The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-08-01
RICHES OF EARTH,S INTERIOR
scheme in Congress to Bore Deep for
Suspected Stores.

scheme in Congress to Bore Deep for
Suspected Stores.
From the Raleigh News and Observer.
A scientific scheme of much i'm
portance has been agitated in Wash
ington recently. During the last two
congresses there have been a number
of representatives and two or three
senators who have used their infu-
ence in favor of an appropriation for
boring hole in the earth several
miles in depth, says the Washington
Star. 1t has long been recognized
that an inconceivable amount Of
value in the shape of precious metals
and other mineral substances is
locked up out Of reach beneath the
crust Of this planet. All the riches
dug out of it represent merely the
most superficial and effective
scratching of the surface. Once
render accessible the internal re-
cesses of the sphere and it is plain
that every human being might be a
thousand times a Monte Cristo.
Biologists are agreed that the in
terror of the earth is largely COM
posed Of metals. Whereas the sur.
face matter OF the planet weighs only
about two and one-half times as
much as water, it is known as fact
that towards the centre the average
weight Of things is eleven times that
of water. This is due to the circum-
stance that while this sublunary orb
was cooling and condensing, the
heavier particles sought the middle.
Therefore it is probable that the
great mass of the sphere is iron. But
there are other metals more heavy
than iron, and these would naturally
form an accumulation Immediately
about the centre of the globe.
Among them may be mentioned
most importantly gold. Geologist
Gilbert, of the Geological Survey,
said the other day that he would
rather expect to find vast accumu-
lation of gold at that point than any
where else, his notion being that
such of the yellow metal is found on
the surface of the earth as only an
accidental detritus. However, there
are two or three substances known
even more weighty than gold, and
one of them is platinum, which has
doubled in market value within the
last year or two, owing to the in
creased cost of production.
So it is not unreasonable that cer-
tain members of congress and other
persons Of keen judgment should
consider the advisability of boring a
hole in the earth for the purpose Of
extracting some of its metallic con-
tents. For scientific purposes pit
has recently been sunk at Spelling,
in Germany, to the depth of mile.
Unfortunately, U water has been struck
and no results which add very
materially to human knowledge have
thus far been obtained. Another
we'll has been driven at Wheeling,
w. Va, as far down as three-quarters
Of a mile. 1t is dry, and the boring
process is proceeding at the rate Of
about ten feet day. The manage
ment will be disgusted if oil or
something is not struck before the
hole comes out at the antipodes, and
somebody tumbles into it at the
other end.
| No really scientific person has
been so foolish as to imagine that
possible results, commercially speak.
ing, could be secured without dig
ging much farther than this. Esti'
mate is made that at 20 miles from
the surface of the earth every known
: su substance-metals, rocks and all
become fused and liquid. Once let
, this point be reached, and naturally
whatever is below must spout up OF
it's own accord, without expense OF
mining. Immediately the price OF
metals in tho market would be re-
duced to little or nothing, and a new
age would dawn upon civilization
It has been suggested that such an ar
tificial conduit would be, to all in
tents and purposes, a volcano; but
any dangers which it would <other:
wise threaten might be obviated
easily by establishing the works on