TII E N O M E N U G G E T
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone Main 125 $1.50 PER MONTH
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E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY . Production Manager
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the
post office at Nome, Alaska, under Act of March 3, 1879.
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THE THAT’S ALWAYS LEFT OVER
/ ' •
WHY - - - NOME
NOW THAT GOLD MINING is at low ebb due to
the price established by Congress many years
ago, townspeople are frequently asked how Nome
exists without gold mining.
We would like to refer you to a Minerals Econ
omic Report prepared by the Chamber of Commerce
in 1951 so that everyone can understand the import
ance of Nome — best known for its gold mining.
There can be little doubt that in these times the United States,
and for that matter the world, depends upon the mining industry to
a great extent for its prosperity and progress. Our age is an age
of mass production. America’s great wealth has resulted primarily
from the fruits of this mass production. This has come about initially
through the utilization of America’s mineral resources and those
mineral resources from other countries. Alaska has been, by no
small means, a generous supplier of mineral wealth for the United
States, and as time goes on will become a still greater source of
supply. It is imperative that we understand Northwestern Alaska’s
place in America’s economy.
Many of the strategic materials required by the government to
carry out their rearmament program are found in this part of Alaska.
The following metals are those that we possess, minerals which are
considered strategic by the government: antimony, from the mineral
stibnite; asbestos, beryllium, found in the mineral beryl; bismuth,
found in the native state; chromium, copper, found in all its mineral
forms; graphite, kyanite, iron, found as cappings in many areas;
molybdenum, platinum, tin, found in the mineral cassiterate; tung
sten, from the mineral scheelite, and uranium. This is a long list;
however, some of these deposits cannot be considered as ore, but are
at present still prospects.
There are three major regions of mineralization in this vast
area which are as follows:
The first and most important is the Seward Peninsula, which
since 1897 has produced in gold alone over $133,000,000 or 30% of
the total Alaskan gold production.
The second is the Kobuk-Noatak region in which are located
very promising asbestos minerals associated with ultra-basic rocks
of that area.
The third, and a highly potential region, is that area which
lies north of the Brooks Range where Alaska’s largest coal beds
are situated. v
The Seward Peninsula has a rugged glaciated backbone of
mountains which strikes east and west, and which lie near the
center-line of the peninsula. Underlying these mountains is a large
granite area which has been exposed in places by weathering. It is
this granite intrusive rock that is believed to be the mineralizer
for the whole peninsula, except in the far eastern part where the
basic intrusive rocks occur.
From Cape Prince of Wales and traveling east to Lost River
there is an area that has produced over four million pounds of tin
since 1902. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has done and is doing ex
tensive core drilling in the Lost River district. From their work,
over two million tons of ore was blocked out.
Today the United States depends upon the Malayan tin placers
and the Bolivian tin lodes for most of its tin. In the past year, 70%
of U.S. metallic has has been imported from Malayan states and
[ The Army’s Role In ‘"'Alaska, Gibraltar
Of The North” In The Nuclear Age
(From Walker’s Weekly)
The “extraordinary significance
of Arctic areas in the Nuclear
Age,” was highlighted at Fort
Greely recently by Col. William
Pearson, Assistant Chief of Staff,
G3. U. S. Army, Alaska, in a
graduation address to the officer
students of the U.S. Army Cold
Weather Mountain School’s sum
mer operations and mountain in
structors course.
In his speech entitled, “Alaska,
the Gibraltar of the North,” Col.
Pearson predicted that “new de
velopments will transform the
Arctic Ocean into the Mediter
ranean of World War III" in the
event of such a conflict. He told
students they must “recognize
that the far north is of great
military importance as a strategic
base in the nuclear age.”
Significance
After stating that “the full sig
nificance of the area has not been
appreciated in light of post-World
War II weapons,” Co!.' Pearson
outlined the strategic importance
of the far north in four areas—
geographic, political, economic,
and psychological. Citing the fact
that Europe, Asia, and North Am
erica came closest together at the
North Pole, Col. Pearson said
i that an ICBM with a range of
5,000 miles based near Fairbanks
could cover most of the territory
under the communists. Further
underscoring the geographical im
port of the Arctic, he stated that
a nuclear submarine armed with
the present 1,500-mile-range Po
laris could cover Russia as far
south as the 50 degree latitude
or the border between China and
Russia.) And with the Navv-an
nounced range increase to 2,500
miles by 1065, missile-firing sub
marines could dominate.the entire
land mass from the Arctic Ocean.
Even with the advent of longer
ranged missiles, the Arctic offers
a bonus of'increased . accuracy
and greater payloads over the
shorter distances,' the colonel
said. Tn addition,' the shorter
flight times reduce the enemy's
reaction time, thus hampering his
efforts at counter measures ag
ainst the rockets or launching re
taliatory rockets.
The political advantages of Al
aska is pinpointed by the bitter
and sometimes violent campaign
being conducted by the commun
ists against U.S. bases overseas.
The colonel said that while Am
erican rights at overseas bases
might be restricted. U.S forces
on U.S. soil are not subject to
50'; of our tin concentrates have been imported from Bolivia.
Further east to the Imuruk Basin, there are found the graphite
deposits of the Kigluaik Mountains. This deposit starts from the
region just south of the Imuruk Basin and continues as far east as
the headwaters of the Grand Central River region, a distance of
over 15 miles in length. The veins vary from 6 inches to as much
as 30 inches in thickness, and are fairly continuous through their
entire length. The graphite varies in quality, with a large part of
it of high grade, which with proper treatment, could be made to
meet all market specifications.
