Golden Fleece Mine, James Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Ketchikan Mining District, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, USAi

Regional Level Types
Golden Fleece Mine	Mine
James Lake	Lake
Prince of Wales Island	Island
Ketchikan Mining District	Mining District
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	Census Area
Alaska	State
USA	Country

Location: This site marks the portals of the two main adits of the Golden Fleece Mine, about 0.2 mile north of the north end of James Lake. It is about 0.2 mile east-northeast of the center of section 31, T. 77 S., R. 89 E. Maas and others (1995) provide a detailed map of the underground workings.
Geology: The Golden Fleece Mine was discovered in 1899,. By 1902, a 5-stamp mill was erected at the north end of James Lake, and the mine was developed by considerable underground workings (Brooks, 1902; Wright and Wright, 1908; Bufvers, 1967; Herreid, 1967; Maas and others, 1992, 1995). The mine was active from 1901 to 1905, and produced ore that contained about $40 to $60 in gold per ton (at $20.67 per ounce). Roppel (2005) recounts much of the early history of the mine and the many legal and financial problems that swirled around the actual mining. Bufvers (1967) indicated some mining in 1933 but the production was probably minor. Production records are not available. As mapped by Maas and others (1992, 1995), the underground workings included a lower adit 428 feet long, an upper adit 195 feet long, a raise 222 feet long that connects the two levels, and stopes that extend to the surface. The deposit consists of auriferous quartz veins along two parallel faults that trend north-northwest to north and dip about 20-50E (Brooks, 1902; Wright and Wright, 1908; Maas and others, 1991, 1995). The faults are marked by quartz lenses inches to more than 8 feet thick that pinch and swell along the trend. The faults follow the contact between blue marble and white marble; the marble is silicified and cut by diabase dikes. Several large natural caverns also are along the faults. The quartz contains minor pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, and native gold. Maas and others (1991, 1995) collected 15 samples in the underground workings. Most assayed between 328 and 2,493 parts per billion gold, but several samples across 0.5 to 3 feet of a quartz-rich portion of an old stope contained 0.550 to 1.585 ounces of gold per ton. The rocks in the Dolomi area are part of the Wales Group of Late Proterozoic and Cambrian age (Herreid, 1967). They are folded into a large dome centered over the eastern third of Paul Lake, and consist of several marble layers 200 to 1300 feet thick, interbedded with calcareous chlorite schist and marble.
Workings: As mapped by Maas and others (1991, 1995), the underground workings included a lower adit 428 feet long, an upper adit 195 feet long, a raise 222 feet long, and several stopes that extend to the surface.
Age: The mineralization is younger than the Late Proterozoic or Cambrian host rocks.
Alteration: Silicification of marble.
Production: The mine was most active from 1901 to 1905, and produced ore that contained about $40 to $60 in gold per ton (at $20.67 per ounce). Bufvers (1967) indicated some mining in 1933.
Reserves: None.

Commodities (Major) - Ag, Au, Cu
Development Status: Yes; small
Deposit Model: Low-sulfide gold-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a).

Other Databases

Link to USGS - Alaska:	CR201

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References