The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-17
SOUTH C4RULTNA'S PHOSPHAT TIES.


prosperity. extends from tho Cooper River on
the north to tho Broad River on the south.
The tract OF land and water supposed to be
underlaid by the phosphate stratum is about
ono hundred miles long by twenty-five miles
wide Originally. / think. all this tract was
under water. and tho islands wero formed by the
slow growth Of sand bars and tho gradual ee
walton of the country. The phosphate rock lies
on bed OF clay. not In solid sheet. US might
be expected. but much as paving stones In tho
sand bed OF city's stroets. Tho stratum Is OF
an average thickness OF ono foot. An acre will
yield 1 900 tons OF dried phosphate rock Mt for
the market. In the rivers and shallow bays the
stratum Is generally covered by thin layer OF
sand or muck and many tons Of loose rocks are
scattered widely on the almost solid surface OF
the main deposit. These pieces have probably
been torn up from the pavement by the tides
In the marshes tho rock Is covered by from
three to twenty feet Of muck. and under the
islands 1t is deeply covered by sand and
gravel 1t Is only such rock as lies under the
water. or Is carried by n shallow deposit OF
muck on the marshy ground. that is worked at
present. The process OF Obtaining this rock Is
callod mining; but. when It is under water. 1t
ismorc properly fishing, rs from eight to'twenty
feet of water cover the stratum at high tide.
Judge that the clay bod on which the phosphate
rock lies was pasture ground for large mas
todons that grazed to and fro at will over the
marshy ground rs the tide cbbcd and flowed
The fossil remains OF sharks. clans oysters,
and mastodons arc scattered throughout the
phosphate formation.
When the value of this rock was first discov-
cred. things looked gloomy in the black dis
trct composed of tho Sea Islands. The ne
groes. flushed with political power and de-
bauchod with plunder stolen from the white
people Of tho State were slowly drifting into n
state Of semi barbarism on those abandoned
islands. The decent white men werc leaving
tho district 1t looked rs though tho fnircst
portion OF South Carolina was To be abandoned
to the devotees of Voodooism. and would be-
come n wilderness. The discovery OF the value
Of the rock Ms a fertilizer arrested the move
ment which many wo-informed men still con-
slider to DO inevitable. and slowly the ebb of
civilization was arrested gradually tho current
OF negro religious thought changed. and the
blacks realized that freedom meant the right
to work for themselves. Northern capital.
styled foreign capital by the South Carolina
Bourbons. developed the minas. or rock fish,
cries. 1t is duo to Northern and English CAPT
tai and enterprise that this industry. yet in its
infancy, exists.
There are various methods OF obtaining the
rock. Little scows. capable OF carrying about
ten tons and manned by q negro crew. have
been greatly employed in the past. and nre
still used to some extent. These scows are
rowed or polrd to the selected spot and there
anchored. Tho negroes. using long handled
str"nrsr dsS Tor The rhos"hate rock as though
longing for oysters. Thcv ara nbla to obtain
SUCH pieces of rock II. may have been broken
loose by thn sir3as cnrrnnt+ constantly swirl.
thoy can dctnch poces from the unbroken
Ss The ID p r 2AS rsm To nSr
pf tho empDyiny them. A ton OF
dried rock weighs 2.5on hounds. 1t can be
eS bis o sh ann in yn t9G asnS
were. covered h. sixteen tcot Of water. would
longs ton o wer ron" Srokrn md tlonsh roughly mad
they aTS c1vored Iy Gan,s and are nivny
siyr with dirercn. dcsrcccs q snGccSs and fail
Snnn'rr ~ mod!icAtians Of tho drods1s.
sneh h. II mnn WAS
wcisht "f ,hs sca9r or iinpcr and nnnynns the
ton pryina instead Of u scooring ono, nnt in
the Of more n2werin, ma nH ~
nnnv OF tho phosrhNte nshcrs considered tina
best device yet inverted The barge carrying
,nis ann"r sroqs H nnl hr9yiy mH WTsn +
IN" rock within reach "f the clipper hns heon
tne barre nnn,s 'Sn or No ths stream Viii
HE tide, Tho dc.'rei position reached. the
lines tighf|nei. IN" S"Opnln. II resumed.
and when an the rock wthin tho reach Of the
Ions. Widr-sw"cpinG arm has been dipped up.
IN" bar; t. again allowed 70 drift with the tide
Another marhin" "a vct unt;led hut ono
thnt IN" ronGl 'rt inventor expects Will operate
suc"cSStnl.N j. = ~ =! .tN,vn ~ NE rus9on
necd by civil and mining engineer IN sinking
shtftS thron%n Yulgk:,"d n,annInt"ry > lay
This, cuisspn i ahor; o'glt let W@ro on n"
inside. Arr"ssnrc II about twcn'y-tourr pounds
10 the inch will b" rrIIir"d to keen II
cen- nf water. In front Of the raisspn, hut
s1b ~, 9''nshrd to u, - oo q rnW OF .,S
rhes" har4 rlS" ard fan as the stamns in
stamp mill; inject, tu"y arc the Same, except,
INK t"t IN" fnn 4car ah9 oT c,,d a'p9rrbba
drills rise aud 'ali hundred time per min
ute. This raiHepn. hCin- lowered into the water
csninnd ~ h5j,oi TO hoavy tinhnrs tha, over.
hnac -. h'W o. tn" harTe ThG pnmpin: en-:
the cHis-,ni nnd n man then dcsccnds into the
cai--on. The drills gro thor, started; and the
thus cnusins IN" caisson to ad vance gradually
over the rock loosencd by the drills. A suction
" 'thS interior Of the cpisson g. the dock of tho
barge II ie expected that tho broken phos-
phutr rocks Mil rush up ihiS PFC irW .i InG
In my opinion the br~t tod have sen wo2rk.
Y%'irk man. He hnd. or his frinnd had n con
tract to move sarhags re The Eile WAS com
OF hoop9klris burrcl hoops. tin cans, old wash
boilers old shoes battered stoyepipes. and the
other refuse of n great city; This elastic and
refractory pile had ~ be shoyred into cars
standing above the greater portion oi 1t. The
character Of tine material COMPOSING tho dump
forbade the employment of manual Labor if the
contractor WAS to keep clear OF the bankruptcy
court. He discovered this fact speedily, and
with ruin staring him in the face. and the
phantom of starvation keeping nightly
vigil on his breast bono, md prolding him in
tho short ribs with Spuired heels. and shouting
taunts into his ears he slept badly, but thought
deeply. one might. while lying aWnko thinking
| OF his trouh.-. thr image Of tbs muchinr NJ
work was Photographed on his brain f:"'dig
he saw II. Quickly hr sprhns from hi he'd and
before the ightr-l d Tail of tn" to-. lai faded
from hi, m nj, h" drcw4 sketch Of it,, Mt =
line Of that DRAWN, had 70 be- altered As il
was. ske,"hrd. So. 1t VA, butt, and it
aiaptrd 10 phosphate H-hing weighs II lit
tie over I'VE tons. S,N arms, wilo- lan@cd
and steel poiu,ed, radttt' from heavy shaft.
When closed iifn arui, H. CLOSELY. forming the
| apex fan obtu SCAM, al conn inyertol These
arms are opened widely by chains workin!
over u sys,cm ol puirys hidden ia the shaft or
st"m ut the graphic. They terminal in ~ bah
that PLAYS in n socket IN tAe shaft, OPENED,
TINS heavy SiN-armol TOD ia lowered ou To tho