Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-17
REMEMBERING ORES
IN LARGE QUANTITIES
Production Last Year Greatest in
This Country, Says U. S, Geo.
logical Survey.
Scouts Find Location of Deposits and
Extended Report Is Made on
the Subject.

Mountaineering ores We're produced in
larger quantities last year than ever be-
fore. according to figures just produced
by the United States geological survey.
Only two states. Colorado and Utah, pro-
duced uranium minerals in commercial
quantities during 1919. says the bulletin
The geological survey also has been send
ing out its scouts to find the location of
radium- bearing ore deposits.
Last fall geological reconnaissance Of
the uranium and vanadium deposits of
Utah was made by Frank L. Hess and
+. S. Butler of the survey. They covered
| the territory lying between the Wyoming
line and the south side of the Henry
mountains and east of the San Rafael
Swell The deposits as shown by the out
crops according to the bulletin, are near
ly all in small pockets. part of which are
comparatively rich. All the newly found
localities are far from railroads and the
hope for commercial production from
them lies in concentration on the ground
by some cheap process, and many expert
ments are being carried on to develop
such a process. Toward tine end of last
year steps were taken, it Is declared, for
the erection of a concentration plant in
Dry valley, fifteen miles north Of Month
cello. y plant was put up at Mesa Creek.
Col, and another was said to be in course
of erection In the Gateway district.
The bulletin issued by the survey says
that the apprehension seems to be that
vast areas In any part of Colorado are
to be closed to entry "on suspicion" and
thus prospecting not only for radium, but
| for precious and semi-precious meals as
| well, will be stopped. Secretary Lane is
| quoted in the bulletin as declaring that
these fears are not well founded. The dis
| t:ibution, he says, of notwithstanding
minerals as now known in Colorado is
| fairly well defined. and there is no in
! tention in the Interior Department to
| apply Withdrawals outside OF the rela-
| lively small areas known to contain these
minerals.
| Carnotite Deposits Explained.
/ The carnotite deposits which it is now
proposed to devote primarily to the use of
the American people are known, through
| investigations of the United States geo
logical survey. to be for the most part
confined to particular beds of rock
The official statistics of 1913 as to our
| exports of uranium and vanadium ores
carrying radium indicate larger con-
| tent of radium in the Colorado ores ship
! ped to Europe than in the somewhat
greater tonnage of ores treated or. kept
! in this country, continues the report.
| The joint resolution submitted by the
| Secretary for the consideration of Con-
gress contains authority not only for the
President to withdraw radium lands from
further private appropriation. but also
! for the Secretary OF the Interior to lease
| these lands or otherwise provide for the
| mining of the ores SO IS to secure the
| needed supply of radium for the govern
| ment and hospitals of the United States.
The vigorous admnistra ton which such
| Il law would deserve by reason of the ur-
! gent nature of the matter would demand
| that there be no delay in opening the de-
| poSitS to purpoScful utiliza ton. The OBJ
| ject of the proposed legislation is not
reservation from use, but rather develop
| Incnt under conditions not only favoring
but even forcing tue best use of this val
liable resource. which has no value OK
cept DIS it is mined and used.
! The effort of the federal government
should be. and Secretary Lane states
| that he believes it will be. directed to
the promotion of all mining of radium
ores in Colorado and Utah. in any and
every way conducive to the protection of
Americas interest in the product Early
exhaustion of these deposits in the sense
| that we speak of exhaustion of other
| mineral resources is something which
| need not be feared. The radium once
! extracted from the ores becomes avail
| able for continued use without appre-
| ciable loss and becomes permanent ad-
dition to the needed supply. The same
! radium that is placed at humanity's
service today may be used by our chill
dren for many generations.
America Should Have Preference.
Whatever the percentage of American
ores now exported from mines in private
ownership and largely under corporate
control, it is. in Secretary Lanes opinion.
Ill
Americas preferential rights to the rad
1um on land still in public ownership. 1t