Gilpin observer., 1913-05-08

two-thirds of the radium supply Of
the world Is being made in Europe
from American ores shipped abroad
through the foresight of foreign scien-
lists. Radium Is purchasable only in
very small quantities and at price
equivalent to $2,25O, 900 an ounce, and
although, from the investigations of
the Bureau of Mines, it lis shown that
the United States has the greatest
known supply of radium-bearing ores
i'm the world, not one gram has been
produced here.
THE United States today is in the
humiliating position of being forced
to purchase at extravagant prices
from abroad such radium as its hos
pitfalls and physicians can afford for
experimental purposes, while we have
been supplying the ores from which
it is made" said Charles l.. Parsons,
chief OF the Divisions of Mineral Tech
nology of the bureau. I'VE have paid
Europe's prices for what we could
get in order to investigate the won
derful properties of radium and their
possible application to the eradiction
of disease. 1t is needless to say
that we have been greatly hampered
in our work by the almost prohibitive
prices at which radium has been
held
Several months ago, rumors be-
gan to reach the Bureau of Mines,
that in Colorado there had been an
increased demand for carnotite, the
radium carrying ore and that this ore
was being shipped abroad in consid-
erable quantities. 1t was also rumor-
ed that the Europeans were insisting
upon only the highest grades of these
ores and that a great amount Of the
lower grade ores was being practical
ly wasted r. b. Moore and K l..
Kithil, in charge of the Denver, Colo,
laboratory of the bureau were re-
quested to investigate these rumors
and they reached the surprising con-
clusion that while all the radium
placed upon the market IN the last
few years. had been produced in Eur
ope, large portion OF this had come
from American ores.
'Radium institutes have been es-
tabhshed in Austria, France, Germany
and England, and European science
and industry have been developed
IN ctrio
ernment. realizing the untold possibili
ties of the radium ores at st. Joach-
imstaal, purchased all the mines. put
them under direct governmental super
vision and has an arrangement with
the Vienna Academy of Science by
which the ore is worked up into ra-
drum. On the other hand, the Unit
States has allowed her much great
er resources to be exploited by for
eigners on basis which wastes per-
haps irretrievably large portion OF
the ores mined and has exported
carefully selected ores at a price by
no means commensurate with it's ra-
dunn value. Even before carnotite
was exported. pitchblende, another
raidum bearing ore of the highest
grade was being sent out of the coun
try. at the time when the worlds ra-
dunn output was supposed to be COM
ing wholly from Austrian ores.
while carnotite is found in small
quantities in number of states, the
more important deposits are scatter
ed over considerable area in Colo.
rado and Utah, embracing Meeker
and Skull Creek in Colo. Green Rive'
Thompson's Moab. Richardson, Table
Mountain, Pahreah and other places
an Utah. The largest production OF
this ore. however. has been produced
west Colorado.
I'm the mining of these carnotite
ores lit is probable that five tons OF
material capable of concentration are
thrown upon the dump for every tor
that finds it's way to market. IN
develop methods for concentration o.
these ores and save the valuable mat
erial now wasted is one OF the prob
lens before the Bureau Of Mines witt
fam prospect of successful concM
sion.
'Pitchblende, the richest Of all ra
bearing minerals, has been foun'
I'm small quantities in Connecticut an
in the feldspar quarries In Norti
Carolina Practically the total Amer
lean output has come from the mine'
In Quartz Hill Gilpin County, Colo.
practically every ton Of carnotit'
mined in 1912, went abroad, and n.
the American deposits are far from
being inexhanstible. we are rapidl!
depicting our own reserve and arr