The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-01

Some time ago the business and min
ing word felt a slight tremor of ex-
citeme,lt over the statements made to
the effect that Professor Emmons, a
noted scientist Of New York, had dis
covered the secret OF transmitting sill
yer into gold, and while there was and
is still some doubts as to the accuracy
OF the announcement, Professor En-
mons himself states that he can do
what is claimed, and as proof cites the
fact that he has sold some of his sold
to the United States mint, and that II
las been accepted as gold; and, as a
matter oe fact, 1t cannot be detected
from the pure stuff by fire or chemical
assays.
The method employed By Professor
Emmons, according to all accounts, IS
the application OF continued and in
tense cold 10 bars Of silver, which, at
the same time, are subjected to an
enormous pressure, the theory ad-
Vanced by him being that il is only
question as to the action brought to
bear or the atoms of which the metal
is composed, as. in fact, gold and sill
yer are essentially but one metal, COM
bining the same elements, which, by
II ansposition caused by heat, cold and
pressure, changes its state, and is either
silver or gold. according TO the condi-
tons brought to bear upon 1t.
In Chicago another savant has ap-
peared in the person Of Professor Brice,
who claims to transmute crude anti
mony into gold, and IL is claimed by
some that he can actually accomplish
this wonderful transformation, and as
Utah anthony is being used in this
connection, it is more than likely that
Utah people would be pleased 10 learn
?, ,,ri
ments now being made in this connec-
tion.
But, not to be eclipsed by other Dor-
tons of the country in this important
chemical discovery, Salt Lake is able
to boast of the possession OF an alchem-
list, who also claims TO be able to
transmute antimony into pure gold.
The Herald made exclusive mention of
this fact several days ago, and also
named the inventor or discoverer OF the
process, Professor D. 3. Dobranich,
who has exhibited samples of metal,
the product of his furnace, which is
pronounced to be gold, or to contain
large perceDtage of the yellow metal.
SSzsral Salt Lakers have seen this
gold, and there is considerable quiet
talk IN relation to the matter and ii IS
stated that one of the best known min
ing operators of the state has offered
money for the secret of the process, be-
ing met with a fat refusal.
Beginning his experiments with a
small furnace, Professor DObranich
demonstrated to his own satisfaction
that he could produce gold from anti
mcny. Since then he has increased the
size OF his plant, in order to increase
the gold output, and also TO generate
the requisite heat and the only diff
Guilty in the way OF ultimate success
and the manufacture of gold on COM
mercial scale, according to the pro-
fessor, is the generation Of an extreme
ly high temperature; but during the
past few days he has been exhibiting
large pieces of metal. more than half
OF which is gold, so The Herald is in
formed.
In describing the process to a Herald
reporter, Professor Dobranich states
that 5 600 degrees of heat are required
in the transmutation of antimony into
gold, but the process is different from
other so-caned methods, in that the
fumes arising rom the heated ore is
what produces the gold, the fumes be-
ing conducted through a horizontal flue,
at the end of which Is placed a pre-
pared cloth. saturated with a secret
preparation, which arrests the gold, the
product being reduced in a manner al
most similar to that with which cy-
andes are melted into gold bullion.
While the majority of mining men
in SAT- Lake are skeptical as to the
ability of Professor DObranicil to man
ufacture gold from anthony, still his
efforts AID experiments II this direc-
ton VIII be watched with interest by
many.