294 PROCEEDINGS OP SECTION C. 



No other metal is known to occur in economic quantities within 

 the district. Small indications of copper pyrites have been noticed 

 in the solid rocks. Smooth, well-j-ounded pebbles of oxide of tin (cas- 

 siterite), generally of small size, are occasionally found in the gold 

 washings. On fresh fracture they all have a fibrous or finely columnar 

 structure (wood tin). It has been asserted that grains and small 

 nuggets of platinum have been found in this district, and also on a 

 bar in the Yukon, near Big Salmon River, but these statements have 

 not been confirmed. Globules of native mercury, and small indica- 

 tions of cinnabar are said to have been observed at one locality in 

 the district, but there is no scientific evidence of such occurrences. 



Cretaceous coal, of fairly good quality, occurs on and near the 

 Yukon River, some miles below Dawson, and also at a few places in 

 the banks of the river higher up. 



Meteorites. 

 Two meteorites which had sunk through the earth and gravel 

 down to bed rock were found within the Klondike. These would 

 never have been discovered had it not been for the working and wash- 

 ing for gold in that district. One of them, w^hich weighed only about 

 2 lb., was of a flattened pear shape. It had a smooth surface, and, 

 on polishing and etching a section of it, the Widmanstatten figures 

 were found tjD be of a wide pattern and strongly marked. The other 

 meteorite weighed about 30 lb., and its surface is said to be not 

 deeply pitted, but rusty and scaly from long burial in the gravel. 

 The conditions connected with the finding of these two meteorites 

 suggest the possibility that many of these bodies which fall upon the 

 earth where the surface consists of soft, loose, or shifting material, 

 may have sunk out of sight and are now resting on some firmer 

 foundation or on bed rock. 



Future Production. 



The days of placer mining in the Klondike by individuals and 

 on a comparatively small scale are over, but a large annual yield 

 may be kept up for a long time by dredging and hydraulicking. 

 Dredging was begun some years ago in the bed of the Klondike and 

 other streams, and by starting work on artificial excavations else- 

 where, which soon filled with water, allowing the dredge to advance 

 and enlarge the pond in any direction. This process has been so 

 successful that it will, no doubt, be carried on more extensively in the 

 future, and increase the present rate of production. 



Hitherto, hydraulicking has been practised only to a limited 

 extent, as but a small supply of water could be obtained at sufficiently 

 high levels. In order to get a large enough supply, engineers found 

 that it would require to be brought from a long distance^ at great 

 cost, on account of the hills and the deep valleys which intervene. 

 However, by the enterprise of the Messrs. Guggenheim's Sons, ^ the 

 difficulties are being overcome, and before long hydraulicking, sluic- 

 ing, and any other process which may require much water, will be m 

 successful operation. It has been ascertained that the frozen condition 

 of the gravels, although it retards the process, does not offer an 

 insurmountable obstacle to successful hydraulicking. 



