The Parker post., 1914-01-03
GREAT BODY
OF PLATINUM
THERE is ENOUGH PLATINUM IN
TITAN OF CHASMS TO SUPPLY
THE ENTIRE WORLD SAYS A
NOTED EXPERT.

Enough platinum lies in the deths
of the Grand Canyon to supply the
world for many years to come, ac-
cording to E. J. Bonsall, a noted
mining engineer of Boston. Mr..
Bonsall has just spent three weeks
examining Ralph Cameron's plati-
num holdings, lying on both sides
of the Bright Angel trail a thousand
feet below the rim. He is now in
Phoenix, but will return to the can
yon in a few days to resume his
studies, for he is now chief engineer
for the Cameron interests.
The platinum formation, which can
be traced for miles along the can
yon, is something absolutely new in
geology, Mr.. Bonsall says. He never
saw anything just like it and nothing
Of the same nature is listed in any
work on geology. He is convinced
that it was formed ages ago by vol
canic springs. This, he says, he
can prove absolutely. Anyone can
perceive the work of the water.
When the peculiar sandstone that
carries the platinum was deposited,
here was nothing above but water.
Since then all the strata above have
been deposited and titanic uphea-
al of the earths surface has left
he crack known as the Grand Can
yOn Were it not for that ulneaval
the platinum sandstone would have
been hidden from human eyes for
ever Millions of tons have been
eroded away and carried down the
Colorado
The sandstone is between two
strata of slate. 1t is green in color
except where cracks have admitted
a red selvage or gouge. In places
.he stone appears to be entirely red.
Platinum is distributed in extreme
~ small particles through the sand
stone. In places the values are ex-
tremely low and in other places as
tonishingly high. Any attempt to
make an estimate of the average
value would be obviously unfair. By
selecting the richer rock now ex-,
posed to view, Mr. Bonsall says, the
property can be worked at an enor-
nous profit.
1t is easy enough to crush and con-
centrate the sandstone, accord
ing to Mr.. Bonsan. AS the rock is
not hard it crushes rapidly and as
the specific gravity of the platinum
is so much greater than that of the
gangue it settles rapidly to the bot
tom.
All the platinum now mined in the
world comes from placer ground.
About 95 per cent of the worlds
supply comes from the Ural noun
tains, in Russia. There dredges are
used to wash the metal from the
sand Of that stream and it's tribu
taries. Never before has platinum
been found in a solid foundation.
Platinum is now worth $48 an
ounce. 1t is in demand forjewelry,
for bottles to hold certain acids that
dissolve other metals, and for many
other purposes. The demand is far
greater than the supply and the
price is climbing steadily upward.
Cameron now has a few men at
work driving a tunnel into the plat
mum bearing sandstone. He has held
his claims a number of years as
placer ground Further down in the
canyon, along the bed of Slate creek
he owns some valuable gold claims
Mr.. Bonsal1 says that the current
idea that the canyon was created
entirely by the action of water is a
mistake. Millions of years ago, he
thinks, there was a volcanic action
that country that lifted
up the earth's surface and left a
great, yawning crack. Since then
water has scored out that crack till
the canyon is as it is seen today
FOR SALE-Two burros Enquire of
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