THE ORE DEPOSITS. 77 



or of loose sand. Its nature, the position it occupies and its structure show 

 that it could only have been brought into its present place by the aid of 

 water. It is to be looked upon, therefore, as simply a wash from higher 

 points which has filled the cavities and interstices of the rock formed by 

 dynamic and chemical causes. This wash frequently accompanies large ore 

 bodies, and is usually found adjoining or overlying the ore, and although it is 

 not an infallible indication of its presence, it is one which is not to be over- 

 looked. The two-million-dollar ore chamber on the eighth level of the 

 Eureka mine was discovered by following such a wash. This body extended 

 up above the seventh level and down nearly to the ninth, and covered a great 

 deal of ground with its ramifications and pipes. On the other hand, there is 

 a very large mass of material of a similar origin, in the form of fine sand, 

 on the fifth level of the Phoenix, which, although pretty well prospected, has 

 not led to any discoveries. These washes are more frequent at or near the 

 surface, but are found down almost to the water level. 



Description of east ore body. — It has already been remarked that the quartzite 

 and limestone contact in the Richmond ground bends to the west, and the 

 fissure that accompanies it continues with the narrow band of quartzite on 

 its normal northwest course. Parallel with this fissure there is a system of 

 fissures which extend from near the surface at the Tip Top incline down 

 to the tenth level of the Richmond mine. These were accompanied by 

 ore chambers which form an almost continuous body down to a point a 

 little below the seventh level of the Richmond. Below this point no ore 

 lias been found in the Richmond in this part of the mine, although there 

 is a well-defined fissure extending to the tenth level. From the position 

 which this fissure occupies, however, it is almost certain that it is the Ruby 

 Hill fault, and it is very probable that the system of fissures mentioned 

 above joins the main one somewhere below the seventh level. From this 

 it will -be seen that the Tip Top fissure, or the "east ore body," is an offshoot 

 of the main fissure which is shown at the winze on the ninth level on the 

 horizontal section, No. 6, Plate XIV. One of the most famous of this series 

 of ore bodies is the Potts chamber, most of which in the Richmond mine 

 lies between the fifth and sixth levels. It is also connected with the series 



