Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-09-19
EARTH'S INTERIOR.
Thought to Be Stored with Pre-
cioUs Metals.
Schemes of Congress to Investigate
the Matter by Boring for the
Minerals - Work in
Progress.

scientific scheme of much impor-
lance has been agitated in Washington
recently, says the Star. During the
last two congresses there have been
number of representatives and two or
three senators who have used their in
fuence in favor Of an appropriation for
boring 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 substances is locked up
out of reach beneath the crust Of this
planet All the riches dug out of 1t rep
resent merely the most superficial and
ineffective scratching Of the surface.
Once render accessible the internal re-
cesses of the sphere and it is plain that
every human being might be a thousand
times Monte Cristo.
Biologists are agreed that the int
rior 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 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 probable that the great
mass Of the sphere is iron. But there
arc other metals more heavy than iron.
and these would naturally form an &C
emulation Immediately about the cen
ter of the globe. Among them may be
mentioned most important gold. Geolo-
gist Gilbert, Of the geological survey,
said the other day that he would rather
expect to find 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 sub
stances 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 cost of production.
So it is not unreasonable that certain
members of congress and other persons
of keen Judgment should consider the
ACCESSIBILITY of boring a hole in the
earth for the purpose of extracting
some of it's metallic contents. For
scientific purposes a 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 materially to human
knowledge have thus far been obtained.
Another well has been driven at Wheel
ing, w. Va, as far down as three-quar-
tiers Of a mile. 1t is dry and the boring
process is proceeding at the rate of
about ten feet day. The management
Will be Disguised If oil or something is
not struck before the hole comes out at
the antipodes and somebody tumbles
into it at the other end.
No really scientific person has been
SO foolish as to imagine that possible
results, commercially speaking, could be
secured without digging much farther
than this. Estimate is made that at
twenty miles from the surface of the
earth every known substance-metals
rocks and all-becomcs fused and
liquid. Once let this point be reached,
and naturally whatever is below must
spout up of its own accord, without ex-
pense of mining. Immediately the
price of metals in the market would be
reduced to little or nothing and new
age would dawn upon civilization. II
has been suggested that such an arti
: fetal conduit would be, to all intents
and purposes, volcano, but any dan
gers which it would otherwise threaten
l might be obviated easily by establish
ing the works on an open prairie.