The Lost Cabin Mine is a gold mine located in Modoc county, California at an elevation of 4,800 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 4,800 Feet (1,463 Meters)
Commodity: Gold
Lat, Long: 41.35778, -120.93306
Map: View on Google Maps
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Mine Description
Lost Cabin Mine (Hess) is in Sec. 28, 33, T. 41 N., R. 9 E., 28 miles west of Alturas, and is owned by A. K. Wylie, of Alturas. The old work at the property has been mentioned in the quoted material under the heading, "Geology of Winters District." The vertical shaft mentioned in the more recent reports (State Mineralogist's Report XXV, p. 14) has not been used recently.
A new mill has been built about 100 yards from the highway. It contains an 8 by 8-inch crusher to reduce the ore to one-inch size, followed by a 3-ft. by 4-ft. Hendy ball mill with a double screen on the discharge end. Inside screen is quarter-inch; outside screen is 30-mesh. Oversize from these screens is returned to the ball-mill by a bucket-elevator. Ore ground fine enough to pass through the 30-mesh screen flows to two Kraut cells, below which are two flotation cells operated by compressed air. The latter were designed and constructed by William S. Howell, operator of the mill. Power is derived from a 45-hp. Continental gasoline engine; and there is a 7.5-inch by 7-inch compressor. Chemicals used include No. 301 and No. 208 American Cyanamid xanthates, cresylic acid, Aerofloat 25, Z6-Great Western pine oil. Copper sulphate is used as a cleaner. Lime is added at the head of the mill to make water alkaline to phenolphthalein. Capacity of the mill is one ton per hour. It has been idle during the past winter.
Ore for the last run of the mill came from a 90-ft. shaft near the incline-shaft mentioned in the older reports. Trouble was experienced on account of breaking into old, caved workings from the old shaft. Present work is being done on contract by three men, and consists of prospecting by drifting and crosscutting from a new 125-ft. shaft, which is 200 ft. west of the old incline. This work is in a fracture zone in the andesite or basalt. Lateral work from the shaft amounts to about 100 feet. In this fracture-zone, occasional bunches and kidneys of gold ore with a gangue of quartz and calcite are found. Hoisting is done in buckets with a home-made power windlass driven by an old automobile engine.
Source: Quarterly Chapter of State Mineralogist's Report XXXII, Volume 32, 1936. California Journal of Mines and Geology.
Lost Cabin Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Lost Cabin Mine
Secondary: Hess
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Location
State: California
County: Modoc
District: Winters
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Don Koza
Years: 1986 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1904
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Epithermal vein, Sado
Orebody
Form: VEIN
Structure
Type: L
Description: Fault At 200 Ft Level In Mine, Displaces Vein To South With Strike N 15 W And Dip To E
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: ASSAYS RAN $12-36/TON AU
Materials
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Development): 4 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN 1986; NATURE OF WORK UNKNOWN
Comment (Deposit): VEIN WITH CONSIDERABLE WALL ROCK, GOUGE, AND QUARTZ. RICHEST ORE ON FOOTWALL OF VEIN
Comment (Geology): ANDESITE IS BRECCIATED IN FAULT ZONE, BUT BRECCIA IS NOT ABUNDANT AT THE MINE ; GEOL.DESC: FOOTWALL ROCK CONTAINS, PHENOCRYSTS OF ALBITE, HORN BLENDE, AND SOME QUARTZ IN A DARK GREEN GROUNDMASS, IT IS PROBABLY ANDESITIC. THERE ARE VEINLETS OF SECONDARY QUARTZ ALSO
Comment (Workings): DEVELOPED BY A 225 FT VERTICLE SHAFT WITH A 60 FT NORTHEAST CROSSCUT TO VEIN WITH DRIFTS ON VEIN. AN OLD INCLINED SHAFT WENT TO A DEPTH OF 300 FT WITH A 150 FT EAST DRIFT ON THE 150 FT LEVEL AND A 160 FT EAST DRIFT ON THE 250 FT LEVEL, CONSIDERABLE OTHER WORKINGS
References
Reference (Deposit): CLARK, W.B., 1970, GOLD DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 193, P. 177.
Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, 1987, MINES AND MINERAL PRODUCERS ACTIVE IN CALIFORNIA DURING 1986: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY SPECIAL PUBLICATION 93, P. 57.
Reference (Production): AVERILL ( 1929 )
Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C.V., 1929, MODOC COUNTY, IN 25TH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND MINING, P. 14-16.
Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C.V., 1936, MINERAL RESOURCES OF MODOC COUNTY: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 32, NO. 4, P. 453-454.
Reference (Deposit): HILL, J.M., 1915, SOME MINING DISTRICTS IN NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA AND NORTHWESTERN NEVADA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 594, P. 48-51.
Reference (Deposit): TUCKER, W.B., 1919, MODOC COUNTY, IN 15TH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST: CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU, P. 251-252.
California Gold
"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.
