RADIUM IN AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 233, 7 February 1911, Page 8

RADIUM IN AUSTRALIA

THE LAKE FROME DISCOVERY. Sydney, January 10. Something has already been heard of the discovery by Mr. Douglas Mawson a few wepks aero of a deposit of radium in Australia. Further information on the subject, obtained from Mr. Mawson himself, cannot fail to be acceptable. Seen this morning, Dr. Mawson explained that the discovery was made early in November last, when a piece of radium-bearing ore was brought into the Adelaide Museum under the impression that it was another mineral, of no commercial value. The specimen, liowever, came under the notice of Dr. Mawson, who is honorary mineralogist there. Previously it was known that in the locality from which the ore came there were other minerals of scientific interest, and it was therefore deemed worth while to arrange for a proper investigation. The South Australian Premier supplied Dr. Mawson with the wherewithal to undertake the task. The necessary equipment was provided, and Dr. Mawson, accompanied by three experienced prospectors, proceeded from Adelaide to Farina, a two days' journey by rail. Here camels and horses were found awaiting them, as arranged, and by this- means of transport the rest of the journey was accomplished. The actual spot wnere the radium-bearing ore was founu was some distance from Lake Frome, in a northwesterly direction.

An examination of tlie vicinity convinced Dr. Mawson that the age of the rocks was pre-Cambrian. He and his assistants investigated thoroughly the al-ready-known occurrences of interesting minerals, and in addition made some new discoveries. The radium lode, Dr. Mawson considers, is the most important, because of its great commercial and scientific value. The outcrop of the reef extends for three miles, forming a high ridge 1000 ft above the adjoining valley. It consists of manganiferous ironstone for the most part, associated with which are large quantities of fluorspar and barytes. The mineral which constitutes the ore of radium is chiclly torbcrnite (a copper uranium phosphate), a mineral winch has been reported only once previously m Australia, and this was but m one specimen from the Carcoar cobalt mine, in New South Wales. Recent investigation, however, lias failed to reveal the presence of any more of the mineral m the Carcoar district. Further mineral samples found by Dr. Mawson at Mount iimter were sapphire and monazite, the latter a rare substance, from which the I oest quality of incandescent gas mantles are made. '

Dr. Mawson states that a firm in Adelaide has taken the matter up au d formed a small prospecting company, which already has commenced operations. Accordingto latest reports the radium value of the reef is rapidly increasing as the sinking proceeds. It is the intention of the company to erect works at Port line, at which the ore will be treated. A statement was recently published in the press, and attributed to Dr. Mawaon, to the effect that a ring had been formed with a view of keeping up the price of radium. That statement, Dr. Mawson explains, is hardly accurate. As a matter of fact, tliere are British, French, (lermnn, Swedish, Xonvegian and Australian companies already formed to deal ; with raduun-ore deposits, but so far as Dr. Mawson knows tnere is no combination among, these with the object of I making a corner in the mineral.