Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-03
FOUND BY THE NEEDLE.
IL Indicates the Existence of a Huge but
inaccessible Mass of Iron.

inaccessible Mass of Iron.
Science has demonstrated that there lies
under the historic Russian town of Mos
COW "A mass of iron ore miles In length and
breadth, and powerful enough to defect
the magnetic needle and pull a plumb line
from the vertical throughout large re-
gion, but investigation also makes 1t prob
bble that this mass is about seven miles
below the surfacc-a fact calculated to cool
the ardor of spectators for some time to
come We translate from Gfea. Leipsic,
Bn account Of the discovery of this inacces-
sible ore bed, which human eye has never
seen:
'Whcn recently, for the first time In 30
years, new triangul4tion of European
Russia has been begun, the remarkable
fact was discovered that in the neighbor-
hood of Moscow the plumb line suffered a
very notable deviation from the vertical.
This deviation appeared greatest with a
zone that extended about 10 kilometers ga
miles north, and south and 1870 kilometers
0l2 miles, cast and west. Hero the lower
end of the line was deviated II seconds to
the moth of the vertical
About II kilomoters az miles, south of
Moscow, on line running approximately
east and west, its direction Is normal
while farther south the lower end of the
line is dcviatod about five seconds toward
the south. So noteworthy deviation of
the line In level region seems to indicate
shat heavy masses of considerable thick
ness must he situated there under the
earth surface. Great masses of iron were
naturally thought of first and an attempt
was made to demonstrate the existence of
such masses by means of measurements Of
terrestrial magnetism. The scientist, H.
Fritschc, so we'll known on account of his
researches In terrestrial magnetism, made
In Juno, 1893, a magnetic survey of the
ncighborhood of Moscow for 80 kilometers
(5G miles, around. The terrestrial mag
netic elements werc precisely measured for
81 localities, and indicated cartographical-
ly on map. 1t was shown that In zone
90 kilomctcrs Q2H miles } wide from
north to south and $50 (03 miles) long
from cast to west, including Moscow, the
total intensity of the earths magnetic
force is considerably greater than north or
south of this zone. The anomaly Is great
er than in the eastern.
"A chart Of the anomalies of magnetic
inclination shows that the deviation of tho
magnetic needle from the horizontal is
greater than tho normal north of Moscow
and smaller TO the south, and the chart OF
the anomalies of declination deviation
from true north) shows similar irregulari-
ties. These researches lead to the conclu-
sion that where the local attraction was
observed, in the neighborhood of Moscow,
huge masses of iron lie buried under
ground, and that thSy possess north mag
netism in middle zone and south mag
netisIn In two subsidiary zones stretching
north and south therefrom. The question
how deep this mass lies cannot certainly
be answered, but, according to Fritsche $
estimate, 1t may be assumed that the mid
die zone lies scarcely less than 30, 600 feet
below the surface. An exploration of this
immense mass of ore is therefore impossi-
bic, owing to the depth at which 1t is stu
atcd. Literary Digest.