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File Created: 24-Jul-1985 by BC Geological Survey (BCGS)
Last Edit:  17-Aug-1999 by Janet M. Riddell (JMR)

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NMI 092K6 Au2
Name BLUE BELLS (L.235), GOLD BUG (L.240), DASHWOOD (L.248), WELLINGTON (L.289), WATERLOO (L.290), BLACK PRINCE (L.318) Mining Division Vancouver
BCGS Map 092K044
Status Prospect NTS Map 092K06W
Latitude 050º 28' 21'' UTM 10 (NAD 83)
Longitude 125º 18' 48'' Northing 5593724
Easting 335849
Commodities Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Silica Deposit Types I01 : Au-quartz veins
Tectonic Belt Coast Crystalline Terrane Wrangell, Plutonic Rocks
Capsule Geology

The Blue Bells prospect is located immediately north of Owen Point between Phillips and Frederick Arm, at elevations ranging between 470 and 535 metres in Lot 235. The old workings consist of six open cuts and three adits of which only two are open for inspection and sampling.

The area is underlain by a package of uncorrelated Paleozoic and/ or Triassic metamorphosed sedimentary rocks within diorite, granodiorite and quartz diorite of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex. At lower elevations the sediments consist mainly of massive grey limestone locally metamorphosed to a clean white crystalline marble. At higher elevations argillite becomes more prominent. The argillite is generally weakly to strongly hornfelsed with a corresponding increase in biotite and chlorite content. The area of mineralization in the argillite is characterized by weak to strong silicification in a north trending zone at least 150 metres long and 50 metres wide with a 70 to 80 degree dip to the west. Within this zone is an extensive, irregular body of quartz lenses and stringers up to 15 metres in width. The quartz is irregularly mineralized with disseminated pyrite, minor amounts or pyrrhotite, and occasional specks of sphalerite, galena, or chalcopyrite. Early reports also note the presence of free gold (Annual Report 1920, page 210). Gold values appear to be largely associated with the sulphides which are of erratic to sparse distribution in the predominantly bull quartz.

Between 1898 and 1902, Frederick Arm Mining Company drove two adits, one for 61 metres, with a 15-metre drift and a 12-metre winze, and another was driven for 38 metres. In 1902, a trial shipment of 13.6 tonnes of ore was sent to Tacoma, Washington giving a value of $13.50 in gold and silver at 1902 prices.

In 1920 old workings were reconditioned and additional development was done by Ladysmith Smelting Corporation Limited as part of sampling to test the occurrence as a possible source of large tonnages of siliceous flux.

In December 1965, Amalgamated Mining Developments Corporation Limited optioned the occurrence as part of Gold Bug (Lot 240), Dashwood (Lot 248), Wellington (Lot 289), Waterloo (Lot 290) and Black Prince (Lot 318) claims from Columbia Gypsum Company Ltd. Subsequently they were purchased by Amalgamated Mining and had the showings re-examined. Samples taken from and in the vicinity of old workings assayed from 0.069 gram per tonne gold, 0.69 gram per tonne silver, 0.01 per cent copper over 0.5 metre to 17.42 grams per tonne gold and 125.83 grams per tonne silver over 1.2 metres.

A 1.5-metre channel sample from the southern drift of the upper adit assayed 39.08 grams per tonne gold and 392.85 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10911). A zone approximately 45 metres long and 15 metres wide in the upper adit averaged 4.63 grams per tonne gold and 39.76 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 10911).

Bibliography
EMPR AR 1898-1143,1145,1197; 1899-806; 1902-236; 1917-256; 1919-214; *1920-210; 1923-255; 1925-280; 1927-355; 1933-256; 1936-F61; 1947-222
EMPR ASS RPT 4949, *10911
EMPR BULL 1, 1932, p. 139
EMPR EXPL 1982-225
EMPR PF (O'Grady, B.T., (1936): *Special Report)
EMR MP CORPFILE (Amalgamated Mining Development Corporation Ltd.)
GSC MAP 65A, 169A, 1386A
GSC MEM 23, p. 9
GSC OF 480
EMPR PFD 11811, 841040

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