Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-02
new SOURCE OF RADIUM.
English Engineer Says There Is One
In Portugal.

In Portugal.
That the recent discovery of rich ore
deposits in Portugal will make possible
for the first time the manufacture of
radium in quantities sufficiently large
for commercial use is the assertion OF
Harry March. young English civil
engineer, who has come to this coun-
try in the hope Of interesting Ameri-
can scientists and American capital in
the Portuguese mines. He has brought
with him a boxful of ore, specimens OF
which have been examined by miner
alogists here and abroad, who declare
that the mineral contains large quanti-
ties of crystalline uranite, or what is
technically known as autunite, the sub
stance from which radium Is ex-
tracted.
Professor James F. Kemp, head Of
the department Of geology at Column
bla. and other members of the staff
have seen some Of the specimens.
According to one analyst, Allen F.
Walden of the chemical department OF
Oxford university, who subjected the
mineral to the usual scientific tests FOR
radium. it is estimated that the ore
contains nearly 72O milligrams OF ra-
dunn to the ton, a new record. Inc
ore itself he found, to be made up OF
quartz thickly crusted with yellow
CRYSTALS. These crystals when exam
ined proved to contain uranium. cal
cium and phosphoric acid, and there
was no trace of other metallic or acid
impurities.
IN to the time Of the discovery OF
the Portuguese deposits the chief ore
from which radium was extracted was
pitchblende. considerable quantities OF
which are found in Bohemia and III
Cornwall, England. The amount OF ra-
dunn producing material IN this SUD-
stance, according to Mr.. March. ls
about 6 per cent. whereas the ore OBJ
famed from Portugal has been tested
and found to contain 80 per cent OF
oxide of uranium. E. b. Barbonl'
French chemist. after sub5ectlns the
new mineral to careful tests, declared
that by reason of the ease with which
II could be treated it was In his opln-
ion "at least three times superior as
raw material to pitchblende
Comets.
We know positively that comets at
tain their immense extension IN space
on account Of the material comprising
them being excessively tenuous. thin
ner than the highest ilmy haze OF
summer. says Professor Harold ia
coby, for we know the comets are not
massive; they are almost entirely WITH
out weight. And this we KNOW with
certainty, because their arrival pro-
duces no perturbations of motion
among the planets of the solar system.
while the memorable laws OF mechan-
ical science tell US that massive
comet must surely disturb the usual
orderly planetary orbits. A comet
might. indeed. strike the earth. though
such q collision Is most improbable.
But even If 1t should ever occur the
visible effects would probably be no
rreater than those produced occasion
ally by meteorites, or falling stars.
The other possible danger from the
comet, the chance OF suffocation from
gases in the tail. is also negatived BY
actual observation. for it Is almost Ger
tain that our earth did once pass
through a comets tail. and no one no
ticeds Il at the, time. Only the subse'
auent calculations OF astronomers
brought out the fact that the cometary
orbit and that OF the earth really had
a common point Of intersection and
that both bodies occupied that point al
the same time.-New York American.