GOLD AND CHEMISTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 766, 12 September 1929, Page 1

GOLD AND CHEMISTRY

Claim Made By Scientists

REPORTER WATCHES PROCESS (Special to THE SUSJ CHRISTCHURCH, Today. GOLD was produced for a Sun reporter last evening at a demonstration of what is claimed to be the ehromadyne process. The gold was subsequently handed by The Sun to a jeweller who tested it and pronounced it genuine.

There Is good reason to believe that it was also produced yesterday for Dr. E. Marsden, secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Dr. Marsden arrived in Christchurch yesterday morning, spent practically the whole day in the company of the syndicate members at their laboratory, and left for the North again in the evening. The members of the syndicate stated last evening that last week the possibilities of giving a demonstration of the production of gold to the newspaper man and some scientific experts had been contemplated, but it had now been decided definitely that no such demonstration -would De given; certainly not until certain investigation now in progress has been finalised. It was in the redemption of a promise given to a Sun reporter, for personal reasons, that a private demonstration was given last evening. KEEPING IT SECRET The reporter then actually witnessed a slug of gold produced from a very small heap of chemicals. In explanation of the decision not to give any more demonstrations, the members of the syndicate state that they have sought no publicity. They preferred to keep the question a secret and held that the process was their own business in entirety. They would give- what demonstrations they chose when it was suitable to them. The demonstration given to The Sun reporter occupied at least an hour. Further tests were made before success was achieved. The chromadyne board was humming away with its load of energy and multicoloured lights blinked here and there. Mr. G. P. Aston, who claims to have discovered the new energy, chromadyne, and to be able to produce

gold, showed the reporter the stock of chemicals which he had mixed. Oxalic acid was the principal element, he said. The reporter handled this chemical, which looks like snow.

Mr. Ashton placed a big tablespoonful of the chemical on a tin tray, which served as an "earth,” on an asbestos-topped table. The reporter, placed goggles over his eyes, for the glare was extremely strong, and a cloth was placed over mouth and nostrils because of the fumes. Mr. Ashton then switched on the energy he has named ehromadyne. FLOOD OF LIGHT Pinkish and beautiful in profusion, the energy flowed from the carbon held by Mr. Ashton. An arc completed, the energy flowed through the crystal; there was a “run” in the little heap. The power was switched off and there was a piece of gold, molten and blackened with carbon. That is what happened last evening, but ten attempts had to be made. A fault in the arc, poor “earth,” or poor conductivity of the chemicals was blamed. Only a fraction of the heap of crystals is affebted by the heat and, once a trial has been made, the crystals are thrown out. The little pan is scraped clean. As The Sun reporter had no knowledge of the chemicals used, the possibility of "faulting” is not excluded. Though no statement was obtainable from Dr. Marsden or the syndicate regarding any experiment during the day, there is good reason to believe that the doctor examined the plant. If that is true, it would be safe to assume the following:— (1) That any demonstration given to him would be at least equal to that given to the reporter; (2) That any attempt to deceive such a critic by any such unscientific method as the faulting of the chemicals would lead itself to detection; (3) That Dr. Marsden would require a chemical analysis and the opportunities of investigating any point of a doubtful nature.