Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-26
TOPAZ WEIGHING FIVE
POUNDS BROUGHT TO US,
Stone Reported to Be Re-
markably Clear When
Size Considered.
WAS FOUND IN nRAzIL
Scientific Expedition Finds Much of
Interest to World mt Large on Re-
cent Journey to South American
Country.
tBy Associated Press.l


CHICAGO. Dec. "a topaz
weighing Ave pounds, remarkable
not only for It's size. but for It's clear
ress. liz among the specimens brought
back TO Chicago by DR.. oliver G.
Harrington, curator OF the department
OF geology OF Field Museum. who has
just returned from m expedition TO
Brazil.
The expedition travelled 1000 miles
through the diamond. gold and pre-
cious stone fields Of tho South Amer
lean republic. covering moro than
900 miles through tho mountains OF
tho state or Minas Gerais on mule
hack.
The specimens obtained include
gold. diamonds. aquamarincs. beryls,
cmeraids and topazcs, besides n num-
her OF minerals of the rare earths.
Among the specimens DR.. Harrington
believes ne has one or two minerals
hitherto unknown 10 science.
The big fvc-pound topaz Is one OF
large number OF enormous semi
precious stones obtained by the
scientists. but in point OF size is an
infant compared to twentysix-
pound topaz which they saw at one
OF the mines. The giant stone was
valued at abou, s75 n pound. Cut up
and polished first grade topaz is
worth from 81 to $40 a carat.
Visit Diamond Mines.
Diamond mines were visited in the
region OF D!amaut!na. 500 miles north
or RIO. in the center or a vast dia-
mond bearing area. The stones can
he successfully mined only in the
ncighborhood Of water for washing
tho course earth away. The dia-
monds are found In beds totally DIFF
tcrcnt from those In South Africa,
tho matrix being "A Guartzitc com
posed OF sands washed from older
lands.
The semi precious stones in the
state Of Minas GcraIs are found in
coarse granite or p.rmatitcs so de-
composed that the gems can be mined
with ii shovel.
The expedition visited the Moro
V"iho gold mine. which is the deep
cst mining shaft on earth. Its low
os, level is 1000 feet below the sur
face At this great depth tn. tenn
pcraturc of the rock IS IL degrees
Fahrenheit making il necessary TO
maintain an elaborate refrigeration
plant on the surface 10 force cold
air down 10 the miners The deeper
the shaft goes. however. the richer
the ore found. so TIA. additional cost
OF mining is more than Offset by the
returns.
Iron Orc Common.
Iron orc OF the finest quality Tor
steel manufacture is 50 common in
This district. according to DR. Far
ringtou. that his party rode for day
after day o"or mountains. valleys
and plains OF solid iron deposits.
uahlc ores were also found ia abuud-
nnec.
Tn" Brazilians Of the Interior were
almost uniformly friendly. and wil!-
ug 10 give every assistance to the
scientists. DR.. Harrington reported.
except In on" town where he was
nearly montcd when a rumor spread
that hc intended TO buy q gold mine
which WAS to be sold ~ auction.
Tn" natives objected to Il foreigner
obtaining the mine and spent most
at the might in a demonstration In
front OF the house where he was
staying. shooting. exploding dyna-
mite CARTRIDGES, singing ana shout
ing dorisiVcly.
American automobiles. ,ypewrit-
crs. sewing machines and other me-
chauical appliances were very COM
mon in the Interior. however. and
American movies cujo? almost a
monopoly. h" said. Even the remote
villages have their cinema theatres
where the American screen favorites
are shown. Wild West films were
the most popular