Click
to return to:
|
|
Vivian
Diatomite Operation
1919
- 1922
East
of Carlin on US40
Secs.
18 and 19, T33N.,R.53E.
Elko County, Nevada
A
few miles east of Carlin, Nevada, just west of the Carlin Canyon Tunnels, at
Vivian, Nevada (railroad siding), is the remnants of a diatomite mine and
milling operation. Both mine and mill are easily viewed from the I-80
freeway. However, traveling the 75 mph speed limit along the freeway
only gives you 15 seconds to see the mine north of the freeway and mill south
of the freeway. Most pass by this spot never knowing it is here. I
have not yet learned much of the history of the operation. Some of the
diatomite was used in 1919 at the Catlin Oil-Shale
refinery in Elko, Nevada. An industrial minerals map refers to the
operation as the "Tri-O-Lite" diatomite deposit. I will add
more to
the history as I learn more about it. If you would like to add something
let me know.
| VIVIAN
"Vivian is a siding on the Southern Pacific Railroad and was
located three miles east of Carlin. In 1903, Tunnel #1 between Vivian
and Tonka was completed. The Trip-O-Lite Products Company ran a
diatomaceous earth operation from 1919 to 1922 at Vivian. A 12-ton per
day mill was built in 1919. Foundations and part of the mill mark the
site of Vivian."
-
NVGHOSTTOWNS.COM |
First,
what is diatomite? It is a bright white, very light rock. This link can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about
diatomite.
In short, it is composed nearly entirely of the skeletal remains of tiny
diatoms ("microscopic
skeletons of unicellular aquatic algae"). The diatomite at the
subject property formed in a rather large fresh-water lake (lacustrine) about 9 - 10
million years ago (Miocene geologic age). The thickness of the diatomite bed
here is about 10 - 20 feet.
|
Diatomite
Rock Specimen |
 |
Is
Diatomite like chalk? Diatomite is like chalk in that it is formed
from the skeletal remains of little "beasties" (all those geology
courses at ASU just paid off). But it is NOT chalk. Diatomite
"is
composed of silica and oxygen (SiO2), the same material that is used to make
window glass. Diatomite will not fizz when you put a little dilute acid on it.
However, chalk will fizz because it is made of tiny animal shells composed of
calcite (CaCO3) that release carbon dioxide"
What
is it used for? Insulating brick, absorbents, filtration ("clarification
of beer, wine and liquor, vegetable oil, syrup and sugar, pharmaceuticals, and
swimming pool water") and fillers.
Why
isn't this property in operation? About 200 miles west of this operation,
toward Reno, in the Lovelock and Fernley area, there are three companies
that produce diatomite. They are: Eagle Picher Industries Inc, CR
Minerals (previously owned by Cyprus Minerals), and the Moltan
Company. It is assumed that they can produce this industrial mineral at
a cheaper price than here at Vivian. But, historically, this is a very
interesting deposit and operation.
 |
|
Distance from Mine to Mill is 1.5 mile. |
Diatomite
Mine
|
Main mine area left of vehicle (bright white area is
exposed diatomite). Mine-mill road is in distance (looking
south). |
 |
|
Diatomite prospects (looking north) |
|
|
|
Northern diatomite tunnel (fenced off) |
|
|
|
Main (southern) mine tunnel (by vehicle pictured
above) |
|
|
|
If you visit the mine, I don't recommend going down
the tunnel. As you can see below - the roof is not real stable. |
|
|
|
Main tunnel. White rock is
diatomite. Gray bed looks like a vitric tuff (volcanic ash fall
bed) |
|
|
|
Diatomite in northern prospect. |
|
|
|
At
main diatomite tunnel looking west across valley at Newmont's Carlin
Gold Operation.
