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

ed which has so lafge~a 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 radiunl, which is
found only with uranium. hitherto
the interest in radium, though lively,
has been largely academic on account
of the marvellous qualities which it
displays when compared with better
known element. Toward the end of
1913, however, public interest became
almost feverish, owing to the appar-
ent cures of cancer wrought by the
application of the gamma rays given
Off by radium.
Uranium minerals were produced in
commercial quantity in the United
States in 1913, as shown by preiimiil-
airy statistics gathered by Frank i.
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 SO
dry tons Of low-grade material carry
ing I49 per cent uranium oxide
Gus OS). was shipped to France from
the Kirk mine. This had been mined
in a previous year. Carnotite, yel-
low powdery 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 potash or lime uranium
Yanadate. Several yanadium minerals
occur with the carnotite, so that in
mining for uranium a great deal OF
vahadium is also obtained. At New.
mire, San Miguel County, Colo, one
of the vanadium minerals, roscoelite,
occurs practically free from uranium
and Is worked for yanadium alone.
Nearly SO Per Cent Increase in Out.
J put. Z
The total mine shipments of IRA,
mum and yanadium, as shown by pre-.
iiminary figures, were equal to 2,14O
tons of dry ore, carrying an equiya.
lent Of 38 tons Of uranium oxide. The
yanadium in carnotite ores shipped
together with that which is estimat.
ed to- have been produced from the
Newmire district, was equivalent to
914 tons Of yanadium oxide. These
quantities are equal to about 32.9
tons of metallic uranium and 412 tons
of metallic vanadium.
/ The Bureau of Mines has determin.
ed that carnotitte carries about 80 pei
cent. of even a little more of, the
theoretical quantity of radium in
equilibrium with uranium, which, &C
cording to Rutherford ("Radioactive
substances and their radiations, D
l6l, Is equal to about l gram in 5000
Kilograms of uranium. Assuming thai
80 per cent of the radium is recover
able, this would give in the output oil
1913 an equivalent of about $40 grams
OF metallic radium, or 1910 grams Of
hydrous radium bromide, worth. al
1920 a milligram of metallic radium
| about $1,055,0G0. The total value o.
the carnotite ores sold was about
$4,000, which represents the ura
mum value only, as little was paiG
for the vanadium content and the
figures for these receipts are not YET
| in hand.
The production of the year was thu
largest ever made, according to thu
! Geological Survey figures. that fol-
1912 being equivalent to IS short tons
of uranium oxide (22 tons of the me
tall, and that for 1911 being equiva
lent to rs tons of uranium oxide (21..
tons of the metaD-an increase O
nearly so per cent for 1913.
Large Proportion of Ores Exported.
OF the quantity produced, apparent
| ~ 1925 tons of uranium oxide con
tanning the equivalent of SO grams o
hydroCs radium bromide, was shipped
! TO Europe, and 1915 tons, containiu.
the equivalent of ST. grams of nv
drous radium bromide, was retaine,
in this country. although in tonnas.
the quantity retained in this country
1888 tons, was larger tina nthat shin
ped to Europe, which was APPARENT,
942 tons. One of the principal pro
ducers for foreign trade did little worl
for more than half the Year, owing
It's reported, to thefact that it's far
tory in LIVERPOOL had not haan ooTa