required by
law to hold tlie property. The geologic
conditions in general are the same as
at the Parks prospect and the pros
pect near Kolmakof; dikes cut the
sandstone and shale country rock, and
in the vicinity of the contacts miner
alization lias token place.
Cinnabar has been found also in the
placer material in tlie areas of in
trusive rock near Iditarod. It has been
found in place associated with quartz
in some of the small veins that occupy
joint cracks on tlie lower part of Glen
Creek, in the Iditarod district. At none
of these places, however, has a body of
ore of suffieient size or richness to
tempt exploitation been discovered.
Conclusions.
The mineralization by which the
quicksilver was introduced clearly
seems to have accompanied the intru
sion of the igneous dikes which have
a rather widespread distribution in the
areas of Cretaceous rocks. The tie
position of the quicksilver minerals
took place In the shattered zone adja
cent to these intrusives. None of these
areas have yet been adequately pros
pected. The geologic indications point
to the conclusion that workable de
posits of quicksilver may occur in the
region but whether or not the develop
ment of a specific deposit promises
adequate financial returns can be as
certained only by' a critical investiga
tion. which should include careful
sampling. detailed mapping, and
thorough analysis of all the other fac
tors that determine tlie valuation of
mining properties. In order to find
out these facts sufficient capital for
adequate prospecting is needed, and!
its employment for this purpose is
fully justified.
WEATHER REPORT.
Nome, Alaska, .Tune 8. 1915.
Temperature—Max. 61, Min. 38.
Barometer—30.18 inches.
Weather—Clear.
Wind—South 3 miles per hour.
Precipitation—None.
Nome, Alaska, June 8, 1915.
Temperature—Max. 57, Min. 37.
Barometer—30.20 inches.
Weather—Clear.
Wind S. W. 3 miles per hour.
Precipitation—None.
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