The Last Chance, Claim is a silver, barium-barite, zinc, tungsten, lead, copper, and gold mine located in Alaska.
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:
Commodity: Silver, Barium-Barite, Zinc, Tungsten, Lead, Copper, Gold
Lat, Long: 56.00278, -130.04417
Map: View on Google Maps
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Last Chance, Claim MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Last Chance, Claim
Secondary: Fish Creek Mine
Secondary: Olympia Extension
Secondary: Last Chance
Secondary: Single Rose
Secondary: Mountain View
Secondary: Summit
Secondary: Climax
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Barium-Barite
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Tungsten
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold
Location
State: Alaska
District: Hyder
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Year: 1926
Time Period: Mid 1920'S
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Unknown
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Galena
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Scheelite
Ore: Sphalerite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): THE COUNTRY ROCKS IN THE AREA OF THIS SITE ARE PELITIC METASEDIMENTARY AND SUBORDINATE ANDESITIC (GREENSTONE) METAVOLCANIC STRATA OF THE JURASSIC OR OLDER MESOZOIC HAZELTON GROUP; THE TRIASSIC TEXAS CREEK GRANODIORITE, WHICH UNDERLIES AND LOCALLY INTRUDES THE HAZELTON; THE EOCENE HYDER QUARTZ MONZONITE, WHICH INTRUDES THE HAZELTON AND TEXAS CREEK ROCKS; AND STILL-YOUNGER TERTIARY LAMPROPHYRE DIKES, WHICH CUT ALL THE OTHER ROCKS (SMITH, 1973, 1977; KOCH, 1996). THE DEPOSIT (CHAPIN, 1916, P. 98-99; WESTGATE, 1921, P. 128; BUDDINGTON, 1925, P. 77-78; 1929, P. 43, 68-71; BYERS AND SAINSBURY, 1956, P. 138; COBB, 1978, P. 29-30, ELLIOTT AND KOCH, 1981, LOC. 77) IS AT THE CONTACT OF TEXAS CREEK GRANODIORITE AND HAZELTON GREENSTONE, GRAYWACKE, AND SLATE, AND CONSISTS OF MINERALIZED QUARTZ VEINS, MOSTLY WITHIN THE GRANODIORITE. A QUARTZ-BARITE-ANKERITE FISSURE VEIN AS MUCH AS 10 FEET THICK (AVERAGE 3 FEET) OCCURS ON THE OLYMPIA EXTENSION CLAIM. IT CONTAINS GALENA, TETRAHEDRITE,
Comment (Deposit): OLYMPIA NOS. 8 AND 9 CLAIMS (P. 260 AND FIG. 66) IS EOCENE, BASED ON SIMILARITIES IN MINERALOGY, STRUCTURAL SETTING, AND HOSTROCK, TO LEAD-ISOTOPE-DATED EOCENE DEPOSITS NEARBY IN THE HYDER DISTRICT (SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, BC086). IF SO, THE AGE OF THE DEPOSIT IS CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH EMPLACEMENT OF THE HYDER QUARTZ MONZONITE.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY ABOUT 800 FEET OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS, PROBABLY MOSTLY IN THE 1920'S. EARLY ASSAYS OF SAMPLES TAKEN ACROSS THE VEIN ON THE OLYMPIA EXTENSION CLAIM SHOWED A TRACE TO 1.42 OZ AU AND 3.0-94.8 OZ AG PER TON, 2.5-14.5% PB, AND A TRACE TO 2% CU. SAMPLES OF MASSIVE SULFIDE ON THE SUMMIT CLAIM ASSAYED 0.36 OZ AU AND 4 OZ AG PER TON, AND 2% CU.