Susie
Creek is in near distance (N-S across length of photo). |
|
|
Diatomite
Mill at Vivian
|
Diatomite mill (looking NE). New Dupont plant
(for Carlin's gold operations) in distance.
|
|
|
|
Diatomite mill (looking SE). |
|
|
|
Diatomite mill (looking SW). |
|
|
|
Diatomite mill (looking N). |
|
|
|
Diatomite mill (looking N). Diatomite outcrop
(white) near mine can be seen in distance. |
|
|
|
Diatomite mill (looking E). New Dupont plant
in distance. |
|
|
|
Old truck at mill. |
|
|
|
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Dailey
To: turner@outbacknevada.us
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 11:48 AM
Subject: Raw diatomite sample?
Hi,
I came across your nice web page on the diatomite mines in Elko
County, Nevada. I have a great interest in diatoms and microscopy as
a hobby. I am a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of
Pennsylvania by day.
Would you be able to send
me a sample of the raw diatomite ? A
couple handfuls of the material would be more than enough for
everything I would like to do. I will be happy to reimburse you for
the trouble.
Thanks for your consideration.
Bill Dailey
Department of Chemistry
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Bill Dailey
To: <mailto:turner@outbacknevada.us>Dan
Turner
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: Raw diatomite sample?
Hi Dan,
Yes, you sent a HUGE amount of sample. It's almost
pure Melosira (small circular forms). Very nice. Thanks again.
Bill
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Additional Information: Northeastern
Nevada Museum
References:
I have not preformed a through search of the property. These are just
some references I had on-hand.
|
The publication, "History of Western Oil Shale", by Paul L. Russell
(page 77) cites a March, 1919 quote from Frank Wadleigh's "Railroad Red
Book" that refers to the subject diatomite deposit:
"The retorts and the central cylinder are insulated with 'diatomaceous
earth', a white substance found near Carlin in Nevada and which is not phased by
1600 degrees of heat."
|
|
Smith, Jr., J. Fred and Ketner, Keith B., 1976,
"Stratigraphy of Post-Paleozoic Rocks and Summary of Resources in
the Carlin-Pinon Range Area, Nevada, USGS Professional Paper 867-B.,
page B46:
"Several nonmetallic rock resources are found
in the Tertiary sedimentary basin deposits. These include
diatomite which makes up part of the Humboldt Formation (restricted)
in the north end of Pine Valley and north and northwest of the
Humboldt River, where the thickest diatomite beds noted were 6-7 m
(20-23 ft). Some diatomite was mined from the Humboldt formation
in secs. 18 and 19, T33N.,R.53E. Bedded volcanic ash,
particularly in the Humboldt Formation (restricted), is available for
any future use but has not been prospected in the area of this
report."
page 32:
"Beds constituting the Humboldt Formation
(restricted) are of both fluvial and lacustrine origin and consist of
ash and tuff, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and claystone, and
thin beds of limestone."
page B38:
"A late Miocene age for the Humboldt Formation
(restricted) is further indicated on the basis of a fission track age
of 9.5±1.9m.y., determined on zircon by Charles W. Nasser"
The age of the rocks of the Humboldt Formation
(restricted) are Tertiary - Miocene. |
| Papke, Keith G., 1973, Industrial Mineral Deposits of Nevada, Map
46, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Nevada Reno,
notes the deposit with the name "Tri-O-Lite".
An internet search of "Tri-O-Lite" yields only a
reference, but no information, in the Secretary of State's
office in 1923: on January 22, 1923 (in box # SECSTATE-0374
File # 48). There were no results for the search "Trip-O-Lite". |
greenspun.com : LUSENET
: Countryside
: One Thread
My mother-in-law's cattle are having fly problems this year, and she
has been unhappy with ear tags that she's used in the past. She read
something about diatomaceous earth as a food additive being good for
pest control. Have any of you used it, and if so, with what results?
-- Cheryl McCoy (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com),
June 26, 2001
Answers
I use a lot of it (a 50# bag at the feed store is pretty cheap). It
does not repel flies, however, feeding it to them kills intestinal
parasites, makes the poop not stink, and also when the flies lay
eggs in the manure of an animal getting fed Diatomaceous earth, the
eggs don't hatch, therefore you do have less of a fly problem.
You can also dust animals with it to kill fleas, ticks, and other
external parasites.
|
© 2001 - Elko Rose Garden Association
Recent Photos by Dan Turner
|
