The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-15


in solution large quantities of gold, an,
perhaps some silver besides. In tn
strictly scientific world, however, thi
has been an open question for NOR
than 80 years and it has remained fo
an eminent chemist in the Universit!
of sydney, Australia, Professor Liver
sidge, to offer from a series of exhaus
tive tests not only conclusive proof:
of the presence of gold in the ocean
but also to determine with some degree
of decision the amount.
The result of Professor LiverSidge'S
researches is little less than astound-
lnS- Where no previous investigator
has been able to find more than a mi
mute trace which, if represented in fig
ureS, would not perhaps amount to a
tenth of a grain per ton of sea water
this Australian professor has firmly
demonstrated that all sea water con-
tains more than half grain per ton,
and that much of 1t contains more than
full grain.
OF course this amount is still very
minute, for a grain of gold dissolved
so as to remain in solution in water
viii not, when precipitated, show more
than a thin film, like a trace of OIL on
the top of the water. Nevertheless
when even this. small quantity is con-
sidered in relation to the enormous
volume of water in the sea, the total
amount of gold which the ocean con-
tains amounts up to simply an unthink-
able sum.
TONS OF SOLID GOLD TO THE
CUBIC NILE.
AT from half to one grain per ton a
cubic mile of sea water contains be-
tween 100 and 260 tons of solid gold AT
$50 an ounce-the actual value is some
what in excess OF this-a ton of gold is
worth a little short of 5000 In other
words, cubic mile Of sea water con-
tains gold to the value OF between $780,
100000 and $3.50, 000, eco. On the surface
of the globe there is computed to be
between 300,000000 and 400, GOO, 600 cubic
miles of ocean. Taking the smaller of
these estimates, as half a grain per ton,
the total amount of gold in the sea
would be above $50, 900, G00, 600, 900, O0O At
one grain per ton it would be Just twice
this-in figures, $4,000 OO0, 00O, 900, 900.
1t is almost impossible to grasp the
magnitude Of such a sum. Some COM
parsons viii help. The total amount
of gold in all the world at the present
time is calculated at something like
IS, 900 or $4,000, 600 000 The COM
puted wealth of the United States, and
this IS the richest nation on earth, is
something like $50. 900, 600 900 of $40. OOO,-
100000. The gold wealth of the ocean is
100000 times this. The ocean. indeed.
is gold mine compared with whose
value the present wealth of all the ma
tlons Of the world sinks into insignifi-
canoe.
Curiously enough the presence of gold
IN the sea water was not suspected
even by chemists until the announce
ment made by Professor Wurtz in 1866
before the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science. Even then
the fact was not generally accepted,
and 1t was not until the famous En-
gilsh chemist, SOnstadt, reported inves-
legations whose results confirmed the
view of Professor Wurtz that the fact
was believed by scientific men. But
neither Sonstadt nor Wurtz were able
TO secure more than d mere trace of
the presence of the precious metal.
and many chemists who came after
them could not find even this. So late
as Two years ago the president of the
society OF Chemical Industries of En-
Sland, declared, in his annual address
that the presence of gold in sea water
has not been satisfactorily determined"
THE CONCLUSIVE DEMONSTRA-
TIONS NOW MADE.
Professor Liversidge began his inves- f,
tigation at the University of Sydney
SCi4lSll44llS ike W. years ago. ana mas /
just reported the results to the ROYAL |
Society of Australia. The method /
Which he employed was a long and /
complicated one, and in order to yield I
any results at ali the utmost care and /
precision was required. The sea water, /
IN chemically clean bottles was first |
treated with solution of pure ferrous /
sulphate, dissolved in water, and to /
this solution a few droos of hydro /
chloric acid was added. This was then
heated slowly, SO as to prevent ebulli- /
ton, and about half the water drawn
off by evaporation.
In the process of heating a film of
ustrous iron oxide was formed on the
sides Of the vessel, and when this had
its maximum thickness the
water was entirely poured off and this
lin treated with chlorine, the result
ng solution then eVaporated, and FIR /
her treated with diluted hydrochlo-
'ic acid. This liquid was then poured
nto test tubes containing a solution of
'tannouS chloride. After standing still
or Z few minutes gold would then
show in thin blush or purplish tint
IN the surface of the solution. Allowed
o remain Tor some little time, a gray
)recipitate was formed. which. when
irled. scorified and cuppled, yielded a
minute bead of gold.
IN order to check this process and ,
-iSo ~ uStetIAtne WLstnSF all the gold ,
oiitained IN the sea water NATURALLY
lad thefeby been extracted. Professor
.iVersldSe made up an artificial solu- ,
ION obtaining small quantities of gold ,
M subjected II TO the same process. '
Win the greatest care the loss in the :
'o4d recovered ranged from 10 to "a {
er cent. revealing clearly that the sea
'ater dctu2gIy contains a considerably :
reater amount of gold than that re- ,
ealed by Professor Liversidge's proc 6
SIS.
In order to establish his discoveries !
eyond any question, Professor Liver r
dge employed several ether proc 9
sses OF a Similar nature, all of which I
leldeG equally conclusive results ;
hough not all of them revealed 60 :
arSe a quantity. The long controversy a
nay therefore be regarded as finally
sItled.
HOW IT MIGHT BE EXTRACTED t
But in the practical American mind l
ne question remains. can the gold in :,
ne sea water ever be extracted. al 4
rcit? The question apparently does
OF greatly interest Professor Liver d
DIE, and it is reasonably certain that
le iong- and COMPLICATED process by
hitch he effected the extraction would 4
can an expense all out of proportion d
the amount Of gold obtained. This
where my part of the story comes in.
IT DIDN'T PAN OUT. T,
Some years ago when on a roughing q
ur OH the northwest, on lonely II
ountain in the Cascades, I cfapae5 n
pom a prospector holding down straw q