Eagle Mine

The Eagle Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,590 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

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Site Name

Primary: Eagle Mine
Secondary: Eagle-Hawk Mine Eagle and Hawk Claims

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Bismuth

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Bonanza (Kerber Creek)

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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Saguache Eagle Mining Co.
Home Office: Villa Grove, Co.
Years: 1922 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1898
Year Last Production: 1922
Discovery Year: 1882
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: TABULAR TO PINCH-AND-SWELL

Structure

Type: L
Description: Bonanza Caldera

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Range, San Juan Volcanic Field, Rio Grande Rift

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Early Barren Stage Of Alteration By Fumarolic Or Acid-Hot Spring Activity Resulted In Intense Silicification, Wallrock Replacement By Jasper And Alteration Products Hematite, Diaspore, Alunite, Barite, Zunyite, Rutile, And Kaolin Minerals. Later Mineralizing Stage By Alkaline Or Neutral Solution Deposited Ore And Gangue And Caused Micaceous Alteration (Sericite And Chlorite) And Calcite, Quartz, And Pyrite.

Rocks

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 200 LEVEL, NR, 7.0, NR, 2.0, 0.10, 0.09, NR, NR, NR
Analytical Data: 134 LEVEL, 0.01, 9.8, 4.8, 2.4, 0.09, 0.10, NR, NR, NR
Analytical Data: PATTON REPORTS ORE ASSAYS FROM 1901-1905 RANGING FROM 35.6 TO 227.4 OZ/TON AG, AVERAGING (ARITH.) 123.3 OZ/TON, AND 0.05 TO 1.25 OZ/TON AU, AVERAGING (ARITH.) 0.33 OZ/TON. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF ORE GAVE 58.88 OZ/TON AG, 12.8% SIO2, 2.6% FE, 30% MN, 3.2% ZN, 2.2% S. BURBANK REPORTS ORE ANALYSES FROM FOLLOWING LEVELS, EACH SET OF VALUES BEING OZ/TON AU, OZ/TON AG, % MN, % FE, % PB, % N, % SIO2, % AL203, % S (TR=TRACE, NR=NOT REPORTED): 90 LEVEL, 0.01, 2.4, 9.6, 3.4, 0.15, TR, 62.4, NR, 0.4
Analytical Data: 600 LEVEL, 0.02, 10.6, 13.6, 3.0, 0.10, 0.20, 48.8,1.2, 1.1.
Analytical Data: 500 LEVEL, 0.02, 15.5, 7.6, 3.1, 0.50, 0.20, 46.6, 1.7, 1.7
Analytical Data: 400 LEVEL, NR, 15.2, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR
Analytical Data: 300 LEVEL, NR, 22.7, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Proustite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Silver
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Cerargyrite
Gangue: Psilomelane
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Gangue: Wad
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Nontronite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): VEINS (ATTITUDE ABOVE) LIE IN FISSURED ZONE 60 TO 70 FT WIDE. PRINCIPAL VEINS, EAGLE (WEST) AND EAST, VARY FROM 2.5 TO 17 FT WIDE, AVERAGING 4 TO 5 FT. AT NORTH END MINE, EAGLE AND EAST VEINS INTERSECT, PITCHING SOUTH. VEIN WIDENS AT DEPTH. INTERMEDIATE VEIN PINCHES AND SWELLS AND IS RARELY MORE THAN 6 INCHES WIDE. NUMEROUS FEEDERS AND FRACTURES BRANCH FROM MAIN VEINS AND LIE MOSTLY IN HANGING WALL. HIGH-GRADE AG ORES OCCUR AS LENSES AND CHIMNEYLIKE SHOOTS IN LATE FISSURES IN AND ALONG EARLIER LOW-GRADE VEIN MATERIAL. HIGH-GRADE AG ALSO OCCURS IN FOOTWALL VEINLETS ON LOWER MINE LEVELS. ORES COMPLETELY OXIDIZED IN UPPER 100 FT, AND OXIDATION EXTENDS 250 TO 300 FT. EAGLE IS ONLY MINE IN BONANZA DISTRICT TO HAVE PRODUCED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM FLUORITE-RHODOCHROSITE VEIN.

Comment (Workings): MINE IS DEVELOPED BY 650-FT-DEEP SHAFT WITH TOTAL 790 FT OF CROSSCUT TUNNELS EXTENDING NORTHEASTWARD TO VEINS ON 10 LEVELS. PRINCIPAL LEVEL NAMES (BASED ON DEPTH FROM SHAFT COLLAR) AND DRIFT FOOTAGES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 90 LEVEL, 70 FT, 134 LEVEL, 120 FT, 200 LEVEL, 380 FT, 250 LEVEL, 100 FT, 300 LEVEL, 130 FT, 350 LEVEL, 730 FT, 400 LEVEL, 110 FT, 500 LEVEL, 420 FT, 600 LEVEL, 510 FT, 640 LEVEL, 150 FT, FOR TOTAL LENGTH OF DRIFTS OF 2720 FT. TOTAL LENGTH OF ALL WORKINGS 4160 FT. MAJOR STOPES WORKED ON EAGLE VEIN BETWEEN 134 AND 350 LEVELS. MAJOR STOPES WORKED ON INTERMEDIATE VEIN ABOVE 250 LEVEL. MAJOR STOPES WORKED ON EAST VEIN BETWEEN 300 AND 600 LEVELS.

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV. TAKEN FROM BURBANK'S (1932) PLATE 1 (SCALE 1:12000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES ALONG EAGLE GULCH 4000 FT FROM KERBER CR. CONFLUENCE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Development): ASSESSMENT WORK AND MINOR PRODUCTION OF NATIVE AG AND CERARGYRITE FOLLOWED THE 1882 DISCOVERY. PRODUCTION FROM SHAFT CAME IN 1898. LARGER SCALE OPERATION TOOK PLACE AFTER 1917, BUT MINE AND MILL CLOSED IN 1922 BECAUSE LOW ORE GRADES COULD NOT BE PROFITABLY TREATED.

References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1916, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA DISTRICT, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 9, 136 P.

Reference (Deposit): BURBANK, W.S., 1932, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 169, 166 P.

Reference (Deposit): WUENSCH, C.E., 1923, SECONDARY ENRICHMENT AT THE EAGLE MINE, BONANZA, COLO.: AIME TRANS., V. 69, P. 96-109.

Reference (Production): BURBANK, 1932, P.151, AS COMPILED FROM USGS AND USBM RECORDS

Colorado Mining Photos

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