White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-10-17
MINE TREASURES
IN U. S. HANDS
Possession Of Sandman Fields
a Source Of Worry to Some
italians.
EXPLOITATION DIRECTED TO

opment-Mvch Sought Mineral,
Wolfram, Base Of Tungsten, 10
Found in Large ouantitiss-Land
Once Thought Il Be Absolute Waste.
Cries of alarm have been raised by
some Italian writer's on account Of
what they call the American exploita-
ton of the island of Sardinia. Al
though French, Belgian and English
companies have for many years held
concessions for the iron, alum n lead
mines, no fear was felt, but at the
very thought of American capitalists
obtaining equal rights they are indig-
nant. The reason for this Is that the
Americans have obtained possession
of lands ON which the much-sought
mineral, wolfram. abounds In great
quantity.
From this wolfram 1t Will be posi-
BILE to obtain tungsten. the metallic
chemical element which Is so neces-
sary, not only for the manufacture Of
hard steel implements, but also for the
making Of electric light bulbs. 1t has
a special quality by which the pow.
dered metal burns at a red heat and
is very slowly attacked by moist air.
No one knew that tungsten was to be
found in Sardinia, ever the italian ex-
perts, who have been importing Il
from abroad. In the future 1t will be
found nearer ut home. With this won.
A--k.I w--. III hn wrnr.nRafInnN
tungsten dioxide, trioxide tunstic acid.
as well as the very necessary tung<
state salts, so essential In the modern
process for calico printing and dyeing.
can be obtained from the tungsten
from Sardinia.
Owing to this discovery by an Amer
lean the Italians feel that they have
lost any chance they eve had of OBJ
tanning this necessary metal for their
own use, as, they reason, the output
of the mines Will 90 TO America.
Discovery Accidental.
The discovery of these mines of VOL
fran and moligdene was purely acci-
dental. During the last year Of war
and after the armistice the American
Red Cross extended its work OF start
Ing soup kitchens and work rooms.
and many Of these were opened In Sar-
DINA, not only In the towns, but In
eut-of-the-way places. One depot was
opened at a little place called Bene de
Padru, which lies on the east coast,
where, apart from mountain walks.
there IL very little In the way OF
amusement.
1t happened that the officer In
charge, when his work OF inspecting
the various depots was over, spent his
time roaming over the hills and seeing
ire sights Of that lonely coast. As he
kDew something about geology, he
would take with him specimens from
the different rocky districts, which at
his leisure he would examine. To his
surprise he came across traces Of vol.
fran and ~moligdene, two minerals
which are very much sought after n
which hitherto have been found In dis
tricts of which Sardinia was never con.
sidered one.
Tungsten Is really a recent dlscov-
cry, of 20 years ago., when s~teelmaking
was revolutionized by the experiments
of Mushet, who first obtained a self
hardened steel by the addition of 7I9
per cent of tungsten TO the carbon n
a temperature of 600 G. Later proc
esses increased this amount TO 20 per
cent.
To an American geologist this dis
coyery was glad news ndeed when
an effort was made TO buy the land on
which these mines were TO be found no
objection was made by the owner. who
no to that time thought II an absolute
waste. as IL could not be used for any
agricultural purpose. Whether the
company has obtained also the conces-
sion to work the mine Is not known,
but Il IL believed that the government
will be only too glad to grant 1t.
There Is absolutely no reason why
American mine owners should not OBJ
tain concessions as well as those OF
other nations.
S~ardinians Little Known.
The real truth about Sardinia Is that
the people on the mainland have Il
very vague idea about the inhabitants
there, except that they are cheesemak-
ers and wear very picturesque clothes.
Italian 6nanciers have always fought
shy of investing their money In the Is
land, or In any way trying to improve
It's industries. For n reason, IL has a
bad name on account OF Its malaria
which is so virulent in some places
that the mortality from II is higher
than anywhere on the mainland. The
mines are very numerous, but owners
have found It difficult to find miners
who would risk the climate.
In Cagliari 14,1SS miners were EN-
ployed In the sulphur and lead mines
Owing to the rumor Of the wonderful
minerals and ores to be found. Sardin
ia is now the happy hunting ground o.
p%rospectors of all sorts, who hope Il
pick up bargains. They have arrived
too late, as now the island Is ratheI
shy of selling anything except at