The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-08-06
Auaetsptt SHteIligtMter.
Boring to the Earth's Center,

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Boring to the Earth's Center,
A scientific scheme of much Importance
has been agitated in Washington recent
ly, so Star reporter learned. During
the last two Congresses there have been
number of Representatives and two or
three Senators who have used their 'inAu.
ence in favor of an appropriation for
boring hole in the earth several miles
in depth. 1t has long been recognized
that an inconceiyable 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 ineffec-
tive scratchings of the surface. Once
render accessible the internal recesses of
the sphere, and it is plain that every hu:
man being might be thousand times 9
Monte Cristo. Surely the problem pre-
sents no insuperable obstacle to thatmost
ingenious Of animals, man, who may be
said already to have all but reduced ma
ture herself to subjection.
Geologists are agreed that the interior
Of the earth is largely composed Of met
ais. Whereas the surface matter OF the
planet weighs only about two and one
half times as much 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 sublunsry orb was cooling
and condensing the heavier PARTICLES
sought the middle. Thereforesit is prob
able that the great mass ofsthe sphere is
iron. But there are other metals more
heavy than iron, and these would natu-
rally form an accumulati1a; Immediately
about the centre of the:4gaobe. Among.
them may be mentioned most impor tant.ss
ly gold. Geologist Gilbsrti Of the geolo.
gical survey, said the other day that he
would rather expect to find q vast accg-
mutation of gold;at that point than any
where else, his notion being that such of
the yellow metal as is found on the sur
face of the earth is 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
increased easkbf lSdaction, s gE
So igis neE u1ifreaasoaa ablea ahats certain
membsls &c ongfsss and Sther,persons
dfs skeen. jud Ign ents shon consider The
adviSability Of boring ashjo!e ID the earth
for the purpose of extracting some Of its
metallic contents. For scientific purpo-
ses pit has recently been sunk to the
depth of mile at Spelling, Germany.
Unfortunately, water has been struck, and
no results which add materially to human
knowledge have thus far been obtained.
Another we'll has been driven at Wheel
ing, W. Va, as far down as three quarters
of mile. 1t is dry, and the boring pro
cess isspfocsedipg atsthe rats6f about ten
feel. 3. DAY The malag agement saillssba diss
gusted if oil or something is not struck
before the hole comes ont at the antipodes
and somebody tumbles into it at the other
end. All that has been learned from
those works up to date is that the heat of
the globe increases one degree for every
| eighty feet in depth.
No really scientific person has been SO
foolish-astoimagine that. possible results,
commercially speaking, could be secured
without digging much further than this.
Estimate is made that at twenty miles
from the surface of the earth every known
substance metals, rocks and all-become
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 market would be
reduced to little or nothing and new age.
would dawn upon civilization. It has been
suggested That such an artificial conduit
would be Gall intents and purposes 8
volcano, but any dangers which it would
otherwise threaten might be obviated
easily BY establishing the works on an
open prairie. The cost of boring for
twenty miles would certainly be very
small compared with the results to be an.
ticipated, and Congress could easily afford
the money necessary, which migbttap-'
propriately be placed in the hands Of the
department of the interior. -, e.'s. =