The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-25
BORING TO THE EARTH'S CENTER.
in the Interior Which Attract
the Attention of the Covetous.

& -- ""@
treasures in the Interior Which Attract
the Attention of the Covetous.
A scientifc scheme of much Importance
has been aRitated in Washington recently,
Bo a Star reporter learned. During the last
bwo congresses there have been a numD Der OF
representatives and two or three senators
who have need their influence in favor OF
en appropriation for boring q hole IN the
earth several miles in depth. 1t has long
been recognized that an inconcelvable
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 1T
represent merely the most superficial and
ineffective scratching OF the aut aae
reossses of the sphere and it is plain that
every human being might be a Thousand
times a Monte Cristo. Surely the problem
presents no insuperable obstacle to mat
most ingenious, Of animals, man, who may
be said already to have all but reduced ma
turs herself to subsection.
Biologists are agreeing that the interior
of the earth ia la! gely composed OF metals.
Whereas the surface of the planet weighs
only about two and one-half times as mucn
as water. 1t ia known as q 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 sub-lu-
nary orb was cooling and condenslng the
heavier particles sought the middle. There.
fore il is probable that the great mass OF
the sphere is iron. bqs there ere are are 4 9taes
would naturally form an accumulation i'm
mediatelv about the center of the globe.
Among them may be mentioneda most i'm
portant gold. Geologist Gilbert, OF the
geological survey, said the other day That
S-' - n--a~k A, Erl a vast on0r-
mutation of gold at that point THAI say-.
where else, his notion being that such OF
the yellow metal rs is founi on the surface
Of the earth ia only an accidental detritus.
However. there are two or three substances
known even more weighty thar gold, and
in market value within the last year or two,
owing to the increased cost Of production.
So IL is not unreasonable that certain
members of congress and other persons OF
kaen Judgment should consider the advisa-
bility of boring 9 hole IN the earta
its metallic contents. For scientific pur-
poses a pit has recently been sunk in
Spelling, in Germany, to the depth OF q
mile. unfortunately. water has been
at uck. and no results which add very ma
terially to human knowledge nave thus 1ar
driven at Wheeling, W. Va, as far down as
~three-auarters Of a mile. It is dry, and the
boring process ia proceeding at the rate of
about ten feet a day. The management
will be disgusted II oil or something 10 not
struck before the hole comes out at the an
tipodes 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 as to imagine 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 sub.
stance-metals, rocks and all-becomt
fused and liquid. Once let this point be
reached, aud naturally whatever IL below
must spout up of it's own accord, without
expense of mining. Immediately the price
OF metals in the market would be reduced
to little or nothing. and a new age would
dawn upon civilization. IL has been suR'
gested that such an artificial conduit woult
Be, to all intents and purposes. a volcano
but any dangers which il would otherwis,
threaten might be obviatsd easily by estab
fishing the works on an open prairie. Thu
cost OF boring for twenty miles would Ger
tainly be very small compared with the re-.
suits to be anticipated, and congress coult
easily afford the money necessary. which
might appropriately be placed in the hand
of the department OF the interior.