Evening star., 1914-08-09

carnotite ore deposits American car
notite is found chiefly in Montrose
and San Miguel countiesg Cal, and
in that part of Utah northwest
are at Green river, Table mountain,
Richardson. Fruita, Moab and some six
teen miles southeast of 4Thompsons. The
ores OF these deposits ARE of lower
grade than those Of the Paradox valley.
but they are near to railroads and sub
-1ect to lower transportation costs The
Green river deposits have become reg
uiar producers. In Colorado. prospects
teen miles north of Meeker and at
Skull creek, sixty-five miles west of
Meeker; but the richest of carnotite de-
posfts in America, and indeed the rich
est known radium- bearing region in
the world, is that of Paradox valley.
Col, which extends from Hydraulic, on
the north, to the Mcintyre district on
the south In the Paradox region the
deposits seem to lie invariabl Just
above the fine-grained La Plata sand
stone. .4ta..
..tatso. sfta4.a, 1,,s5 r-.s44f-t5
st't 4'-ta e7t t9~-
There are two important ores of
radium found in this country, although
carnotite is by far the most impor-
tant. and more radium has already been
produced from this ore than from all
other ores put together. Carnotite is
lemon-yellow mineral and is usual
Iy found in pockets in sandstone
Pitchblende is hard. bfue-bIack ore
that looks like magnetic, but is
heavier. 1t is found in pockets and
veins In 1gneous rocks. 1t is not near
iy as widely distributed as carnotie
The production of radium is certain
to increase. but the supply of radium-
bearing ores is limited and no large
resources are in sight. The most favor
n 10 aCfi ir11af r.
ployes of the bureau of mines who
have been through the carnotite fields
of this country is that the known de-
posts do not warrant the assumption
that more than 200 grams of radium
element will ever be produced from
them.
When it became known through the in
vestigations of the United States bureau
of mines during the latter part of 1912
that valuable radium ores were being
shipped abroad to be manufactured into
radium and sold back into this country
at prices entirely incommensurate with
those paid for the ores themselves IL
was deemed important to take prompt
measures to insure at least a portion OF
this radium being available to the people
of the United States under conditions that
rich mans remedy. This matter was
brought to the attention of DR. Kelly
and DR.. Douglas. both of whom were
deeply interested in radium for use in
anu tuGy iilIfltQlately Favored
the formation of an institute to extract
radtum from American ores and to keep
the radium in this country. 1t was agreed
that if the ores could be procured the
radium institute would be founded and
the necessary funds supplied to work UP
he raw material. These two physicians
zach contributed sT5.oo0 for the project,
and sixteen claims containing carnotite
're in Colorado were leased on a royalty
basis under an agreement providing for
he return Of the uranium and yanadium
content of the ores to the owners of the
.lainls. Thus the National Radium In
titute was established. IN 4, $50
As the Denver Office of the bureau of
mines has been carrying on laboratory
experiments and field Investigations with
eference to the uranium ores. the insti-
ute proposed cooperative agreement
With the bureau whereby the latter was
fered the opportunity OF studying the
mineral concentration of the carnotite
res and the most practical and least
tasteful methods of obtaining uranium.
adium and yanadium therefrom.