Polaris Prospect

The Polaris Prospect is a manganese mine located in Clallam county, Washington at an elevation of 1,686 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Polaris Prospect
Secondary: Ed B. Group

Commodity

Primary: Manganese
Secondary: Iron
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Aluminum
Tertiary: Gold

Location

State: Washington
County: Clallam

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: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Ed Brooks Et Al., Port Angeles, Wash.
Years: 1934 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: Olympic Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: LENSES

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Choritisation In Fractured Zone

Rocks

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Basalt
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Eocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: SAMPLE OF SILICEOUS MATERIAL: 1.4% MN, LESS THAN 0.01 OZ AU, 80.02 OZ/TON AG

Materials

Ore: Bementite
Ore: Hematite
Ore: Limonite
Ore: Hausmannite
Ore: Pyrolusite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): REMOVAL OF OVERBURDEN DISCLOSED A HIGHLY SILICEOUS MANGANIFEROUS ZONE 155 FEET IN LENGTH AND RANGING FROM 5 TO 20 FEET IN THICKNESS. THE ZONE APPEARS TO STRIKE N. 80 DEG W. AND DIP 30 DEG N. THE HANGING WALL IS ALTERED BASALT SIMILAR TO THAT IN NO. 1 PIT. THE FOOTWALL IS OBSCURED BY OVERBURDEN. AT THE WESTERN END OF NO. 2 PIT, THE MINERALIZED ZONE IS LIMITED BY AN OUTCROP OF BASALT; HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL CONTACT CANNOT BE OBSERVED BECAUSE OF OVERBURDEN. ON THE EASTERN END, THE ZONE APPEARS TO PINCH OUT. THE LOWER PART OR FOOTWALL SIDE OF THE MINERALIZED ZONE CONSISTS OF QUARTZ 15 TO 20 FEET THICK. THE UPPER PART OR HANGING-WALL SIDE IS MANGANIFEROUS AND IS 1 TO 5 FEET THICK. A SAMPLE OF THE SILICEOUS MATERIAL ASSAYED 1.4 PERCENT MN, LESS THAN 0.01 OUNCE AU, AND 0.02 OUNCE AG PER TON. SAMPLES FROM THE MANGANIFEROUS PART OF NO. 2 PIT ASSAYED 20 TO 30 PERCENT MN. IN THE NO. 1 PIT TRENCHING AND STRIPPING HAVE OUTLINED THE MINERALIZED ZONE FOR A LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET. AN AVERAGE

Comment (Deposit): A 165-FOOT CROSSCUT AND A 108-FOOT VERTICAL RAISE WERE DRIVEN YEARS AGO, APPARENTLY TO DETERMINE ANY DOWNWARD EXTENSIONS OF THE MINERALIZED ZONE. THE CROSSCUT IS NOW CAVED AT THE RAISE. NO MANGANESE MINERALIZATION WAS SEEN IN THE CROSSCUT, WHICH IS IN ALTERED BASALT. IF THE DEPOSIT DIPS NORTHWARD AS IS BELIEVED, THE CROSSCUT WOULD HAVE TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER TO INTERSECT THE DEPOSIT. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Deposit): WIDTH OF 20 FEET, AND A DEPTH OF 20 FEET OR MORE. THE ZONE APPEARS TO BE LOCALIZED ALONG A BASALT-RED LIMESTONE CONTACT, STRIKING EAST OR NORTHEAST AND DIPPING 45 DEG N. POOR CONTACT EXPOSURES MADE ACCURATE DETERMINATION OF THE STRIKE DIFFICULT.

Comment (Workings): PITS AND AN ADIT.

Comment (Geology): THE COUNTRY ROCK IS ALTERED BASALT, IN WHICH AN IMPURE RED LIMESTONE IS ERRATICALLY DISTRIBUTED.

Comment (Location): ABOUT 1 MILE NORTH OF US 101; ONE MILE ALONG US 101 WEST OF HECKLES, THEN ALONG A BAD ROAD TO BEAR CAT CLAIM, THE BY TRAIL 0.25 MILE.

Comment (Development): THE DEPOSIT HAS BEEN EXPLORED BY A SERIES OF OPENCUTS AND AN ADIT CROSSCUT FROM WHICH A RAISE EXTENDS TO THE SURFACE. IN THE NO. 2 PIT AREA 100 FEET WEST OF NO. 1 PIT A DEPOSIT IS EXPOSED IN THREE OPENCUTS AND A 200-FOOT ZONE THAT WAS STRIPPED OF OVERBURDEN IN THE 1930'S AS PART OF THE WORK DONE BY THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. WORK ON THE POLARIS CLAIM IN 1954 BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF MINES COMPRISED BUILDING 2,400 FEET OF BULLDOZER ACCESS ROADWAYS, EXCAVATING 470 FEET OF TRENCHES OR CUTS, EXTENSIVE STRIPPING AT THE SITE OF THE CAVED PORTAL, AND REMOVING ABOUT 14 TONS OF MANGANESE MATERIAL FROM NO. 1 PIT FOR METALLURGICAL TESTING AT THE BUREAU OF MINES LABORATORY AT ALBANY, OREG. THIS MATERIAL ASSAYED 24.6 PERCENT MN, 23.9 PERCENT SIO2, 19.6 PERCENT FE, 1.06 PERCENT A1203, AND 3.61 PERCENT CAO. SMELTING TESTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN PRODUCING A SUITABLE FERROMANGANESE OR FE-MN-SI ALLOY. LOSSES IN THE SLAG WERE ALSO EXCESSIVE.

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS BULL 795-A, P. 21-22

Reference (Deposit): WASH. DMG BULL 37, P. 255

Reference (Deposit): USBM RI 5530, P. 27-29

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.