Evening star., 1913-12-07

using them generally. Large economic
are resulting. Meantime Uncle Sam |
saving about $4,000 a year in his owl
coal bill through the use Of the new plan
Perhaps one of the most sensational
activities Of the bureau of mines has de.
veloped in the last few weeks. It ha:
to do with radium, that precious sub
stance so reverently regarded by Scien
lists and that has set SO many scientif,
laws at naught.
).
\ source of radium is carnotic ore
named for former President Carnot OF
France. DR.. Holmes set DR.. Charles L.
Parsons, mineral technologist of his bu-
reau, to investigating radium and car
notite Dr. Parsons found that not a
grain of radum had been produced In
this country, but that carnotite ore from
the Paradox valley of Colorado had been
shipped to Europe in quantity sufficient
TO account for all the radium that has
been produced in the world.
Has Europe been getting its source of
radium supply from this country? That
is the query that seems pretty nearly
ready for answer in the affirmative.
The first result of DR.. Parsons investi-
cation was to enable the carnotite mine
owners Of Colorado to get a better price
for their ore from the European pur-
chaSerS.
But the bigger result is at hand
Quietly the bureau of mines directed
certain wealthy and scientifically in
clined gentlemen to where they could
purchase twenty-seven carnotite pros
poets in the Paradox valley. These
gentlemen. led by DR.. Harry A. Kelly
Of Johns Hopkins University, Balti-
more, and DIR. James Douglas of New
York. dean of the mining engineering
profession, have organized the National
pa1j Jnc mt nd hay cd r-,,f
ficient funds to finance the undertak
ing.
They have taken over the twenty
seven claims and are preparing for
take charge of the mining and concen-
trating of the ores and the production
of radium
Then, under the direction of the in
stitute. the radium will be used in the
establishment of free clinics in the
johns Hopkins Hospital and in the
Memorial Hospital in New York for
the free treatment of cancer and other
diseases
What has been set forth above in
cludes only a few Of the activities
which DR.. Holmes directs He, for ex-
ample, has but recently returned from
Alaska, where he has been making
mineral Investigations and also direct
ing the experimental mining of coal
from sovernment-owned land with a
view to developing source of supply
for the navy. Many other lines of
work are being taken up.
Perhaps said DR.. Holmes recently.
"the general public does not realize
the extent Of our mining industry. 1t
is an industry exceeded in point of
value of output only by the agricul-
tural industry. 1t gives employment
products are valued at more than 1000
00O, 600 a year. 1t furnishes more than
tWo-thlrcs OF our total freight tonnage
out Of that output We build and oper-
ate our railways and steamship lines.
our telephone and telegraph lines our
and our highways. deyelop
heat and light and operate our fac
tories.
During the past century the value of
our mineral products for each ten years
has almost doubled with that of the pre-
ceQlns decade While this great industry
is now receiving recognition and aid from
the legislative and administrative
branches or the federal government, that
aid as yet is inadequate. 1t is to be
hoped that in the near future the aid
extended through congressional appropri-
atoms may De more nearly commensurate
with the sacrifices and Importance of
the industry.
THE bureau of mines receives now
only about 100000 a year for its support.
In the work for the prevention of waste.
me saving In money value each year re-
sulting from the bureaus work has ex-
'eeded many times the total cost OF the
oureau."
\ tall, alert and active man, with those
ireamy eyes Of the student that have de-
'eived SO many practical man." DR..