Smith prospect

The Smith prospect is a gold and silver 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

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Site Name

Primary: Smith prospect
Secondary: Treadwell Yukon Co.
Secondary: Willoughby Island

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Lead

Location

State: Alaska
District: Juneau

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Extensive pyritic and ankeritic alteration of lamprophyre.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Jamesonite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Reed, 1938; Kimball and others, 1978

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = The deposit was located in 1907 and leased to Treadwell Yukon Co. in 1925 (Shephard, 1926). Probably about that time, a forty-four foot long adit was driven, but it failed to hit the dike intersection that appeared to localize the ore on the surface. Buddington (1924) reported that a high-grade sample contained 1.74 ounces of gold and 42 ounces of silver per ton, and 25 percent each of lead and antimony, suggesting the possibility of jamesonite, which Buddington reported at another site on western Willoughby Island. Shephard (1926) sampled a 1-foot-thick massive sulfide vein at the property; the sample contained 0.12 ounce per ton gold, 11.9 ounces of silver per ton, 13.4 percent antimony, and 29.75 percent lead.? the U.S. Geological Survey failed to find the prospect in 1966 (MacKevett and others, 1971), but the party mostly searched south of this location and the country is steep and overgrown with vegetation.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Dike-associated replacement mineralization in Paleozoic carbonate terrane. The site is in Glacier Bay Park and Preserve.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Mineral deposits on Willoughby Island occur in a reefoid marble of Devonian or Silurian age that is part of a large carbonate package that underlies much of central Glacier Bay (Brew and others, 1978). At the mine, sulfide-rich replacement veins, as much as 1 foot thick, occur in marble at and near the intersection of lamprophyre dikes (Reed, 1938, p. 70-71). The lamprophyre dikes are relatively young, probably Tertiary in age. One vein was traced for about 100 feet. Sulfide minerals also occur as joint-fillings in the marble host rock.? Buddington (1924) reported very high grade ore from the property, which was optioned by Treadwell Yukon Co. in 1925. Assays of as much as 1.74 ounces of gold and 42 ounces of silver were reported, in addition to 25 percent each of lead and antimony, suggesting the presence of jamesonite or a similar sulfantimonide at the property. Buddington reported jamesonite at another occurrence on western Willoughby Island. Chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite have also been reported from the prospect site.

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary.

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Probable small production of high-grade ore.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Replacement sulfide veins.

References

Reference (Deposit): Buddington, 1924 (written communication cited by MacKevett and others, 1971)

Reference (Deposit): Kimball, A.L., Still, J.C., and Rataj, J.L., 1978, Mineral resources, in Brew, D. A., and others, Mineral resources of the Glacier Bay National Monument wilderness study area, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-494, p. C1-C375.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources of the Mount Fairweather quadrangle, AK: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Study Map MF-436, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Brew, D.A., Johnson, B.R., Grybeck, D., Griscom, A., Barnes, D.F., Kimball, A.L., Still, J.C., and Rataj, J.L., 1978, Mineral resources of the Glacier Bay National Monument Wilderness Study Area, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-494, 670 p.

Reference (Deposit): Rossman, Darwin, 1963, Geology of the eastern part of the Mount Fairweather quadrangle, Glacier Bay, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1121-K, p. K1-K57.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., Brew, D.A., Hawley, C.C., Huff, L.C., and Smith, J.G., 1971, Mineral resources of Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 632, 90 p., 12 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Shephard, J.G., 1926, Smith Prospect, Willoughby Island: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 111-4, 1 p.

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