Deep Tunnel

Site Name

Primary: Deep Tunnel
Secondary: Baldy Tunnel

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Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Silver

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Location

State: New Mexico
County: Colfax
District: Baldy District: Copper Park Area: South Ponil Creek

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Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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.

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Holdings

Not available

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Workings

Type: Underground

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Ownership

Owner Name: F. T. Cheetham
Home Office: Taos, N.M.
Years: 1940 -

Owner Name: Deep Tunnel Mining Co.
Home Office: Ohio
Years: 1938 -

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1919
Year Last Production: 1919
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

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Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

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Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

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Orebody

Form: PINCH AND SWELL

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Ore: Molybdenite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite

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Comments

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE ENTRANCE OF DEEP TUNNEL AS SHOWN ON THE UTE PARK TOPOGRAPHIC QUADRANGLE.. DEEP TUNNEL CONNECTS WITH BALDY TUNNEL WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 8000 FT. WEST-SOUTHWEST OF DEEP TUNNEL, NEAR THE SPRINGS AT THE HEAD OF BIGNEGRO GULCH. CADASTRAL GRID PROJECTED.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION OF ABOUT ONE TON OF GOLD ORE IN 1919.

Comment (Development): HE COST OF DRIVING BOTH TUNNELS IS REPORTED TO BE A ROUND 2 MILLION DOLLARS.

Comment (Deposit): ONE TUNNEL SITE AND 18 CLAIMS COVERING ABOUT 415 ACRES.

Comment (Workings): THE DEEP TUNNEL WAS DRIVEN WESTWARD FOR NEARLY 2200 FT TO CONNECT WITH THE BALDY TUNNEL WHICH WAS DRIVEN EASTWARD FOR ABOUT 7000 FT. FROM THE PORTAL. WORK BEGAN IN THE BALDY T UNNEL IN 1900 AND CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY FOR 36 YEARS.

Comment (Geology): MOLYBDENUM MINERALIZATION IN THE TUNNEL IS SPARSELY DISTRIBUTED AND OCCURS AS COATINGS AND STRINGERS IN QUARTZ-PYRITE VEINS WHOSE AVERAGE WIDTH IS TWO INCHES. MOST VEINS STRIKE NORTH-SOUTH AND DIP STEEPLY EAST, ALTHOUGH VARIATIONS IN BOTHSTRIKE AND DIP OCCUR. MOLYBDENITE OCCURS NEAR THE MIDDLE OF T HE TUNNEL FOR A LENGTH OF 1825 FT. AND A WIDTH OF 800 FT. MOLYBDENITE CROPS OUT ON THE SURFACE IN VEINS AND FLOAT ABOUT 1800 FT. ABOVE THE TUNNEL. THE VEINS ARE REPORTED TO BE NEITHER AS RICH, NOR AS CLOSELY SPACED AS VEINS AT THE QUESTA MOLY MINE.

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References

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C., AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PP 68, P. 103-104

Reference (Deposit): SCHILLING, J.H., 1965 NMBMMR BULL 76, P. 36

Reference (Deposit): PETITT, R.F., JR., 1966 NMGS GUIDEBOOK SEVENTEENTH FIELD CONFERENCE, P. 75

Reference (Deposit): CLARK, K.F., AND READ, C.B., 1972 NMBMMR BULL 94, P. 121-123, PLATE 1

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

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These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.