The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12

of animals, man, who may be said already
to have all but reduced Nature herself TO
subsection.
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 il is known scientifically
as fact that toward the center the aver
age weight of things is eleven times that
of water This is due 70 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 form an accumulation
Immediately about the center of the globe.
Among them may be mentioned most I'M
portantly, gold Geologist Gilbert, OF the
geological survey, said the other 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 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 weighty than gold, and
one of them is platinum, which has
doubled in value within the last year or
two. owing to the increased cost of pro-
duction.
So it is not unreasonable that certain
members of congress and other persons of
keen judgement, should consider the adj
visibility of boring hole in the earth for
the purpose of extracting some of its me-
tallic contents. For scientific purposes,
pit has recently been sunk at Spaling, in
Germany, to depth of mile. Unfor-
tunately water has been struck, and
ally to human knowledge have thus
far been obtained. Another well
has been driven at Wheeling, w. Va, as
far down as three-quarters 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 ii at the other end. All that
has been learned from these works up 70
date is that the heat of the globe increases
one degree for every eighty feet in depth.
No really scientific person has been 50
foolish as to imagine that profitable re-
suits, 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-becomes fused and
liquid. Once let this point be
reached. and naturally whatever was be-
low must spout up OF its own accord,
without expense of mining. Immedi-
ately the price of metals in the market
would be reduced to little or nothing, and
new age would dawn upon civiliza-
ton. It has been suggested that such
an artificial conduit would be to all
intents and purposes a volcano; but
any dangers which it would otherwise
threaten might be obviated easily by es-
tablishiug the works on an open prairie.
The cost of boring for twenty miles would
certainly be very small compared with the
results to be anticipated, and congress
might easily afford the money necessary,
which might appropriately be placed in
the hands of the department of the in
terror. RENE BACHE.