The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-07-01
INTERESTING STRIKE
OF STRONT|UM ORE

Information concerning the recent
discovery of strontium seven miles
south of Goldfeld, was received last
Saturday by G.. L. Diffenbaugh from
Director George Otis Smith of the
United States Geological Survey,
Washington, DC. letter from Di-
rector Smith to Congressman c. r.
Evans, expressing much interest in
the discovery, is printed in the Gold
field Tribune:
The Geological Survey is interested
to learn of Mr.. Diffenbaugh's deposit
of strontianits and to keep in touch
with the development and exploita-
tion of the same, and will appreciate
it If he will send to this office several
good samples of the mineral and of
the associated country rock for study
and record.
Records received from the depart
ment show that strontium, in very
small deposits. has been discovered in
California, Utah. Arizona and Wash
ington; hence Goldfield can rightly
claim, for her district, the distinction
OF the first discovery, of record. OF
this rare and unusual mineral in Ne.
vada.
A bulletin published by the United
States Geological Survey says: "In
view of the fact that 1915 saw the
birth of new and what may prove
to be an important domestic chemical
industry. it would seem advisable to
take stock of our domestic sources
of the raw material essential to this
industry.
There are only two minerals cor
tanning strontium that are CONNER
cially important as raw materials il
the manufacture of strontium salts
and that can be called strontium ores
these are celestite, the sulphate, and
strontianits. the carbonate. The car
Donate is the most valuable ore OF
strontium. because it is soluble in
weak acid and can be easily CON
verted into the various salts; but
unfortunately. it is relatively rare
mineral, not generally found in bodies
of commercial size
Surface indications on the Diffen-
baugh discovery point to an unusually
large deposit. Great groupings COW
ering an area 5000 feet in length and
1900 feet wide are seen. Unmistak-
able tests have proven the ore to be
the much-sought carbonate, stron-
tianite.
Quoting further from the same bull |
letin: From the best information
available to the United States Geo
logical Survey it would seem that ap-
proximately 4O35 short tons of stron-
tium ore. valued at about $S7,700, of
which about 10 per cent was stron-
tianite. strontium carbonate) and the
remainder celestite (strontium sui
phate), were mined in the United
States during 1917. Domestic stron-
tium ores were used by makers of
strontium chemicals to a considerable
extent during 1917. Prior to 1916
most of the salts mined in this coun-
try were products of imported celes-
tite
Detailed notes on known occur
rences of strontium ores in the United
States were given in the report for
1916. Apparently few new CONNER
cial localities have BEEN found.
Difficulties of transportation con-
tinue to hinder the development Of
some deposits of celestite that appear
10 be of promise"
The magnitude of the deposit, the
superior grade of ore and the close
proximity to transportation. with an
excellent truck road at hand, are
looked upon as features making the
Diffenbaugh discovery one of great