Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-14
HAS A NEW ELEMENT.
Pinch Of Actinium Valued at 500, 900,
600 a Pound, is Shown by
New Yorker.

NEW YORK, Dec. 10.-Dec. TO-
| George +. Kunz IL the possessor OF a
| pinch of actinium. a newly discovered
| element Ii is a cousin of radium
but rarer and more precious. Radium
is to be had in small quantities at the
rate of 100000 pound. There Is
not known pound of actinium In the
world. and only minute quantities can
be bought and that at a rate of $780,
100000 pound.
DR.. Kunz Is the mineral and diamond
expert at Tinany's. whose experiments
| with rad!um. polonium and kindred
| minerals are well known. His actin
lum came from metal named deb
ferne, who discovered 1t while work
| ing In Paris in cooperation with the
Cures. the discoverers of radium and
| polonium.
Nobody knows much about actini
um faint idea OF its power may be
gained from the fact that its radio
activity is 10000 times greater than
the powerful uranium
DR.. Kunz has studied and expert
mented with the actinium sent him.
but he is not yet ready to tell the
| public what he has learned. DIR. Kunz
has taken the actinium before the
Princeton Chemical Society at Prince
ton. and recently gave a demonstra-
| ton of some of the wonders that can
| be performed by the salt Scientists
in New York who experimental with
radium are awaiting auxiously for the
exhibition of the actinium here.
Actinium and radium are closely
| akin. They are both obtained from
| pitchblende. the refuse from urani-
um mines, as is also polonium. the first
of tehse metals to be discovered.
While the world was carveling at
| the discovery OF radium, Nine. Cure
| and her husband were working to sep
arate an elusive substance which they
| termed vageuely the third element"
| coming after polonium and radium
| They failed to Isolate this substance
| but NJ. Debferne succeeded in identi
flying this third element in pitch
| blende. He named II actinium, from
| the Greek word meaning ray. Long
| before his discovery the name actin
ium had been given by Phinson to q
supposed metal.
The existence of such a metal had
| been suspected for fifty years. but the
actinium finally discovered is far diff
ferent from the metal Phinson sup
posed it was. He thought actinium
was one of the elements of CONNER
cial zinc, and that eventually 1t might
be separated.
DIR. kunz says that actininm Is
battling study. "Actinium Is one of
| an iron group of elements" said DIR.
kunz. at is somewhat near tutan-
nm. 1t has been made in the form OF
oxide and chloride. While 1t hasn't
| the penetrative power of radium, 1t Is
remarkable from the fact that its en-
| anations are very profuse for a time.
Its radiations are invisible. except
when placed near a diamond and some
other stones, when 1t causes the stone
| to phosphoresce and makes a glow
between itself and the stone. In the
| darkness actini IN Is only slightly lum-
inous, and e. periments that have been
made nothing definite has been learn
| ed of its powers. 1t Is supposed to
lose its radiant energy after being ex-
posed for a time. and to regain its en-
| ergy when shut UP for a time. In my
experiments | have not noticed the
loss of energy.
Il exhibited the specimen before
| the Princeton Chemical Society and
showed them its effect on diamonds.
1t also caused phosphorescence in
| willemite and kunzite."
DR.. kunz noticed a remarkable dif-
ference in the phosphorescence OF a
willemite stone caused by actinium
and by radium.
| THE emanation from actinium," he
said. in its action on willemlte ap-
peared more as a luminous vapor. II
appeared as II emanations were given
on by the willemite and blended with
emanations from the actinium. causing
4 peculiar foggy glow
| DIR. kunz said that it would be i'm
but that 1t Is 100 times more rare than
radium and was accordingly more ex-
| pensive to produce. Actinium may
prove of value in the treatment of
consumption. Actinic rays have al
ready been used in the treatment OF
| tuberculosis.
Professor Alexander II. Phillips OF
Princeton University has been expert
menting with western minerals in or
der to ascertain If any traces of radi
um were in this continent. He has al
last discovered 1t to exist beyond all
question in carnolite ore from Utah
From twenty-five pounds OF carnolite
he obtained sample of radioactive
carlum chloride, which will give about
1900 activity. This activity. while moi
20 powerful as that obtained from
European ores, Is sufficient for mos
purposes. The deposits OF carnolitt
are large and numerous.