Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-02

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Probably no other mineral ID min
ed which has so large hold on public
attention and at the same time has so
small total monetary value as the
uranium minerals. This interest is, of
course, due not to the mineral as such.
nor the uranium they contain, but to
the accompanying radium, which is
found only with uranium. Hitherto
the interest in radium, though lively,
has been largely academic on account
of the marvellous qualities which il
displays when compared with better
known clement. Toward the end of
1913, however, public interest became
almost feyerish, owing to the appar-
ent cures of cancer wrought by the
application of the gamma rays given
of by radiun.
Uranium minerals were produced in
commercial quantity in the United
States in 1913, as shuwn by prelimin.
airy statistics gathered by Frank L.
Hess, of the United States Geological
Survey, only in Colorado and Utah,
and although during the year some
pitchblende was mined in Colorado
in the Belcher & Calhoun mines, only
a few pounds were sold. though 50
dry tons of low-grade material carry
ing Lao per cent uranium oxide
CUB OBJ was shipped to France from
the Kirk mine. This had been mined
in previous year. Carnotite, vel
low pewdery or waxy mineral found
in the standstones of the high pla-
teau between the Rock Mountains of
Colorado and the San Rafael Swell Of
Utah, south of the Book Cliffs, fur
nished the whole production.
Carnotite, as the word is ordinarily
used, is a potash or lime uranium
Tanadate. Several vanadium minerals
occur with the carnotite, so that in
mining for uranium great deal of
yanadium is also obtained. At New
mire, San Miguel County, Colo, one
of the vanadium minerals, roscoelite,
occurs practically free from uranium
and is worked fer Vanadium alone.
Nearly 80 Per. Cent increase in Out
put. & II =
The total mine shipments of ura-
mum and yanadi1m, as shown by pre-
liminary figures, were equal to 2.14O
tons of dry ore, carrying an equiva-
lent of 80 tons of uranium oxide. The
yanadium in carnotite ores shipped,
together with that which is estimat-
ed to have been produced from the
NeWmlre district, was equivalent to
GA tons of yanadium oxide. These
quantities are equal to about 1928
tons Of metallic uranium and Alp tons
of metallic yanadium.
I The Bureau of Mines has determin-
ed that carnotitte carries about 80 per
cent OF even little more of the
theoretical quantity of radium in
equilibrium with uranium, which, &C.
cording to Rutherford ("Radioactive
substances and their radiations. D.
l6), is equal to about l gram in &. 1000
Kilograms of uranium. Assuming that
W per cent OF the radium is recover
able, this would give in the output of
1913 an equivalent of about S79 grams
OF metallic radium, or 1910 grams Of
hydrous radium bromide, worth, at
$120 milligram Of metallic radium.
about $1,055, 600: The total value of
the carnotite ores sold was about
Sl42, 900, which represents the ura-
mum value only, as little was paid
for the Tanadium content and the
figures for these receipts are not vet
in hand.
The production of the year was the
largest ever made, according to the
Geological Survey figures, that for
1912 being equivalent to 26 short tons
OF uranium oxide (22 tons OF the me-
tab, and that for 1911 being euuiva-
lent to 25 tons of uranium oxide (21.2
tons of the metaD-an increase Of
nearly SO per cent for 1913.
Large Proportion of Ores Exported.
or the quantity produced, apparent,
~ 1925 tons of uranium oxide con-
tanning the equivalent of S.3 grams Of
hydrous radium bromide, was shipped
to Europe, and 1875 tons, containlue
the equivalent OF 81 grams of NV.
drous radium bromide, was retained
In this country. although in tonnage
the quantity retained in this country
l,lSS tons. was larger tina nthat shin.
PED to Europe, which was appareptIv
942 tons. One of the principal pro-
ducers for foreign trade did little work
for more than half the wear owing
II Is reD0Ttpd tn thpfqrt tho -. 60