SCIENTIFIC INVENTION.

Western Star, 10 February 1922, Page 4

SCIENTIFIC INVENTION.

10 2 COATS MINERAL DEPOSITS

Mr E. F. Cone contributes to tho ‘ Scientific American ’ a remarkable article, in which he describes an instrument invented by a German scientist for the location of minerals which 'bids fair to revolutionise mineral prospectiug. The writer says : “In December of last year Mr Herman A. Tlolz, of New York, gave the preliminary details of a new. German invention, which was described as the old divining, rod rendered efficient for the detection of minerals, metalis, and even crude oil. Mr llolz, a dealer of the highest standard in scientific instruments, of precision stated that woifderful progress had been made in Europe in the lastdour or five yeans in the utilisation of atomic forces; that processes and practical means had been developed to 1 a high scale of perfection for definitely locating solid liquid and gaseous deposits in the earth without boring or prospecting, andl even for accurately determining the position, depth, width, and thickness of each deposit, and for differentiating between the various minerals forming the depoisit.” —Testing the Invention.— The invention has been developed by a Gorman engineer of high standing, who for many years ,was Chief engineer of a prominent boring and drilling company. Air ,Hol/. personally visited Germany a year ago to investigate and study the invention and tho testis to which it had 'been subjected. He himself located with the apparatus' an extensive lead-zinc-silver field in Germany, and thoroughly checked all phases of the device.

The principle on which the new instrument is designed is described! by Mr liolz as follows:—All materials of* mineral origin seem to give off certain emanations different for each element. The difference probably .lies in the speed of the electrons given off, and hais some., certain relation to the atomic weight of the elements. These variations, carefully studied bv tho inventor, permit him to differentiate clearly between the various materials forming a deposit by synchronisation of the apparatus to the waves of different form. Thus, if the apparatus is adjusted for lead, if is actuated only by .lentil; if set for oil it ifl acted upon only 'by oil. The apparatus can be adjusted for practically all useful minerals found in the earth, such as all ores, salts, coal, isulphur, asbestos, oil, neutral gas, etc. There are several very remarkable features of this process remarkable of course, only because iso very little is known about- the —Atomic Forces Utilised. —

Air Holz says: “The strength <f atomic forces which act on the apparatus is often surprisingly large. Me seqm to possess not the slightest idea of the magnitude of some of the forces which have not yet been explored in this country. I feel certain that systematic research work along these lines would clear up some of the great mysteries with .which wc ere still confronted —the mysteries of electricity, of magnetism, of life. I have reasons to believe that tho divining rod, used for over a thousand years, and iu some cases undoubtedly with success, is acted upon by- a few of tho rays which are utilised completely ami systematically in the-nighly-developed apparatus.” Since the announcement of this remarkable invention developments have been rapid and startling. Through the efforts of Air Holz and liis acquaintance with the invontor, as well as because of hiu standing among scientific men, arrangements were made with influential interests in New A'ork for the coming to this country of the ■ inventor for the purpose *of thoroughly demonstrating and testing, the apparatus. Accordingly, " early this year the inventor, Philip Scherumly, of Frankfurt am .Main, German}', arrived in tile 1 liitoil States, and, under the direction of one or two skilled milling engineers, ,<ct about liis work of proving the claims made for liis new device or practical diviniim rod. —Successful TCsts pn America.—

The first test was made among the iron ore fields of the Lake Superior region. ' Here through icc -.and! snow several feet thick tho “ polanbator,” as the new invention is called, located new ore fields. Tho next trial wars in the Pittsburgh district, where new pockets of natural gas were looked for. There also, it its reported, the explorations were 100 per cent, satisfactory. The last trial was in the oil fields of the southern part of the country.. There also, it is claimed, a 100 per cent, record: wan made in the location of new oil pockets or fields. ’

The definite result of these trials was the incorporation of a new company to use exclusively in tho United States the now instrument, and the

payment A ( > the inventor of a large isuni for the con cession. John Hay Hammond, the well-known American gngineer, is one of tho most interested men in this movement. The new company is stated not to he a commercial proposition, but will be engaged in research and geological studies.

The large economic value of tbits invention is self-evident. If the of its promoters are realised it will revolutionise mining methods and reduce the speculative phase of prospecting to a minimum. It .shpnld be added that ip the operation of tho new invention cartridges of the material sntiubt are placed iu the device: the mechanism then synchronises the emhnations exchanges reciprocally, and locates ihe definite confines of the material in the earth.