Geology and Mining Methods of Kennecott Mines

THE Chitina mining district of Alaska is located at the headwaters of the Chitina and Copper Rivers. At present, the only producing min-ing properties are the mines of the Kennecott Copper Corpn. and the Mother Lode Coalition Co., which are situated 196 miles from Cordova the port of entry. The first claims, later acquired by the Kennecott Mines Co. and afterwards transferred to the Kennecott Copper Corpn., were discovered in 1900. The Copper River & Northwestern Ry., which connects the mines with tide water at Cordova, was completed in the spring of 1911. Contemporary with the construction of the railroad, aerial tram equipment was brought to the mines by pack train and a tramway, 3 miles, long, connecting Bonanza mine with the proposed railroad terminal, was finished, enabling shipments of high-grade ore to be made immediately on the completion of the railroad. A mill to treat the lower grade ore was begun the same year. The Kennecott company's holdings consist of 111 mineral claims. The Mother Lode Coalition Mines Co., which is controlled by the Kennecott Copper Corpn., owns 73 claims adjoining the Kennecott holdings. All data on operations and geology refer equally well to the Mother Lode property.