Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-25
GOLD IN SEA MUD is
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25:-A new
gold discovery which may have two
important and intensely interesting
results is reported from far off ST.
IBERIA. First, this discovery may
bring to Russia a gold resource which
will enable her 10 rehabilitate her
currency by placing a metal reserve
behind the Enthusiastically deprecated
ruble, and, second, it may result in
the establishment Of a new industry,
the dredging of submarine gold, for
the newly discovered deposit lies in
the muddy floor of the Arctic Sea.
The story of the discovery is as
dramatic as the story of the discov-
cry of gold in Suffers Mill in Cali
fornia. 1t was the latter find which
started the famous gold rush to CAL
ifornia and had an important in
huence not only on the development
of the United States but on the gold
and monetary situation of the world.
The little island of Askold lies on
the edge ct the Arctic Sea, not far
from where the coast of Siberia joins
the coast of Korea. 1t appears that
Korean fisherman who had dropped
a basket-like net into the sea, got
1t fouled in the mud and drew 1t
out of the water to empty the mud
and clean 1t SO he could renew his
fishing. After cleaning out the mud
by washing water yer it, the fisher
man noticed yellow grains at the
bottom of the basket. Leaving off
fishing, he brought up more mud and
washed it in this way. The story
of his experience spread and soon
other fishermen began fishing for
old TLn ,aYfTFffvr Lpas,ohf fhn mai
ter to the attention of the govern
mental authorities at Vladivostock
who investigated and found that the
yellow grains were actually pure
gold.
Assayers have made expert analy-
SEES of the deposits of mud with the
finding that the mud at this part of
the ocean floor yields 3949 grains
of gold, or 1894 carats from every
lot of 1903 pounds OF mud. This is a
rich return.
The gold of California was found
in somewhat similar manner in the
little streams at Suffers Mill and
placer mining in the California
streams produced a great deal OF
gold, although operations extended
to underground mining as we'll.
The Russian government at Nlad-
ivostockshas sent a special commits
sion to study the situation at As
kold Island with the result that plans
are now under way for exploiting the
deposit on an extensive scale. A
concession has been granted for
working the deposits. The govern
ment Wall share in the advantages Of
the production. Representatives of
the concession now are in Hardin
making arrangements for financing
a ~pretentious undertaking.
To Use United States Machinery.
It is planned to bring specially
made machinery from the United
States. The machinery probably
will be akin to the dredges which
are used for widening and deepen
ing the channels of streams to make
them more navigable. There are
two general types. One is the steam
shovel which dips up the mud and
carries it to a barge. A more mod
ern type is a suction machine. a
nozzle is thrust down into the mud
and a suction created by the use Of
compressed air. This sucks the
mud up through a pipe and 1t is car
ried where it is wanted. Such
machine probably will be employed
the mud coming from the oceaI
bottom being run through a washing
machine which will remove every
thing except the gold which will b'
deposited where it can be gathered
up.
Biologists who have studied tn
situation have expressed the view
that by dredging deeper much rich
er deposits Of gold will be found
Gold is one of the heaviest of metals
1t is believed that relatively littl'
, would be found in the mud On tn
surface of the ocean floor becaus
Its weight would cause it to worl
down, while the earth washed Il
from the land would tend to v i
up with new earth.
It is also believed that the islam
of Askold and possibly the mainlan,
of Siberia may contain rich deposit
of gold. Doubtless elaborate sur
veys and searches will be made.
Biologists and students OF tn
ocean have long known that the dee
sea contains a great quantity. Col
Is gradually washed down into tn
sea from the many rivers Of tn
world. 1t does not wash rapidly be
cause Of its weight, but in times {
high water and freshets when tn
torrents rush with mighty force, sui
lstantial masses Of earth and roc