386 



SCIENCE 



[N". S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1002 



The Bureau of Mines has determined that 

 earnotite carries about 90 per cent, or even a 

 little more of the theoretical quantity of ra- 

 dium in equilibrium with uranium, which, ac- 

 cording to Rutherford ("Eadioactive sub- 

 stances and their radiations," p. 16), is equal 

 to about 1 gram in 3,000 kilograms of ura- 

 nium. Assuming that 90 per cent, of the 

 radium is recoverable, this would give 16.40 

 grams of hydrous radium bromide, worth, 

 about $120 a milligram of metallic radium, 

 about $1,055,000. The total value of the ear- 

 notite ores sold was about $142,000, which 

 represents the uranium value only, as little 

 was paid for the vanadium content and the 

 figures for these receipts are not yet in hand. 

 The production of the year was the largest 

 ever made, according to the Geological Sur- 

 vey figures, that for 1912 being equivalent to 

 26 short tons of uranium oxide (22 tons of the 

 Snetal), and that for 1911 being equivalent to 

 25 tons of uranium oxide (21.2 tons of the 

 inetal) — an increase of nearly 50 per cent, for 

 1913. 



Of the quantity produced, apparently 19.25 

 tons of uranium oxide, containing the equiva- 

 lent of 8.3 grams of hydrous radium bromide, 

 was shipped to Europe, and 18.75 tons, con- 

 taining the equivalent of 8.1 grams of hy- 

 drous radium bromide, was retained in this 

 country, although in tonnage the quantity re- 

 tained in this country, 1,198 tons, was larger 

 than that shipped to Europe, which was ap- 

 parently 942 tons. One of the principal pro- 

 ducers for foreign trade did little work for 

 more than half a year, owing, it is reported, 

 to the fact that its factory in Liverpool had 

 not been completed. Had the factory come 

 into operation sooner the exports would have 

 been considerably larger. 



A prominent feature of uranium and vana- 

 dium production during the year was the 

 change in method of payment by American 

 buyers, who no longer paid for the vanadium 

 content in the ore but bought it on the basis 

 of the uranium oxide content alone, though 

 they received payment for the vanadium 



abroad. However, the miner received more or 

 less compensation in a higher price for the 

 uranium oxide he sold. Prices varied greatly 

 and returns to the Survey show that the price 

 per pound for contained uranium oxide ranged 

 from $1 for ores carrying 0.6 per cent, ura- 

 nium oxide to $4.60 for one lot carrying 3.15 

 per cent, uranium oxide and 4.82 per cent, 

 vanadium oxide. 



The demand for earnotite at increasing 

 prices caused a large amount of prospecting, 

 and the carnotite-bearing area was shown to 

 extend from the Paradox country westward 

 into the Dry Valley region of Utah, lying be- 

 tween Monticello and the La Sal Mountains. 

 Farther west and south deposits of earnotite 

 were found on Crescent and Trachjrte creeks, 

 in the Henry Mountains, and also southwest 

 of the mountains. 



During the fall a geologic reconnaissance 

 of the uranium and vanadium deposits of 

 Utah was made by Prank L. Hess and B. S. 

 Butler, of the United States Geological Sur- 

 vey. They covered the territory lying between 

 the Wyoming line and the south side of the 

 Henry Mountains, and east of the San Eafael 

 Swell. The deposits, as shown by the out- 

 crops, are nearly all in small pockets, part of 

 which are comparatively rich. All the newly 

 found localities are far from railroad and the 

 hope for commercial production from them 

 lies in concentration on the ground by some 

 cheap process, and many experiments are be- 

 ing carried on to develop such a process. 

 Toward the end of the year steps were taken 

 for the erection of a concentration plant in 

 Dry Valley, 15 miles north of Montioello. A 

 plant was put up on Mesa Creek, Colo., and 

 another was said to be in course of erection 

 in the Gateway district. A preliminary re- 

 port on the uranium and vanadium deposits of 

 Utah will probably be issued during the 

 spring. 



The Standard Chemical Company actively 

 produced radium at its plant at Canonsburg, 

 Pa., and the Radium Company of America 

 established a plant and did preliminary work 

 at Sellersville, Pa. 



