The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-11-12
WATERS OF OUR SILVER MINES
MAY BE UTILIZED.

The Europeans have a kccner sense
OF utility than Americans. They are
quicker 10 take advantage OF new dis
coveries Here is an account of the
people of an old mining camp in Aus
tria planning to make resort where
the waters oil the old silver mines,
closed years ago can be used for bath
Ing purposes by those who desire to
obtain the benefits of radio-actiyity.
Though ladium is a discovery of the
last few years and It's curative or medi-
cinal properties arc yet 10 be deter
mined tho foreigners of st. Joachims-
thai. Austria. are advertising the benc-
fits TO be obtained from a dip in the
water llowing from the pitchblende
veins OF the exhausted silver mines.
Pllchblende is the raw ore of uranium
which contains radium.
This is suggestion which might
be acted upon by some OF our own sill
ycr mine owners who have pitchblende
veins on their properties.
Although the medical profession is
widely at variance as TO the value OF
the radium treatment OF disease. it Is
quite generally conceded that good re-
suits have been secured by its use
In regard 10 the water taken from the
mine, Director Joseph Step says;
The radio-activity of the water
from the Joachimsthal mine is decid-
edly stronger than the Gastien waters
or the Bohemian hot springs The
Carlsbad waters vary from SIS down
10 23 volts; Marcnbad, from 10 to
15.2; Tepltz-Schoenau from 15l TO 70;
and FranZensbad, from 222 TO %. The
ST. Joachimsthal water shows an en-.
tirely different result. There are sew
eral galleries in the mine and water
from one has different intensity
from any of the others. as follows:
Entrance tunnel "a level from the side
OF the hill to the main shafD, ISL
volts; Barbara level, LAO; and second
Werner level, 1870 volts for liter
and 10 minutes. | have found water
In the Danilll gallery of more than
l2.500 volts. So 1t is apparent that the
water at st. Joachimsthal is by far The
most radioactive of all"
The radiated electrones OF radium
are absorbed by gas, air and water.
Such air and water are said to be
radioactive Radioactive water does
not contain any radium in solution 1t
has only absorbed the radioactive gas.
This does not last long, and In order
to be retained. must not be exposed
for any length Of time TO the air.
How difficult is the process of OBJ
taininS radium from pitchblende is ex.
planned in the report OF the American
consul
Thirteen grams Of radium chloride
have been produced at the Imperial
Austrian radium factory located at st.
Joachimsthal. 1t is estimated that
this mineral has a value Of $4,000 to
$4,000 a gram. or more than half
million dollars for the entire amount.
Pure metallic radium is never seen,
but is always In combination. The
bromide or chloride is extracted from
pitchblende by repeated reductions.
This latter mineral Is taken from a
@orked-out silver mine near ST,
JoachimSthal, village in the Erzge-
birge. about twelve miles northwest Of
Carlsbad, Before the Thirty Years
war the mine was operated by various
owners. but was abandoned when the
vein of silver became exhausted The
property came into the possession OF
the Austrian government and the
pitchblende has been mined during the
last so years for the uranium. which
Is its principal mass. or about 90 TO 90
per cent Of the whole. This is used
in the manufacture OF decorated glass
and porcelain. Its yellow oxides are
employed by glass manufacturers to
give a delicate greenish-yellow tint to
glass, and the black oxides are used
as a pigment In porcelain painting.
The colors are exported extensively
and sell on an average for Sl2 a
pound
At present about 100 men are en-
gagged in mining the pitchblende.
which Is found in small seams. They
work In the mine eight hours a day
and tho rest OF the time cultivate
small farms in the nciShborhood As
the mine and radium factory have
never paid the government and diyi.
dends' they are operated largely for
experimental purposes and partially to
give employment to these extremely
poor people. The annual output Of
The mine is about 400 cwt. of pitch
blende' equal TO nearly 100 cwt. of
uranium ore. 1t requires approximate.
ly 10 tons OF pitchblende to Weld /
gram OF radmm bromide. which is con-
taincd in the residue after the uranium
is extracted In the process IL o00