Comment (Deposit): CHALCOPYRITE, PYRITE, AND SPHALERITE; LOCALLY THE TETRAHEDRITE FORMS STRINGERS UP TO 2 INCHES THICK. ABOUT 64 TONS OF SORTED ORE THAT WERE SHIPPED FROM THIS PROPERTY IN THE 1920'S REPORTEDLY AVERAGED $90 PER TON (1920'S PRICES), BUT THE TOTAL PRODUCTION, IF ANY, IS NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN. ASSAYS OF SAMPLES TAKEN ACROSS THIS VEIN SHOWED A TRACE TO 1.42 OZ AU AND 3.0-94.8 OZ AG PER TON, 2.5-14.5% PB, AND A TRACE TO 2% CU. ON THE SUMMIT CLAIM, A MASS SEVERAL FEET THICK AND AT LEAST 10 FEET LONG OF ALMOST SOLID PYRRHOTITE IS IN PYRITIZED GREENSTONE. SMALL AMOUNTS OF PYRITE, ARSENOPYRITE, CHALCOPYRITE, AND QUARTZ ACCOMPANY THE MASSIVE PYRRHOTITE, SAMPLES OF WHICH ASSAYED 0.36 OZ AU AND 4 OZ AG PER TON, AND 2% CU.BYERS AND SAINSBURY (1956, P. 138 AND PLATE 13) REPORT SPARSE SCHEELITE IN QUARTZ VEINS ON THE FISH CREEK CLAIMS AT THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE BRADFIELD CANAL QUADRANGLE. MAAS AND OTHERS (1995, P. 254) SUGGEST THAT THE AGE OF THE DEPOSIT IN TEXAS CREEK GRANODIORITE ON THE
Comment (Geology): MAAS AND OTHERS (1995, P. 254) SUGGEST THAT THE AGE OF THE DEPOSIT IN TEXAS CREEK GRANODIORITE ON THE OLYMPIA NOS. 8 AND 9 CLAIMS (P. 260, AND FIG. 66) IS EOCENE, BASED ON SIMILARITIES IN MINERALOGY, STRUCTURAL SETTING, AND HOSTROCK, TO LEAD-ISOTOPE-DATED EOCENE DEPOSITS NEARBY IN THE HYDER DISTRICT (SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, BC086). IF SO, THE AGE OF THE DEPOSIT IS CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH EMPLACEMENT OF THE HYDER QUARTZ MONZONITE.
Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE COMPRISES AN EXTENSIVE GROUP OF CLAIMS, MOST OF WHICH ARE TO THE SOUTH IN THE KETCHIKAN QUADRANGLE. CLAIMS WHOLLY OR MOSTLY IN THE BRADFIELD CANAL QUADRANGLE ARE OLYMPIA EXTENSION (LAST CHANCE), SINGLE ROSE, MOUNTAIN VIEW, SUMMIT, AND CLIMAX. SOME EARLY REPORTS DESCRIBE THE LAST CHANCE (FORMERLY OLYMPIA EXTENSION) SEPARATELY. THE LIBERTY GROUP (BYERS AND SAINSBURY, 1956) COVERS SEVERAL FORMER FISH CREEK AREA CLAIMS.
Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive
Comment (Location): THIS SITE, THE PRINCIPAL FOCUS OF A LARGE AREA OF PROPERTIES AND CLAIMS, IS AT THE EASTERN EDGE OF SECTION 2 AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2600 FEET ON THE WEST SIDE OF SKOOKUM CREEK (ELLIOTT AND KOCH, 1981, P. 19, LOC. 78). THIS LOCATION, WHICH APPLIES PRINCIPALLY TO THE MAIN MINE WORKINGS, IS ACCURATE WITHIN ABOUT 0.1 MILE. ALSO SEE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FIELD, BELOW
Comment (Production): ABOUT 64 TONS OF SORTED ORE THAT WERE SHIPPED FROM THIS PROPERTY IN THE 1920'S REPORTEDLY AVERAGED $90 PER TON (1920'S PRICES), BUT THE TOTAL PRODUCTION, IF ANY, IS NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN.
References
Reference (Deposit): Koch, R. D., 1996, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728A, 35 p.,1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reference (Deposit): Elliott, R.L., and Koch, R. D., 1981, Mines, prospects, and selected metalliferous mineral occurrences in the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728-B, 23 p., 1 sheet, scales 1:250,000 and 1:63,360.
Reference (Deposit): Maas, K. M., Bittenbender, P. E., and Still, J. C., 1995, Mineral investigations in the Ketchikan mining district, southeastern Alaska: U. S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 11-95, 606 p.
Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E. H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-922, 98 p."
Reference (Deposit): Buddington, A.F., 1925, Mineral investigations in southeastern Alasaka: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 773, p. 71-139."
Reference (Deposit): Byers, F. M., and Sainsbury, C. L., 1956, Tungsten deposits of the Hyder district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1024-F, p. 123-140."
Reference (Deposit): Buddington, A.F., 1929, Geology of Hyder and vicinity, southeastern Alaska, with a reconnaissance of Chickamin River: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 807, 124 p."
Reference (Deposit): Westgate, L.G., 1922, Ore deposits of the Salmon River district, Portland Canal region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 722, p. 117-140.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, J.G., 1973, A Tertiary lamprophyre dike province in southeastern Alaska: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 10, p. 408-420.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, J.G., 1977, Geology of the Ketchikan D1 and Bradfield Canal A-1 quadrangles, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1425, 49 p.
Reference (Deposit): Chapin, Theodore, 1916, Mining developments in southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 642, p. 73-104."
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