Year: 1870

Startling Scientific Discovery-A Dilemma for


NietaIiurgists-Tin Claimed to be n Compound


Metal.


Extraordinary is the recent development on the
subject Of Missouri tin, and the whole history of the
development forms one Of the remarkable pages in
the records of science Professor Forrest Shepherd,
an experienced geologist and metalurgist, declares
his belief that the long established and heretofore
universally accepted teaching that tin is a simple
metal is an error, and that it is compound.


The following is Professor Shepherds letter.


ST. LOUIS, Sept. 20, 1s7O-Editors Missouri Demo-
crat:-In your issue of the 23d find challenge
from the select committee appointed to visit the lin
Mountain in Madison county, Mo- Said committee
mistook me In assuming that was indqlglng iu
formed in regard to the tin mines there located. l
stand by my avowal in all sincerity and justify the
the light of truth, which will never lead astray The
facts so clearly set forth in the experiments made
under the eye OF the said committee compel me to
dismiss myformer doubts and to rejoice with the
said gentlemen in the results obtained


was the better prepared for this result by the eX-
pertinent made by my highly esteemed friend the
Rev. Dr. Peabody, who went into the said tin mine,
took from the lode specimen with his own hand,
calciI ed il, beat it in mortar, washed, and SUBJ
jected it to heat in a crucible with borax, baking
soda, and pounded bottle glass This was done in
presence OF Messrs. William f.. Guy and Mr.. Tyler,
and the result was five per cent. or upwards of as
beautiful metallic tin as l ever saw iow from the


Here then comes the mystery. How is it?


The more reflect upon it the more disposed am
simple element In the first place all, or nearly all
the s0norous metals, such as the Chinese gong bell
metal, etc., are Alloys I1n mas a cracking noise
when bent or bitten, which would not likely be the
were 1t uniform In its density Tin alloyed with
palladium causes the density to diminish. The same
with tin and antimony. The same happens with iron
and antmony, iron and bismuth. The silvery-look-
ing metal lithium is likely to be present in the ore
of the great tin lode. This metal is nearly as light
as cork and fuses at $50 degrees Aluminium is also
present, bright metal with blush tnge 1t is about
as light as pine wood. Now, suppose either or both
united with palladium, bismuth, or antimony, might
they not so affect the crystazation as to give a
cracking noise like tin? .'


nr rtZ hQa nj ci and
surprising properties OF aluminium with sodium.
Why may not similar influence come into play in
the production of tin? Copper ore mixed with zinc
ore at first produced brass, supposed to be simple
element. The zinc ore at Andeira in the time of
Plny yielded silver supposed to be rea until 1t yola
tiZed, and then was called false silver Oxygen
has been considered simple element, but oxygen
electrified becomes ozone, and IN like manner pal
ladium aluminium, and mercury in different states
Of electricity exhibits different results


But how about iuorine? What has it to do with
tin? Let us see. In the mines Of Cornwall iuorine
is frequently present (or fuoride of calcum) and in


its vicinity the CRYSTALS OF fedspar gradually disap
pear from the rock and oxide OF tin walks In and
takes its place. have one crystal part tin and part
feldspar Now what is the fact about fiuorine :?
Why, the tin mountain has pushed its way up
through the surrounding magnetism limestone,
which have found to be surcharged with all the


AS meteoric iron is found to be supersaturated
with hydrogen gas, the lghtest OF all elements why
ask, may not nuortne from beneath cause the
vapor OF tin whether compound or not, no matter)
to ascend and saturate this great tin lode well
as TO surcharge the surrounding limestone?
This is my way OF accounting for it. Whether the
the facts ndisputable: THE tin is obtained (which
is suficient) just as the late Mr. Charles Gregoire
lof precious memory obtained nickel and cobalt
from the ores of Mine La Motto, when the best
chemists OF Philadelphia were unable to obtain
either In appreciabe quantity.


FORREST SHEPHERD, Geologist, etc,