The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-11-23
PLATINUM VERY SCARCE.
Needed In Electrical Work, supply Does
Not Meet demand.

Needed In electrical WORK, supply Does
Not Meet demand.
A good deal of concern has been ex-
pressed in the last year or so on the
subject of platinum, and the source Of
production to meet the growing de-
mand. 1t is beyond doubt that the
supply is not increasingly it is in
creasing at all-at anything like the
same rate as the consumption; and If
this position is not rectifed and the
balance readjusted it is easy to foresee
a time when enterprises which depend
upon platinum will languish for want
OF the material which it will be inn
possible to secure in adequate quanti-
ties, even at famine prices. Legislation
in the reichstag of the fatherland has
way of being grandfatherly at times,
but in the circumstances there is much
to be said for the bill which was under
consideration not long ago with the
object of obtaining legal prohibition
of the use of platinum where it could
be replaced without serious inconven-
fence by some other metal and to lin
it its consumption to cases where its
employment is essential
1t is not easy to see how such an en-
actment as this could be enforced
strictly, but, in the abstract, the meas
ure was undoubtedly wise; besides, the
restricted use of platinum in one coun-
try would go a very little way to rene
dy situation that is becoming acute
il all manufacturing countries. For
the metal is in great request in the
manufacture of electrical apparatus
and for electrical engineering gen.
orally, as we'll as for numerous other
stitute has been found. There is NO
good reason to anticipate an actual ex-
haustion of supplies, but the fear is
that, mainly with the progress of cleo
tricity the gulf between demand and
supply may become wider and wider.
Something like 95 percent Of last
years production of 1880 pounds. as
compared with 1890 pounds for 1900,
came from Russia, and while it is prob
able that scientific exploitation of the
whole of the Urals would lead to the
discovery of other sources of supply,
it is pretty clear that in the govern
ment of Perm little enough progress
is being made in spite of the profitable
hess of the industry. Perhaps the
sparseness of the distribution accounts
largely Tor TINS. The metal is OBJ
tanned from alluvial deposits or up to
four to five zolotniks 1.-THE zolotnik is
equa platinum-bearing sands, which
frequently include gold, and which vary
in occurrence up to four to five 20
lotniks, the zolotnik is equal to 66
grains Troy, and more in 100 pools Of
sand, 1910 pounds).
The thickness of the beds ranges
from three feet to seven feet The
grains of metal are small in size, but
sometimes nuggets weighing a kilo-
gram or more are unearthed The
platinum is often accompanied by
other rare metals, such as iridium and
ossium. Il is sent to st. Petersburg
in the crude state, and although there
are refneries in that city, very little
is dealt with there, and, as the demand
for the metal is almost entirely from
abroad, the bulk is exported as it is
received from the mines.
We have been told to look to New
South Wales as an important source Of
supply and probably with scientific
exploitation, the Investment of rea-
sonable amount of capital and the di-
version of miners from gold seeking
that colony would be of use in supply
ing the worlds requirements. The
metal there is obtained chiefly from the
Fifield district. about 322 miles west
of Sydney, where it is found associated
with gold. Here the principal work
ines are At Platina, township situated
about two miles from that of Fifield.
a deep alluyial lead containing plat
mum and gold, extending from near
The former place for over mile in
length ami varying from so feet to $50
feet in width.-Engineeri