The gold placers of the Fortymile, Birch Creek, and Fairbanks regions, Alaska - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 Excerpt: ...and crystalline limestone outcrops on the divide at the head of Discove v Fork. Schists similar to those above described occur again on American Creek about a mile above its junction with Discovery Fork. Below this point to Discovery Fork and on the latter stream, the bed rock is mostly serpentine, irequently cut by basic dikes. Though American Creek has been worked for several years and considerable coarse gold found upon it, no preparations were made to work the gravels on a large scale until 1903, when a hydraulic plant was installed at a point about 1 mile above Discovery Fork, where there is an ill-defined bench on the west side. The gravels at this locality are about 5 feet thick, composed of schist and igneous rocks. There are 3 feet of loose gravel called "chicken feed," and 2 fe.t of similar material with a large j.rcportion of clay. Gold is found throughout this lower deposit, but the best pay is next to bed rock, ome being also found in the bed rock itself to a depth of 2 feet. Bs lite is a common associate of the gold. slope is a rather steep one; from the edge of which to the water creek there is a fall of about 15 feet. A flume, 7,200 feet in ieagth, with a capacity of 1,200 inches, has been built from the upper portion of Vmerican Creek, giving a head of 150 feet and furnishing water intended to supply two hydraulic elevators. The capacity of the plant was expected to be about 1,000 cubic yards of dirt in a day of twenty-four hours, and the expense of working about 10 per cent. At the time of the writer's visit the water was turned on the ground for the first time. The plant is a very complete one for work and, if the water supply can be depended upon, should accomplish good results. It is shown in Pl. XI. Discovery Fork.--On Discov...