Wheel of Fortune Mine

The Wheel of Fortune Mine is a gold, silver, and lead mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,739 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: Wheel of Fortune Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Wheel of Fortune, MS 14799
Secondary: Hattie Ross, MS 14799
Secondary: Hidden Hand, MS 14799
Secondary: St. John, MS 14799
Secondary: Illinois, MS 14799
Secondary: Silent Friend, MS 14799

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Mount Wilson District

Land Status

Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F. (?)

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1937
Discovery Year: 1887
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic replacement

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Paradox Basin, San Miguel Mtns

Type: L
Description: Wilson Peak Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation Of Pyrite To Limonite

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BROMFIELD AND OTHERS' (1972) FIRE ASSAY OF GRAB SAMPLE OF DUMP MATERIAL GAVE 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 0.19 OZ/TON AG, AND TRACES OF CU, PB, AND ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES: VEIN SAMPLE FROM OUTCROP CONTAINED 10% FE, 0.3% MG, 0.05% CA, 0.5% TI, 150 PPM MN, 1 PPM AG, LT 200 PPM AS, 70 PPM B, 500 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 PPM CD, LT 5 PPM CO, 5 PPM CR, 20 PPM CU, LT 5 PPM MO, LT 5 PPM NI, 30 PPM PB, LT 100 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 PPM SR, 70 PPM V, LT 200 PPM ZN
Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS, LT 0.02 TO 1.2 PPM AG, 10 TO 24000 PPM CU, 30 TO 52 PPM PB, LT 25 TO 76000 PPM ZN.
Analytical Data: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS, 0.4 PPM AU, 1.5 PPM AG, 41 PPM CU, 40 PPM PB, LT 25 PPM ZN. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF 3 DUMP SAMPLES: 5 TO 15% FE, 0.2 TO 0.5% MG, 0.05 TO 0.7% CA, 0.2 TO 0.3% TI, 70 TO 700 PPM MN, 1 TO 70 PPM AG, LT 200 TO 500 PPM AS, 20 TO 500 PPM B, 700 TO 3000 PPM BA, LT 10 TO 15 PPM BI, LT 20 TO 500 PPM CD, LT 5 TO 10 PPM CO, LT 5 TO 5 PPM CR, 10 TO 7000 PPM CU, LT 5 PPM MO, LT 5 TO 5 PPM NI, 50 TO GT 20000 PPM PB, LT 100 TO 700 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 TO 500 PPM SR, 50 TO 70 PPM V, LT 200 TO GET 10000 PPM ZN

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Tourmaline

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). CLAIMS LIE ON NORTH SIDE OF NAVAJO BASIN NE OF NAVAJO LAKE, 1.9 MILES SW OF WILSON PEAK, AND INCLUDE HATTIE ROSS AND SILENT FRIEND WORKINGS. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR MAIN WHEEL OF FORTUNE TUNNEL (N2 NW NW SEC. 06). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :41? 01 1975

Comment (Development): CLAIMS LOCATED IN 1887 BY J.A. ROSS, AND PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENT DONE IN 1890S, ALTHOUGH NO FIGURES ARE AVAILABLE AS TO AMOUNT PRODUCED, IF ANY. LAST ACTIVITY REPORTED WAS SMALL PRODUCTION IN 1937 FROM HATTIE CLAIM OR HATTIE GROUP, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE SAME AS HATTIE ROSS IS UNCERTAIN.

Comment (Deposit): NEAR WEST END OF WILSON PEAK STOCK, WORKINGS INTERSECT SEVERAL STEEPLY NW-DIPPING QUARTZ-PYRITE VEINS TRENDING N 60 TO 80 E. STRONGEST VEIN IS 1.5- TO 2-FT-WIDE DECOMPOSED ZONE OF ALTERED PYRITE-IMPREGNATED GRANODIORITE WITH 6 TO 8 INCHES OF LIMONITIC CLAY, PYRITE, AND QUARTZ. HATTIE ROSS TUNNEL INTERSECTS NARROW MINERALIZED VEIN TRENDING N 75 E AND EXTENDING FROM GRANODIORITE INTO ADJACENT TELLURIDE COMGLOMERATE. SILENT FRIEND VEIN TRENDS ABOUT N 80 E AND CUTS ADAMELLITE NEAR CONTACT WITH GRANODIORITE.

Comment (Workings): WHEEL OF FORTUNE CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY NORTH FOR 310 FT, WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF DRIFT. HATTIE ROSS ADIT (INACCESSIBLE) LOCATED ABOUT 700 FT NW OF WHEEL OF FORTUNE, DRIVEN N 5 W, EXTENT UNKNOWN. SILENT FRIEND ADIT LOCATED ABOUT 2000 FT ENE OF WHEEL OF FORTUNE, DRVEN GENERALLY NE, EXTENT UNKNOWN.

References

Reference (Deposit): BROMFIELD, C.S., AND OTHERS, 1972, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WILSON MOUNTAINS PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1353-A, P. 39, 51-52, 66-67.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 14799

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