Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-22

| the sun has today. Indeed there Is nc
means of producing such a temperature ar
| tifcially. Even If there were such a heat
| would not be needed in the new laboratory.
I Its scientists merely wish to melt all OF
| the rocks, not to boil them into vapor.
which a greater heat than that OF this
| electric arc would do.
| Electricity offers the only means by which
| temperatures capable Of melting all of the
| rocks and minerals can be generated. To
attain these it is merely necessary to pro-
vide equipment for generating sufficiently
large quantities of electricity together with
equipment for handling and concentrating
such power.
In this laboratory rocks and minerals will
be actually reproduced. First their chenl-
ically pure elements will be made and the
forces playing part in their formation
must be measured. Then the manner in
which they combine to form rocks must be
studied; also their stability. their behavior
under water etc. In other words in ac-
tually making an igneous rock Its compo-
| nent parts will be prepared in sufficient
| purity and worked into the finished product
| at white heat or with enormous pressure
| or perhaps both. That exactly what hap
| pens may be studied this temperature and
pressure must be measured with great
care. Thus only can 1t be learned pre-
cisely how the earth's crust has formed
Enormous Pressure Needed.
Apparatus exerting the enormous pres
sures of nature will also be installed in this
brand-new field Of research. 1t Is planned
to have plant where gas and steam, under
pressures greater than ever before arti-
ficially exerted by mans instigation, can
be handled and measured. What the effect
of these enormous pressures will be or how
much will be necessary to manufacture
rocks is not quite known as yet. No one
has ever tried to find out. In this direction,
therefore, the laboratory must be the pio-
neer. without waiting for some old-world
scientist to open up the way.
To Initiate Volcanic Action.
Volcanic action will be reproduced in it's
force and fury. In volcanic eruptions, such
as those of Pelee and Vesuvius, large
quantities of steam are given off by lava
The earths crust in the neighborhood Is
changed, and the minerals separted by the
volcanic steam are very different from those
made by the normal elements. Now, the
only way in which volcanic steam can
change the form of rock is by coming in
contact with 1t when the rock is melted
to liquid and when both the steam and rock
are under enormous pressure. Therefore.
If the geophyscists would know volcanoes
and volcanic rocks, they must reproduce
them by using not only the terrific heat
mentioned, but the immense pressure at
the same time.
Disastrous accidents might occur In the
new laboratory unless very special prepa-
ratons are made for such interesting work
4 ear OF .SuCn CdtdStrOpneS PROBABLY &C
counts for the absence Of research along
this same line in the past. After the APP
paratus has been installed the effects of
steam under great pressures upon the ores
of all valuable metals will be studied that
natures secret in forming such rich de-
posts as iron, copper. tin, etc, may be
learned.
Artificial Production of Gems.
The ARTIFICIAL reproduction Of precious
stones is another problem closely related to
those described. The laboratory authorities
hardly expect to produce precious stones,
however. as such. 1t will notify to make dia-
monds, but in the course of Its work it Is more
than probable that some light will be
thrown upon the very puzzling problem as
to how diamonds came to be formed In the
earth and why they are not more common.
IT will not undertake the manufacture of
artificial rubies, but 1t may be able to an
swer the mooted question as to why the
very same ingredients Will In one case be
crystallZed as rubies and in others as
sapphires and in still others as ordinary
emery.
Some of the apparatus for the laboratory
is now installed in temporary quarters
pending the completion of the handsome
new building. The progress already made
in this temporary laboratory is suggestive
of what practical results Will from time
to time crop out in the course of the re-
searches. While making preliminary ex-
periments here the geophysicists have al
ready 1allen upon the discovery or metnOO
II manufacturing in large quantities quartz
glass-glass obtained by melting pure rock
crystal. To produce more than small
amounts of this glass has never been pos
sible before.
Great Discovery in Glass Making.
1t has been worth it's weight in gold SIM
ply because the old methods of production
were so tedious. Single crystals of quartz
had to be melted in an "oxyhydrogen
fame" or electric arc, and afterward
pieced together In an "oxyhydrogen blast"
But 1t was found. incidentally. in the tenn
porary geophyslcal laboratory that the
quartz could be melted In large quantities
in an electric furnace SO constructed that
a pressure of at least 500 pounds to the
square inch could be exerted upon the mass
while 1t was melting.
This discovery will be hailed with delight
by men engaged In many enterprises.
Covetous eyes have been cast upon quartz
glass for 10 these many years, but speci-
mems of any size have always been beyond
reach. One of the properties which make
quartz glass especially useful is its very
high softenng temperature. 1t can be
heated to 2,0G0 degrees Fahrenheit without
noticeably softening. In other words 1t Is
possible to melt and even distill gold COP
per or silver in quartz glass vessel with
out harming II. If a great fire were kin
died in q fireproof building with quartz