Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11

A Possible Lump of G old There Which Tempts
the Ccvctous

-
the Ccvetous.
A scieDtiic scheme of much importance has
bsen agitatei in Washing.cn recently. SO a STAR
reporter learned During the last two Cen
crosses there have bsen a number of Represent
atives and two or three Sena tors who have used
their influence in favor of an appropria-
zion for boring hole in the earth sew.
eral miles in depth. 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 ineffective 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 Cristo. Surely the problem presents no
lnsuperable obstacle to that most ingenious of
animals, man, who may be said already to have
all but reduced nature herself to subjec ton.
WHAT BIOLOGISTS THINK
Biologists are agreed that the interior of the
earth is largely composed of metals Whereas
the surface matter of the planet weighs only
about two and one-half times as much as water.
1t Is known as a fact that toward the center 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 particles
sought the middle. Therefore it is prob
able that the great mass of the sphere is iron.
But there are other metals more heavy than
iron. and these would naturally formR an accu-
mutation Immediately about the cent of the
globe. Among them NAV be mentioned most
importantly gold. Geologist Gilbert of tho
geological survey said the other day that he
would rather expect to find vast accumula-
ton 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 substances known even more weightv
than gold, and one of them is platinum. which
has doubled III market value within the last
year or tive, owing to the increased COZ. If pro-
duction.
NOT UNREASONABLE.
So it is not unreasonable that certain mem
bers of Congress and other persons of keen
Judgment should consider the advisability of
boring hol, in the earth for tie purpose Of
extracting some of its metallic contents For
sunk at Spelling, in Germany. to the depth of a
mile Unfortunately. water has been struck,
and n" results which add very ma
terially 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 mile. 1t is dry,
and the boring process is proceeding at the
rate Of about ten feet a dav. The management
viii be disSasteG if oil OF some thing is not
struck before the hole comes out at the anti
podes 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 III depth.
NO COMMERCIAL RESULTS.
No really scientific person has been 80 foolish
as to imagine that possible results CONNER
cially speaking, could be secured without dig
gins much further than this. Estimate
is made that at twenty miles from the
surface of the earth every known sub
stance-metals, rocks and ail-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 me tails
in the market 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 it would otherwise
threaten might be obviated easily by estab-
fishing 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 might appropriately
be placed in the hands Of the Department OF
the Interior.