The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-31
RADIUM BEARING ORES,

Rad1um is comparatively little
known in this country, either as to it's
origin or its properties, though the
TACT that 1t is an exceedingly valuable
metal is a matter Of common knowl-
edge. In the United States there is
only one company engaged in the ex-
tracing of radium from ores, and this
company has not yet placed any Of it's
products on the market. Radium Is
valued at $2,25O,0O0 an n and it is
estimated thai there are only four
ounces in the world.
Heretofore Austria has been credited
with being the greatest source of the
supply for the ores from which radium
is extracted, but the United States bu-
Ireau Of mines has made the discovery
startling from a scientific standpoint
that more than two-thirds of the ra-
dunn Of the world is made from Amer
1can ores shipped abroad. The most
important deposits of carnotite are to
be foundi in Colorado and Utah, though
Ipitchblende. the premier Of the prec-
lous substance. is also found in Con-
necticut and North Carolina. Only
one out of six tons of carnotite is
shipped. the other not being consider
ed shipping by foreign manufacturers.
Austria has bought the mines of st.
,JoachimstaaI. Bohemia. and has es-
ftablished a sanatorium. hotel and
paths. the river Tepi, it is claimed be-
ing tinged with radiurn with health
giving quantities. But ever when that
country was representing itself to be
the sole sourc Of radium-bearing ore.
Epitchblende was being shipped from
fthis country for treatment there. De-
posts of pitchblende have more re-
Gently been discovered at Cornwall.
England, where improved methods of
treatment have been employed. Radi-
Eufn institutes have been opened in Aus
tria, England, France and Germany.
The bureau Of mines a in it's re-
port that Europeans insist on buying
only high-grade ores in this country
and that a large quantity Of low grade
ores are being exposed and practically
i wasted By a proper conservation
and concentration it would be highly
profitable to work these Iow-grade
ores on the spot. 1t is pointed out in
the report that the United States is
forced to purchase abroad and at ex-
t~ravagant prices it's meager supply of
rad1um for experimental purposes.
while actually being the source of the
ores from which the exceedingly valu-
able metal is secured. To hermit +hic
country's radium- bearing ore supply to
be depleted and wasted for the benefit
of foreigners looks like a loss which
this country might afford to stop,
either by purchase Of the beds or re-
stricting shipment.
Radium was first isolated by Pro-
lessor and Madame Curie, of Paris. in
1898. 1T is produced In metallic
form, because of the waste which this
would produce, but appears in the
form of one Of its salts, the bromide.
Though capable of giving off an enor-
1nous amount OF energy the substance
shows no material loss OF weight after
use. Its d~iscoverer said that a single
gram would be sufficient to kill every
resident OF Paris, attacked singly.
Though radium lis known Il be use
fill to medical science, it has not so far
been demonstrated to be a specific for
any single disease Tt has a number Of
remarkable characteristics which make
III available in a number of ways. Ow-
ms to its comparatively recent discoy-