The Portland daily press., 1891-07-24
TREASURES OF EARTH'S INTE-
RIOR.
Schemes In Congress to Bore Deep
for Suspected Stores of Precious
Metals.
Washington start

lWdSuuuBtOn Ctdr.l
A scientific scheme of much Importance
has been agitated in Washington recently.
During the last two Congresses there have
been number of Representatives and two
or three Senators who have used their influ-
ence in favor of an appropriation for boring
hole in the earth several miles in depth
1t has long been recognized that an incon-
ceivable 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 in
effective scratching of the surface. Once
render accessible the internal recesses of
the sphere, and it is plain that every human
being might be thousand times a Monte
Christie.
Biologists are agreed that the interior of
the earth is largely composed of metals.
Whereas the surface matter of the planet
weighs!about two and one-half times as much
as water, it is known as fact that toward
the centre the average weight of things Is
eleven.times that of.water. This is due to the
circumstance that while this sublunary orb
was cooling and condensing the heavier par
tices sought the middle. Therefore 1t 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 CEN
tire of the globe. Among them may be men
toned most Importantly gold. Geologist
Gilbert of the Geological Survey said the
a vast accumulation Of gold at that point
than anywhere else, his notion being that
such Of the yellow metal as is found ON the
surface Of the earth Is only an accidental
detritus. However. there are two or three
gold, and one Of them is platinum, which has
doubled in market value within the last year
or two, owing to the increased cost OF pro-
ductlon.
So it is not unreasonable that certain mem
bers Of Congress and other persons of keen
Judgment should consider the ACCESSIBILITY
Of boring hole in the earth for the purpose
of extracting some of its metallic contents
For scientific purposes pit has recently been
sunk at Spelling, In Germany. to the depth Of
| mile. Unfortunately, water has been
struck. and no results which add very ma
| terially to human knowledge have thus far
been obtained. Another well has been
driven at Wheeling, w. Va, as far down as
| three quarters Of mile. 1t is dry, and the
| boring process is proceeding at the rate of
be disguised If oil or something is not struck
| before the hole comes out at the antipodes
| and somebody tumbles into 1t at the other
| end.
No really scientific person has been SO fool
| ish as to imagine that possible results, COM
mercally speaking, could be secured with
out digging much further than this Esti-
| mate Is made that at twenty miles from the
surface of the earth every known substance
metals, rocks and all-becomes fused and
liquid. Once let this point be reached. and
naturally whatever Is below must spout up
of its own accord. without expense of mining
Immediately the price of metals in the mar
ket would be reduced to little or nothing,
| and new age would dawn upon civilization.
| 1t has been suggested that such an artificial
| conduit would be, to all intents and purposes
| volcano; but any dangers which 1t would
by establishing the works on an open prairie.