Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-03

h ~ KWISfs-s, SdHQS, concerning the
possibilities of which
es source of wealth
mere has been much speculation They
contain not only gold, but also consider
able quantities of platinum, as we'll as
other fare and precious metals. So rich
are they in rubies and garnets as to be
actually red in places from the presence of
those gems. In one spot there are at least
10000 tons of sand that holds 2 to 5 per
cent Of garnets and rubies in remarkably
perfect and beautiful crystals.
The experts report that In their opinion
the gold and platinum might be extracted
probably from these beaches, while the
rubies and garnets would be valuable in
the manufacture Of emery wheels The
sands of the seashore are rich in gold all
along the Pacific coast from Point Men
docino in northern California to the mouth
of the Umpogna river in Oregon. Cliffs on
the ocean front commonly contain gold,
and, where washed by the waves, the
shore for miles actually giitters with
speckies of the yellow metal. What ep-
pears today, however. is either washed
away or deeply buried tomorrow Many
attempts have been made to extract the
precious stuff from the sands. but as a
rule they have been Improbable. The
metal-bearing stra.a are some distance be-
low the surface, and the everything material
Is apt to be washed back by the sea as fast
as it is removed.
In few places such work Is still carried
on at intervals. and each year these
beaches contribute something to the worlds
store of gold. The locality upon which
Messrs. Sharpless and Winchell bestowed
their chief attention was near the mouth
of the Coquille river. in tie southwestern
part of Oregon. The tract here explored
extends along the seac cast for two miles
and runs about an equal distance inland.
incy dtcolo sod f1,1 Foot
are divided into well-defined layers, ard in
them are Embedded MANY trunks and
stumps OF trees, some of them of the eigan-
tic redwood. Naturally, the metals. being
heavy, occur in the deeper strata. Gold
and platinum are found mostly In Il layer
of black sand which varies in thickness
from few inches to twelve feet On top
of the black sand is a stratum of gray
sand, which is not SO rich.
Don't Pan Out Well.
The gold in these sands occurs in the
shape of minute scales. These yellow flakes
are so extr amely small and thin that FREE
auently they will float in water, on account
of minute air bubbles which collect upon
them. Some of them are almost micro
scopic, and often they have the form of
small cups or basins. Here has been a
fruitful cause of disappointment to miners.
When prospector, under ordinary circum-
stances. finds twenty or thirty specks of
terial will yield at least 81 or 81 to the
cubic yard. These sea-beach scales are so
very thin that the average value of GOO
"colors' is cnly one cent. 1t is remark
ably large Color or scale that measures
an eighth of an inch in diameter.
The sands In the locality described have
been washed and secured very clean, nav
ing been subjected to the action of the
Coquille river and Of the waves of the
Pacific. Their accumulation at this point
has been caused by the opposing forces of
the river and the ocean. The deposits have
been laid down within the age of man. as
Is proved by the character of the tree
trunks and geological indications. Care
full tests demonstrated that to work the
gray sand would not pay, inasmuch as 1t
yielded Only seven cents a ton on an aver
age. The black sands, however, hold from
fifty to seventy-ffve cents in gold per ton,
and their treatment for its extraction is
regarded a problem worthy of serious
consideration.
Why Platinum is Costly.
A good deal Of platinum is found asso-
ciated with the gold in the Pacific beach
sands. At present market rates. it is
worth Sc an ounce. A couple of years ago
a big syndicate bought up the entire Wis
ible supply of this metal. actually setting
out to purchase all the scrap platinum
existing in the world But there was more
of the latter than had been counted upon,
market. This speculation carried the price
Of the subs lance uD to s1S an ounce-a cir
cumstance very annoying to scientific men,
who use 1t for instruments of precision and
especially for chemical apparatus, mas
much as it will stand the fire of the blow
pipe and does not corrode. Electricians
also utilize quantities of platinum-an inch
of wire for each incandescent lamp, in
connection with Geographic instruments,
and in every place where the passage of
spark creates ozone to oxidize the metal
points it passes between.
Messrs. Winchell and Sharp1ess express
the .opinion that platinum could be ex-
tracted from the sands at the mouth Of
the Coauille river at a profit. 1t is found
on the Pacific coast wherever gold oc-
ours. though its distribution is not uni
places and very little in others. Samples
submitted to test yielded two ounces of
platinum to the ton of sand. which is
enough to pay. Four-fifths of the platinum
that supplies the world is obtained from
two mines in the Ural noun tains, Siberia.
They are gold mines, the platinum being a
by-product. Both metals are got from
placer deposits, being found mingled
with the sands that have been worn away
from the hills by running water Twenty
nine hundred cart loads of earth must be
washed to yield fifteen pounds of platinum.
Nuggets are very rare, the biggest on rec
ord being now in the Dresden Museum. 1t
is about as big as a tumbler.
Some Rare Metals.
Samples of sand assayed by the two ex-
perts yielded small quantities of those
rare metals iridium and osmium, but It is
very doubtful whether they could be ex-
tracted prontably. Iridium is now quoted
In the market at SIS an ounce, and o.
MUM at $50 an ounce. The latter, it will
be observed, is nearly three times as pre-
cious as gold. Iridium and platinum are
the only metals that are heavier than
gold. The former is utilized to some ex-
tent for making scientific instruments, not
being susceptible to corrosion.
In the beach sands described are found
considerable quantities of a very extra
ordinary white metal. or rather mixture
Of metals. This natural alloy. known as
'irdosmium." is composed Of iridium,
osmium. rhodium, platinum and ruthe-
mum. Rhodtum. by the way, is quoted at
$112 an ounce but it is by no means the
most precious of metals, gallium being
worth 5000 an ounce. These metals are
mere laboratory curiosities, however. The
prices are nominal, inasmuch as there is
almost no market for them. The only
important use for iridosmium is in tipping
gold pens. 1t is employed in this way
because 1t resists acids. For the purpose
mentioned the grains of 1t. which are fiat.
like gold dust, are picked out from the
sand with magnifying glasses.
1t should be mentioned that the sands of