Evening star., 1952-07-18
Leust-Known u. S. Area
Held Rich in Uranium
Desert Region in Colorado
Could Be Source of Element
By Thomos R. Henry

Americas leaSt-known land, an area
as large as New England without roads
or water and essentially unexplored, NAV
be rich potential source of uranium.
1t Is the desert and mountain region
along the Colorado River, lying south
and west Of the old vanadium- mining
country of Western Colorado and Eastern
Utah. It is known to contain many miles
OF outcrop Of rocks with encouraging
possibilities Of containing the element
which is the basic material Of the atomic
bomb.
This Is stressed in a report of the
Joint Committee on Atomic Energy to
Congress.
Fraction of Total Output.
Chief source of uranium in the United
States. the report says. has been up 10
the present the vanadium- mining region
of the Colorado Plateau
Still. the report says, uranium out
put Of the United States remains
traction of the total output of the free
world and likewise fraction of our
total national demands. It is likely to
remain true for number of years that,
because OF inadequate domestic proiuc-
tlon, any Stoppage Of the flow of ore
from overseas would expose the conti-
nulty OF operation Of some of our ma
tlonal atomic energy production plants
to the most serious threat"
Actually. the report stresses. Amer
lean production Of adequate uranium
depends largely on what it is willing
TO spend on exploration and develop
ment OF relatively low grade ore. Still
almost untapped are the possibilities of
obtaining relatively large stores of
uranium as by-product of the Florida
phosphate fertilizer industry. 1t also
has been demonstrated that uranium
IN small amounts is found in shale de-
poslts OF Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
There are sound methods already avail
able, the committee has been informed.
to get uranium out Of the phosphate
deposits.
One in 1000 Is U 235.
Little effort has been devoted to date
on the Cinderella sister of the fashionable
elements, uranium 233.
About one atom in a thousand of
uranium is 235, the only naturally
fashionable element. With this as start
ing material, however, the synthetic fis-
sionable element plutonium can be pro-
duced from ordinary uranium.
233 is different. It is produced
from an entirely different radioactive
element, thorium, of which considerable
supplies may be located in this country.
Actually, the committee stresses. there
need be no uranium bottleneck in the
United States If it is considered impor-
tant enough to pay the price.
The greatest depth yet recorded on
earth has just been reported by the
British exploring ship Challenger. now
on her way back to England after a
cruise Of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
1t Is $3.50 feet at one place in the
deep trough between Guam and Yap.
The previous record was 34,440 feet
found in the great Philippine deep in
1914 by Scripps Institution of Ocean
ography expedition.
The new depth now has been accepted
by the U. S. Navy photographic Office.
1t was determined with the most accu-
rate depth-recordnig devices now known
to science. This depth below sea level
is compared with the greatest altitude
above sea level, Mt. Everest. This is
29,002 feet.
DainSn EApeulClOn REPORT.
Depths approaching that reported by
the Challenger were recorded a few
months ago by Danish deep-sea exc
ploring expedition. which was accom-
panied by Scripps Institution oceanog-
raphers. In connection with its prob
ing to such great depths the Danish ex-
pedition discovered one fantastic fact
which may have important implications.
A completely inclosed glass ball was
lowered to the bottom of the sea- When
1T was pulled up it was found with the
glass unbroken, filled with water. The
water was fresh and, supposedly, potable.
Apparently under the great pressures
which exist at six or seven miles below
the sea surface water is pushed through
glass as through filter and the salt is
filtered out in the process.