Preliminary Report on Gowganda Mining Division District of Nipissing OntarioCollins, W. H. (William Henry)
Science
Preliminary Report on Gowganda Mining Division District of Nipissing Ontario
Collins, W. H. (William Henry)
Geology -- Ontario; Mines and mineral resources -- Ontario
Practically all of them carry chalcopyrite either as diffuse grains or
in considerable amounts. Pyrite is equally abundant but less constant.
Galena is not uncommon. All these occur with the quartz; their presence
in the calcite is not certainly known. Many of the veins show diffuse
stains of reddish pink colour due to cobalt bloom, which though not in
itself of value is important as a sign of the existence of smaltite from
which it is formed by oxidation. The minerals enumerated thus far are
widespread, but economically insignificant; the silver-cobalt
association is present in some cases, however. Little opportunity
existed in 1908 for favourable study of these minerals, so that only a
list of those found at the surface can be given. There native silver,
argentite, smaltite and cobalt bloom have been found, and a few feet
down small lumps of native bismuth. Because they occur either in calcite
or in loose decomposition materials filling the space which the calcite
formerly occupied they are believed to be associated with that gangue.
Infrequently gangue minerals are almost absent and the vein filled by
massive ore.
LOCAL DISTRIBUTION.
Valuable argentiferous veins were known in 1908 only in the Gowganda
district, and, so far as yet known, discoveries have been confined to
the diabase west of that lake. Most of them occur in the southern
portion of the central diabase strip which lies a short distance from
the shore and extends northward for about seven miles from Elkhorn lake.
On one of the Mann claims (T.R. 1966), now owned by Messrs. Foster, an
east and west vein averaging 4ʺ or 5ʺ in width had been traced for 300
feet, the original discovery being made in the exposed face of a low
diabase wall. At its surface the vein material had been weathered out
for a depth of about 15ʺ and the cavity filled by a brownish mass of the
decomposed matter mixed with vegetable mould and sand. Nuggets of mossy
or arborescent silver were scattered richly through this dirt, and a
fairly continuous spine of the same metal, sometimes an inch thick,
extended along the middle of the crevice. A test pit sunk about 8 feet,
but barricaded at the time of the writer’s visit, had exposed, according
to Mr. Mann, silver and smaltite in a calcite vein. On the adjoining
claim (T.R. 1982), a vein of massive smaltite about 1ʺ wide was seen; a
little silver had been found at its surface and streaks of argentite and
disseminated grains of smaltite were seen in the wall rock. Aplite dikes
on another claim were found to be stained by cobalt bloom, and full of
disseminated chalcopyrite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account