The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-01
srLpHnRlc ACID cHAMBER.

every convenience for loading and unloanlng Is
here ready for use.
sCLPHURIc ACID CHAMBER.
The first and most conspicuous object which. at
tracts the attention of the visitor is the large
building, lately completed, for the manufacture
OF sulphuric acid. 1t is substantially Dulit on
brick foundation, and Is one hundred and seventy
five feet In length By forty feet In width rising
forty feet to the caves OF the roof AT the end ol
the building, next the river, an addition OF smaller
dimensions has been made, which contains the
furnaces, and ct the further end there Is square
tower, whose castellated summit adds much TO
the picturesqueness OF the scane. Entering the
building, the large brick furnace is to be seen,
painted white, and rising In apyramldal shape to
the height OF eighteen feet At the base OF the fur
mace are twelve iron DOORS through which the orim-
stone and nitre are thrown. The furnace can
consume between four and six thousand pounds
OF birthstone, and q proportionate quantlty oil
nitre in twenty -four hours. The sulphur Is thrown
In with shovels but the nltre is placed In pots,
which slide easily into The doors. Upon being
ignited, the heat or the burning sulphur enectu-
ally drives of the whole Of the nitric acid OF the
nitrates in the potts. The nitric acid, as soon as
evolved, comes In contact with the suiphurons
acid from the burning sulphur, and Is instantly
decomposed by 1t. Upon now looking into tne
ovens or burners, the upper part appears 10 DC
filed with ruddy fumes. These, together WITH
the sulphurous acid. pass up the chimney, whlch
connects the furnace with the mixing chamber.
The latter Is q large lead cube OF eighteen feet,
which is Of sufficient capacity 10 suit the work OF
In cha aDnhn different pa9e6
rising from the furnace meet the oxygen, and
whlrl arounl in sort OF chemlcal Waitz
until they are thoroughly mixed. Wnen
this Is accomplished, they pass on 10 the
great receiving chamber where the sri-
phuric acid IS collected. This CHAMBER Is
made OF heavy sheet lead. and Is LIS feet long,
40 feet wide, and 25 feet high. 1t rests In pan
about feet In depth, which receives and hoids
all the sulphuric acid as 1t is generated. THIS
pan can contain over 1900 carboys. and the acld
is drawn from It by an togenlousy contrived
syphon. The chambers are both regulated by the
appearance OF ''the tongue" with which they are
furnished. When this tongue Is corrugated Ike
that Of a typhoid fever patient 1T shows that the
chamber ia iu bad state, and when smooth that
lt IS working all righr. The tumbling box at the
supplying the chamber with certain quantity OF
water It has two compartments, one OF which
Is always under the spout. AS soon as certain
quantity Of water falls into one compartment, the
weight causes IL to upset lis contents into the
receptacle below aud the act OF upsetting brings
the other compartment under the spout to be
filled In turn.
These works have been In operation for little
over two weeks and run night and day. They
were built under the supervision OF Mr.. T. D. Dot
eerer, the superintendent OF the company, and
were constructed on the Butterworth plan. The
acid turned out is OF the highest grad, and wtll
be used In the manufacture Of superphoiphates IN
the adjoining building. The running OF the dill
ferent chambers requires ths greatest Skill and
closest attention, aud the >nedt and rapid manner
In which the work progresses speaks highly for
the businesstaepts offhe superintendent. ~
: 4%ae MlxrNn opsR2floNs,
A short walk along the railroad tracslaid down
BY the company, throughsa country beautifully
varied by hill and dale, brings the visitor to the
opening IN Serand old piae forest where the Rin-
ers arc at work. The track runs through the middle
Of the mines, and along the sides OF 1t there Is
thrown up aa a4mmensa breastworks Of Phosphate
rock ready for transportation to the buildings.
Near 1000 tons of:crude phosphate are here piled
up, although this mine is but newly opened. The
miners dig up playground in long trenches throw
ing the soil Behind them astLey proceed In this
manner every foot or ground ID gone over and
every particle Of Phosphate collected. A strong
hand oriwood cutters go ahead Of the miners,
clearing away the thick underUrush, and through.
out tue day their blows etho through the WOODS.
Wheefoarrows, ic1rts, hoe7. picks and axes are
steadily. pied and the huge piles OF phosphates
slowly increase uader the steady work. over one
hundred hands areernployed Mt the mines who
are paid according to the number Of cubic feet
they dig aud everything goes Oh III the most com
plete and economical manner.
From these mines the crude rock Is taken by
cars, drawn BY mules along the railroad, to ,he
washer. The car5 are Of large size, neatly made,
and constructed especially for this WORK. AfrV-
ing at tile washer. they are drawn up an inclined
plane, AMI their loads dumped into the large re-
cepracle for them. The washer fs driven by
splendid engtie OF twenty-aorse power, built In
Charleston, by Eason l. Brother, andt In short
timett the phosptates come out as clean rock.
From the washer, small railway. Is built totake
| the clean rocs to the factory. This Is almost rs
large as the sUlphurlo acid works, and will be
completed shortly. All theisulphuric acid mode
here will be nsedln thIsbullding III the mauufac.
ture of superphos phhtes and fertilizers. Another
railroad track lcsas from the factory down to the
head OF tile wharf where the vessels take In their
cargoes.: on thswsy, the. track passes through a
small shed, i'll which 3 set OF scales is neatly
fixed. BY means or this the weight Of the phos-
pha,e is ascertained withoas unloading the Car.
The settlement ofsthe' company, altogether,
makes one or the finest pictures to be seen on
Ashley River, and when we consider that, three
years ago. the site OF thcs. extensive works was
| a perfect Wilderness too much praise cannot he
awarded TO the officers Of the .Wando Company.
A Hre-proor building is also begun near the cham
bers, which Will contaiu aboiler and a force pump
! to force tlIeacid to tic top OF The building The
company possesses great advantages in having
Its phosphate emiaes In direct communication
with the new. acid works and factory, and, With
their large factory III the city, will be able to fur,
nis their fertilizers at low rate: Their spirit Of
energy deserves success, and the, care and econo-
my which they bcstow upon their products In
sure it. They oSn, about four hundred and sixty
acres of the best phosphate land, formerly The
property olGeneral Brlsoanst in the .neighborhood
~ 4, n ,o i,,,i hacdpa thn rail