Bisbee daily review., 1915-08-03
.RADIUM NOW BEING
 PRODUCED AT COST
 OF S36,O5O A GRAM
Colorado Carnotite Ores Are Treated on Successful Manu- featuring Basis By Experts From Bureau of Mines.

nounced today that the production of radium from Colorado carnotite ores by the Bureau of Mines, in connection with the National Radium Institute, has passed the experimental stage in it's new process and is now on a sue cessful basis. He also declared that the statements made to Congress con- corning the ability Of the Bureau of Mines to produce radium at a greatly decreased cost over other processes had actually been accomplished and that the costs were even less than predicted
 "The cost of one gram of radium metal produced in the form of bromide during March, April and May of the present year was $36,O5O. l am in- formed by Dr. Charles l.. Parsons, in | charge of the radium investigations of l the bureau This includes the cost of ore, insurance, repairs, amortization allowance for plant and equipment cost of Bureau of Mines cooperation and all expenses incident to the pro- duction of high grade radium bromide. When you consider that radium has been selling for S120,OOO and $16O,OOO gram. you will see just what the Bureau of Mines has accomplished l along these lines
 "The cost of producing radium in the small experimental plant during the first few months of the Bureaus activities was somewhat higher but not enough to seriously effect the final average.
 "The public, however, should not in- fer that this low cost of production necessarily means an immediate drop in the selling price of radium. The National Radium Institute was fortu- nate in securing through the Crucible Steel Company the right to mine ten claims of carnotite ores belonging to them and this was practically the only ore available at the time Since then new deposits have been opened but these are closely held and according to the best judgement of tho experts employed by the Bureau of Mines, the Colorado and Utah fields. which are much richer in radium bearing ores than any others known, will supply ore for a few years only at the rate Of production that obtained when the European war closed down the mines.
 "The demand for radium will also in- crease rapidly, for the two or three surgeons who have a sufficient amount 1f this element to enutle them to speak from experience, are obtaining results in the cure of cancer that are l Increasingly encouraging as their knowledge of its application improves. A few more reports like that present. | ed to the American Medical Associa- | ton at it's recent San Francisco meet | .ng and the medical profession as a | whole will be convinced of its efficacy | Under all the circumstances that have come to my knowledge it does seem ! Co me that it behooyes the Govern ment Co make some arrangement whereby these deposits, so unique in their extent and their richness, may be conserved in the truest sense for our people, by extracting the radium from the ores where it now lies use less and putting it to work for the eradication of cancer in the hospitals of the army and navy and the Public Health Service.
 The ten carnotite claims being op- erated at Lonk Park, Colorado. by the National Radium Institute have alrea- dy produced over 796 tons of ore aver aging above two percent uranium OK. ide The cost of ore delivered at the radium plant in Denver has averaged S8l30 per ton. This included 15 per cent royalty, salary of Bureau of Mines employees amortization of camp and equipment and all expenses incl dent to the mining transportation, grinding and sampling of ore
 "A concentrating plant for low
 grade ores has been erected at the mines and is successfully recovering
 material formerly wasted Grinding
 and sampliug machinery has been in-
 stalled at Denver and a radium extrac.
 tion plant erected in the same city
 The radium has now a capacity of
 three tons of ore per day. having
 been more than doubled in size since
 last February Before that time the
 plant had been run more or less on
 an experimental scale, although regu ! larly producing radium since June 1914 To July l, slightly over three
 grams of radium metal had been ob
 tained in the form of radium bariuu
 sulphates The conversion of the sul | phates into chlorides and the puridca q tion of the radium therefrom is easily
 accomplished and with very smal | loss of material Unfortunately, how l ever. special acid proof enamel ware
 obtainabe only in France has no
 been delivered of sufficient capacit, J Co handle the specialization of the ful y plant production, SO that a little les than half the output, or to be exact
 1904 miihgrams of radium elemen l have heen delivered to the two hospi
 tals connected with the National Ra fl dium Institute Tho radium remain
 ing can be crystalized at any tim l from neutral solution in apparatus a a ready installed but the greater rapid h ty and efficiency of production of thi
 very calhable material by the metl d sl.