New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-26

an abnormal development along the vertical axis.
producing A prismatc form like that common in
zircon. while in close proximity to 1t a crys-
tai of the ordinary habit. The monazites were
usually found in close association with the Keno
times All were well-defned crystals, and were
mostly found embedded near coarse granite
vein.
Xenotime Is Il phosphate OF yttrum. ard the
most valuable element in monazite is thorium.
which is the chief element used In the manu-
facture of a famous incandescent light. Mona
ute Is found in North Carolina and Brazil by
thousands Of tons and thOrlum is extracted from
the mineral 1t is possible that the other yttri-
UNI and thorum minerals found in Texas and
North Carolina may also contain the rev eie-
ments, argon and heum, and therefore it Is
likely that those elements may be here on Man
haitian Island.
This opens up an interesting field for specua-
ton. According to recent advlces from LONDON
there more and more surprising accounts OF
the finding of new gases in various minerals
Besides the cleveite. the first mineral found TO
contain argOn and heum. eighteen other MIN
erals have been examined. BY heating these in
vacuo gases were obtained which gave sixty
lines hitherto unknown To the spectroscoplst 10
be attributable to terrestrial substances. Eight
Of these lines identical with some mysterious
lines visible in the spectra Of the WHITE stars Oh
Orion and to some still unknown substance. Inc
yellow line Of belium is present in the spectra
OF all these gaseous mixtures, also a remarkao!e
line in the ultra violet Ii is reported that Iro-
fessor Ramsay in examining the gases included
in meteorites found both argon" and heum
present.
OF all the minerals found on Manhattan Island.
xenot!me and monazite are the rarest ana most
remarkable They interesting 10 collectors
both for their peculiar chemical composition ana
the very distinctive, perfect form OF the crystals
The matrx Is SO very hard and the minerals 50
very soft that it is difficult to get perfect ones
In finding them among the millions Of mica
schist Of course there must be some guide to the
find. And thar ~ peculiar stain Wherever
the crystals occur. peculiar yellowlsh-red STAN
i'm the granite Is the guide to the finding OF the
crystals
There are other elements in monazite besides
thorium. but they interesting only 10 the
chemist for experiments in the laboratory. IN
one of this group of yttrium and thorlum MIN
erals namely cleveite, Professor Ramsay mas
discovered the presence Of the elements argon
and helium, ard the statement has been made
that all of the minerals Of this group contain
these new elements more or less
In the centre of the picture. near the main
derrick. is shown the place where the vein of
granite was in which the xenotime and monazite
were found 4 week after the photograph was
taken May 90 the ledge was blasted. Mr. Nlven
had to do his prospecting with a Big hammer
alone and his work done between blasts
He removed about half ton Of rock containing
minerals in April. When he began. the workmen
had been busy in that neighborhoOd for SIX
months The vein Of granite was about TWO 1eet
wide and the minerals were imbedded irregu-
larly IN the mass Hundreds of thousands or
CRYSTALS no doubt as good the thousands OBJ
tained by Mr. Niven have probably gone into the
Harlem River with the blasting away OF the
led