The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-24
DEEP DOWN IN THE EARTH
A Project to Bore a Hole in the
Earth Several Miles
Deep.
Were the Eerth's Resources Ac-
cessible Monte Cristo Would
Be Common. .
Gold Would he Found in Greatest Album
dance, Also Other Precious Metals
An Appropriation Asked.

A scientific scheme of much Importance
has been agitated in Washington rscsntlv.
During the last two congresses there have
been a number OF representatives and two
or three senators who have used their in
fusnce in favor of an appro p~riation for
boring a hole in the earth several miles in
depth. 1t has long been recognized that an
uncomfortable amount of value in the shape
of precious metals and other mineral sub
stances is locked up out of reach beneath
the ernst of this planet. All the riches dug
out Of 1t represent merely the most super
fetal and Intellectual scratching of the sur
face. Once render accessible the interior
reoesses of the sphere, says the Washington
Star, and it is plain that every human be-
ing might be a thousand times a Monte
Cristo.
GeoloRists are agreed that the interior Of
the earth il largely composed of metals.
Where's the surface matter of the planet
weighs only about two and one-half times
as much as water, it is known as a fact that
toward the center the average weight of
things ia eleven times that of water. This
is due to the circumstance that while this
sublunary orb was cooling and c~ondensing
the heavier particles sought the middle.
Therefore it is probable that the great mass
of the sphere il iron. But there are other
metals moro heavy than iron, and these
would naturally form an accumulation i'm
mediately about the center of the globe.
Among them may be mentioned most i'm
portantly gold. Geologist Gilbert. of tho
geological survey, said the othor day
that he would rather expect to find a vast
accumulation of gold at that point than
anywhere else, his notion being that such
of tue yellow metal rs is found on the sur
face of the earth is only an accidental de-
trltus. However, there are two or three
substances known oven more weighty than
gold. and one of them IL platinum, which
has doubled in market value within the last
year or two, owing to the increased cost of
PRODUCTION.
So it is not unreasonable that certain
members OF cong esq and other persons of
Keen judgment should consider the advisa-
blllty of boring a hole in the earth for tho
purpose of extract ny some of its metallic
contents. For scientific purposes a pit has
recently been sunk at Spelling. in Germany,
to the depth of 4 mile. Unfortunately,
water has boon struck, and no re-
to human knowledge have thus
fhr been obtained. Another we'll has
been driven At Wheeling, w. Va. a. far
down as three-Quatt ers of 4 mile. 1t 10
dfy, and the boring process Is proceeding
at the rate of about ten feet a day. The
management will be Disguised il oil or
something is not struck before the hole
conies oct at the nntipodea anu somebody
tumbles in Mt the othsr end.
No tsally scientific person has been so
foolish rs 10 imagine that possible results.
commercials speaking, could be secured
without digging much further than this.
Estimate IN made that at twenty miles
from the surface of the earth
every known substance - metals,