In both the Kigluaik and Bendeleben mountain ranges many
pegmatite dikes are found. These dikes are genetically related to
the underlying granites. Those dikes that have been examined are
found to be abundant in feldspars, mica, and quartz. However, one
of the most important minerals found in these pegmatites, that are
traced for a distance of over 100 miles, is the mineral beryl. Beryl
is the main source of the metal Beryllium which is used in many
important alloys, especially those of copper. These pegmatites con
tain a host of other minor minerals that find their way into many
industries.
Lying just south of the Kigluaik Mountains and possibly genet
ically related to the granite of that range, is found a very promising
lode of exceptionally pure bismuth ore. This mine lies approxi
mately 35 miles north of Nome and is at present 10 miles from the
nearest road. The lode is 200 feet long in strike, is a series of
fissure veins, 75 feet in depth and averaging some 30 inches in
thickness. The ore assays up to the present a little over 1%.
Bismuth is highly strategic and is strictly controlled by the gov
ernment. It sells for $2.25 a pound and this present deposit is the
only one within the borders of the United States and its territories.
Still further south near the head of Snake River lie deposits
of stibnite, the main ore of the metal antimony. Two mines have
operated on this vein. From one about 120 tons of ore have been
shipped. The work done shows that further prospecting is needed.
Considerable length has been definitely established, in places over
1,000 feet.
Throughout the area south of the Kiguaik range, lies one of
Alaska’s richest placer mining districts. Associated with these placers
are many minerals. An important one of these is the mineral schee
lite, a source of the metal tungsten. Only a few attempts have been
made to save this mineral, but with new and improved mining
methods these deposits should be good producers. The source of the
placer scheelite, lode deposits, have been found in several places.
Near the southeastern end of the Bendeleben Mountains there
are deposits of galena-bearing lodes which have been mined off
and on since 1881. The ore averages 140 ounces of silver per ton
and runs about 73% lead per ton. During the years, 400 tons have
been shipped, however, very little prospecting has been done in
the area, although outcrops and float have been found throughout
a distance of five miles.
Continuing further east there lies the region where the Peninsula
joins the mainland of Alaska. This is known as the Kiwalik-Koyuk
district. Platinum has been recovered in the placer concentrates
of many of the creeks in the region and it is believed that the
platinum originates in the basic intrusive rocks found in that
district. Chrome ores have also been found in the streams of
that region.
It can be seen that on the Seward Peninsula alone there are
many well-defined ore bodies as well as promising prospects.
The second area of importance is the Kobuk-Noatak region.
The special interest here has been centered around the district near
the Shungnak River.
All this is around us, outside the defense zone
in our present system, with only meager amounts of
money being allocated to roads to make development
and further exploration possible. Meanwhile, billions
upon billions is appropriated so that foreign countries
can develop their industries.
| foreign pressures. He said that
Soviet nuclear blackmail might
I persuade other nations to serious
| ly restrict our use of our military
forces overseas
i Economically, Colonel Pearson
I pointed out, Alaska’s vast land
I area will allow military forces
and installations to disperse and
stay away from industrial or pop
ulated areas that might otherwise
] suffer in a war. He also declared
that military funds spent in Al
aska remain in the U.S. economy
I and help to develop Alaska's po
tential.
Psychologically, an enemy
beachhead on American soil, even
in a remote area of little import
ance to Alaskan defense, might
adversely influence the rest of the
world and would certainly be ex
ploited to the fullest extent in
Russian propaganda. The colonel
recalled the concern- on the west
coast after the Japanese sneak at
tack On Pearl Harbor in World
War II as an indication of Ameri
can. reaction' to seizure of bases
in Alaska by an enemy force.
Mission of the Army in war.
Col. Pearson said, is tli • destruc
tion of the enemy force and the
occupation of his heartland.
Before this is possible, he said,
strategic outposts must first be
captured. He said we have only
to go back to World War II for
examples of this peripheral com
bat. He cited the Pacific Island
hopping and the North African
campaigns as preliminaries neces
sary to the final assault on the
Axis homelands. He said that the
implications of these historical
precedents and the strategic im
portance of the far north are
warnings that the Army must be
prepared: 1 — to destroy the
enemy's war potential in the far
north; 2—to protect the northern
flank; and. 3—to develop offen
sive bases from which to strike
at the enemy’s heartland. Equally
important, we must prevent the
enemy from succeeding in their
attempts to do the same.
The Army, the colonel empha
sized, “must be prepared to con
duct offensive and defensive op
erations in the far north.”
! The Army can utilize Alaska to
i enhance the Army's combat cap
| ability: to improve the Army’s
ability to conduct limited wav: and
I to test new equipment for use in
cither general or limited war,
! Col. Peason said. To take advan
! tage of the Alaskan training
i ground, the Colonel expressed the
| need for a realistic Army pro
gram.
He said that the Army should
exert greater research and devel
opment effort year-round to se
cure the specialized equipment
needed to wage war in the far
I north. He also advocated more
realistic and rugged training for
troops in Alaska.
He said that long cross-country
marches over Alaska and the nor
I them part of Canada would do
much to show up deficiencies in
i doctrine and material that escapes
notice during the present short
maneuvers. The students weary
after five hard weeks of training
stirred visibly when Col. Pearson
suggested that a future gradua
tion exercise might be a climb of
Mt. McKinley.
The colonel advocated person
nel procedures that would identi
fy ski and mountain trained sol
diers early in the careers and send
them to Alaska after basic train
ing to utilize and improve on
their skills/
In concluding, Col. Pearson
challenged the graduates to sup
port his ideas or to develop better
ones of their own.
lh