Daily Republican., 1880-03-11
WALTON. wHAnN q CO,
The 1AIanufaeture OF FertIllzers-
The Growth Ofahe Business.

The Growth ofthe Business.
Few Wilmingtonians have any idea
Of the extent to which the manufacture
of fertilizers Is carried ON near this city
by Walton, Whann & Co. A corres-
pondent Of the Philadslphia "Ledger''
has been here, and describes the factory
as follows:
II was started nineteen years ago on
the Christiana river just outside Of tho
city, one Small building only being used
but almost every year since additions
have been made, the most important
of which has just been completed. The
new addition to their phosphate and
chemical works is 40 by 80 fact, giving
a front Of over 400 feet to this portion
Of the establishment. These buildings
are diviGS., into eight chambers, each
being lined with sheet lead, and are
intended for the protection Of the oil
Of vitriol, which enters largely into the
manufacture of fertilizers.
In the manufacture sof oil Of vitriol, or
sluphuric acid, the chambers referred to
which are nearly forty feet high, have
open spaces at the top and bottom
between the partitions. At one end is
q furnace in which the flame of sulphur
heats crucible containing mixture Of
nitre and oil Of vitriol. The door 10
covered with thin stratum of water.
Jets Of steam are also INTRODUCED. The
sulphur, in burning, produces sui
phurous anhvanide, which, in the
presence Of moisture becomes sui
phurous acid, and this again by
another action becomes sulphurio
acid, the nitric acid being at the
same time reduced to q lower oxide.
The rationale Of the process is thus ex-
planned: the oxidation of the sulphur
ous acid to sulphuric acid takes place
in the leaden chambers under the in
fuencs Of the vapor Of water at the ex-
pense Of the oxygen Of the nitric or
nitrous acid, which is converted into
deutoxide Of nitrogen. By the pres.
ence Of atmospheric air in the cham
bers deutoxlde Of nitrogen is oxidized
into hypenitric or nitrous acid, and
this acid again is decomposed by sui
phurous acid.
The werks are now turning out $50
tons per day Of auperphosphstes, which
represent a daily revenue Of $4,000.
$4,000 pounds Of sulphur is used
daily, and the bones ground up amount
to 5000 tons year. These bones
are obtained principally from Texas
and South America. The firm also own
a tract Of land on the Ashley river,
near Charleston, s. c., from which
they get large quantities Of phosphate
rock, which is OF animal origin, and II
is said the supply was inexhaustible.
Other parties also own tracts Of this
valuable land, from which the rock is
shipped to various parts Of the United
States, and in large quantities to
Europe.
The rock from Charleston Is ground
to powder aud then dissolved in vitriol,
when it becomes acid phosphate, or dis
solvent bone, and in this form is used
to large extent. When made into
superphosphate, Of course, other ingre-
dients are added, which, 1t is said, add
to its strength and fsrtilizing qualities.
The guano made for tobacco growers
has more potash added, and so with
other qualities, different modes Of man
ipulation are adopted. The largest
quantity Of these phosphatss are ship
ped to Southern States.
The works Of Walton, Whann & Co.,
cover about six acres, and are accessible
by water vessels of 800 tons, and by
rail, connecting with the several rail-
roads running through and from Will
mington. The buildings are large and
contain large amount Of powerful ma
chinery, moved by ten engines,
made expressly for this work, some
Of the mechanical appliances being
original with this firm. The sulphur
from which the acids necessary to the
work is made, is imported from Sicily
and landed at their wharves, and every
step in the manufacture of the fertili-
zer, it is said,..is conducted upon the
strictest chemical principles, the raw
being analysed, and the man
article going through the
same process"