Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-03-26
The Production of Sulphur - Recent
Discoveries.


In 1888, the short-sighted policy of
the King of Naples granted monop>
oily of sicilian sulphur to French
mercantile house, the consequence
being that the price of sulphur tripled
in England, and the manufacturers of
sulphuric acid were compelled to look
to other sources for their supplies. In
one year not less than fifteen patents
were granted for processes which had
for their object the production of sui
phuric acid from pyrites--a compound
of sulphur with iron and some other
metals. At the present time nine-
tenths Of all the sulphurie acid in
market is manufactured from this min:
eral, and this state of things continues,
although the monopoly has been long
since Withdrawn. There can be no
doubt that Sicily, where the supply is
inexhaustible, would sell ten times the
amount she now does if that mistake
had never been made and it is a
wholesome lesson to governments and
legislatures not to thwart industries
based upon chemical science-a science
which has taught us to produce the
most gorgeous colors from coal>tar, ard
whose votaries cannot be prevented
from producing any given compound so
long as the elementary substance need
ed may be had in any shape what
ever.
Since that time sulphur has been
produced artifcially in THE publication
of coal-g gas, which contains the we'll,
known sulphire of hydroged--a gas
easily recognized by its horrible o,lor.
A few sulphuric acid factories in Eng
land employ sulphur thus obtained ;
but the amount which might be pro
cured is very large, as is obvious il we
fake into account the tact that goal
contains at least one per cent Of sui
phur, and that in London, for instance,
where the amount Of coal used yearly
for gas making is 1000, 600 tons, con
tanning $4,000 tons Of sulphur, equal
to 10000 tons, or over 6o,00o,O 900
pounds Of sulphuric acid.
Moud, of Utrecht. in Holland, has
invented process for saving the sui
phur wasted from the sulphuric acid
during the manufacture of soda from
common salt, aud FOR returning all this
sulphur to the sulphuric acid manutae.
tories, which process is in successful
operation in many places in Europe.
In the meantime new deposits OF
sulphur have been found. Several
have been discovered in California
where, in one establishment, some tons
are now refined daily. Tie most re-
cent report is from the Suez Canal,
where, on the shores of the Red sea,
at the entrance of the Gulf of Suez,
two inoxhaustible deposits have been
found. One, at Djemssh, is located in
perfectly raness desert on the Airi.
can coast very near the sea, and consists
of hill six hundred feet high composed
entirely of sulphur. In order to OBJ
tain the sulphur it isoblasted like the
rock in common stone quarry. Two
hundred Arab laborcrs are occupied
under the supervision Of French engi
neers, and produce some ten tons oi
sulphur day. A railroad is in course
of construction for the purpose Of trans
porting the sulphur rapidly and in large
quantities to the furnaces in which il
is refined, and thence to the coast to be
shipped. The Viccroy OF Egypt buys
from the French company all the sui
phur at eighteen dollars per ton. The
other location is Ranga. FIVE hundred
miles from Suez, and also near tho
African continent. In this case, also
the sulphur appears in the form Of
rocks, much purer than the former, Of
bright lemon~ycllow color, but cover,
ed under the earth, so that It must be
obtained by tunnelIing. This sulphur
mine has not yet been worked to any
extent.
These instances furnish marked il
lustretions of the many providentia
provisions which exist in nature. When
the, progress of civilization creates new
or increased wants, the material IS ever
at hand to supply them 7echnoiogist