The finding of Helium and "Thors Gruve"
The
Scottish chemist William Ramsay together
with his colleague Rayleigh in late 1894 in London for the first time
isolated
the noble gas argon from air, after having found that nitrogen derived
from
magnesium nitride had a density a fraction lighter than nitrogen
isolated from
the air. The chemists assumed the difference was caused by an unknown
substance, and also were led in their work by empty spaces in
Mendeleevs
periodic table of the elements at that time still waiting for to be
populated.
The
finding of argon caused much curiosity in
the public because of the new elements unwillingness to react with
other
substances, despite exposure to hot oxidation and other harsh
treatment.Ramsay
continued his exploration and in early
1895 his attention was drawn to reports from the US chemist Willebrand
who had
isolated what Willebrand believed to be nitrogen from different uranium
containing minerals collected both in USA and Norway. Ramsay suspected
argon
could be found and reproduced Willebrands experiments by dissolving a
sample of
the uranium mineral cleveite in a weak acid and collected the gas given
off.
When he 24th of March analysed the gas by spectroscope Ramsay, as he
had hoped
for, found the spectra of argon, but to his big surprise also “a
magnificent
yellow line, brilliantly bright, not coincident with but very close to
the
sodium yellow line”. The wavelength of the spectrograph line was nearly
instantaneous found to be exactly the same as the wavelength of a line
called
“Helium” in the suns spectrum described by the astronomer Lockyer under
an
expedition to India in 1868 where Lockyer observed a total eclipse of
the sun.
Ramsay
published these findings a few days
later, at a meeting at The Chemical Society in London 27th of March,
and again
news of another terrestrial chemical element found spread with
telegraphic
speed over the world.Two
days before the meeting at The Chemical
Society Ramsay writes a letter to Professor Clarke at the US geological
Survey
in Washington, the institution where Hillebrand works. He describes his
finding
of helium and asks for samples of the minerals from where Hillebrand
had
obtained the assumed nitrogen. 4th of
April Hillebrand reply telling that
people in the US after telegraphic reports in papers already is aware
of the
news about terrestrial helium, and he sends Ramsay remnants of his
mineral
samples from one Ramsay later also isolate helium. In the following
correspondence with Hillebrand Ramsay 21st of April explain:” The gases
evolved
from the cleveite of Norwegian origin which I obtained from a London
mineralogist consist of a mixture of hydrogen, argon, and helium”.
In Norway Mauritz Kartevold almost simultaneously 23rd of April 1895 meet up at the local police office in the district of Vats, Ryfylke, 35 kilometres into the mountains of the Southwest coast of Norway, claiming rights after finding cleveite in an abandoned open mica mine. As the first and sole finder he by law is obliged to 90% of a yield, the landowner to 10%. Mr. Kartevold is a multitalented man, until now a trained watchmaker, two times mayor of his home town Sandnæs 60 km. to the South, founder of Sandnæs library, preacher of Unitarian philosophy with ingredients from a multitude of religions, exhibitioner of a “world clock” at the world fair in Chicago 1893 and many years earlier together with a friend finder of Visnes Copper Mine in Karmøy at the coast west of Vats (later giving copper for the Statue of Liberty). Although not wealthy Kartevold immediately start mining and can soon export the rare minerals (uranium, alveite, cleveite) found in “Thors Gruve” as the mine now is named. Assays of content are made at the London Assay Office, business letters sent to laboratories and factories all over Europe, minerals advertised for sale in “Nature”, and Kartevold gets permission from Ramsay to use Ramsays name in his adverts.
Unfortunately
for Kartevold occurrences of the rare minerals much larger than in
“Thors Gruve” is soon found in other parts of the world, prices fall
and production cease.In 1904 Kartevold is visited by Englishmen Ramsay,
mineralogist Hopkins, a doctor and a prospective owner Mr. Price. The
company stay in Ølen, a village located a few kilometres further to the
east of Vats, and they visit “Thors Gruve” situated app. 300 m. north
of the main west-east going road. Hopkins is known in the area as he
earlier had been mining for copper in Ølen, and also in the Visnes
complex at the coast where “Hopkins mine” still is to be found. M.P.
Bronstein in his “Solar matter” names the “London mineralogist” Ramsay
refers to as “Gregory” at 88 Fitzroy Square according to a later Ramsay
note, probably mistaking the address of Mineralogist James Gregory, 88
Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square as the square itself consists of only
forty houses numbered up to 40.
James Gregory at the end of the 19th century regularly advertised
geological slides, specimens and hammers for sale in “Chemical News”
and “Nature”, the company still in existence, now located elsewhere and
known as Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd. Also in “Nature” Mr.
Kartevold March 11th 1897 advertised his minerals, in an issue
featuring a two-page review of Ramsays book “The Gases of The
Atmosphere”.
What is known in the end is Hopkins on occasions brought mineral
samples with him back to London.
Thank you to Konrad Bårdsen, Karmøy for invaluable personal messages and to Astrolib.ru, BHO, Google books and archive.org hosting references. As PDF file: Notes with pictures. Links updated aug. 2011
References:
William
Tilden: Sir William Ramsay – memorials
of his life and work, London 1918 (p. 124
ff )
http://www.archive.org/details/sirwilliamramsay00tildrich
Frank Clarke: Biographical Memoir of Francis William Hillebrand, Washington 1925 (p. 60 ff) http://hyfse.com/pdf/whillebrand.pdf
M. P.
Bronstein: Solar matter (
Солнечное
вещество ), Moscow 1935 (p. 76 bottom)
http://www.astrolib.ru/files/2/bronstein_solnechnoe_veshestvo.djvu
British
History online: Fitzroy Square London
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=65171
“Chemical news and journal of industrial science”, vol. 31, London 1875 (p. 315) http://books.google.com/books?id=teUEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA315&dq=chemical+news+Bind+31
“Nature”:
Weekly journal of science Nov. 1896 – Apr. 1897 (p. 435, p. 444,
p. cxiv
and p.
cxlvi)
http://www.archive.org/details/nature5518961897lock
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