New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-12

war; one of them an American ship, were lifted
from their anchoragcs by the surging
waters and carried inland. One OF them
was broken up. but the other re-
manned in her new moorncs until 1917, when
the next wave caught up the wreck and carried
1t mile further. The highest earthquake wave
ever known on this coast was that which en-
quilted Callao III li46 and utterly destroyed 1t.
Duilng the last three centuries there have been
seventy violent earthquakes on the west coast
ana lnnumerablc minor shocks. The rumDiln3
U1 the earth is familiar an event that nothing
is made OF II. At Valparaiso there was lght
earthquake shock a fortnight ago, and the Amer
lean Consul informed me that 1t Was a frequent
experience there. An American resi- hing at
COpiapo vouclcd for tie fact that there had re-
Gently been 1870 similar shocks at that place IN
the course of few days At Callao the great
catastrophe was preceded by over 200 shocks, so
mat reflective observers in COpiapo ala not con-
sidcr The situation 10 be serious with the mar
GIN still remaining in their favor; ana after me
l2Oth stro kc the rumbling ceased altogether. 10
accustomed are the residents of tins coast 70 Inc
phenomena in its more playful manifestations
that they do not leave their beds when they are
aroused by it, That confirmed optlnisi. br
Merriam. would probably have said, if | had
mentioned the sub Get TO him. that earthquakes
on tie whole tend to clear the atmosphere and
to promote perfection OF climate ami lmpar' Il
thrill of p'easurabc excitement 10 human eNlS-
tcncc in these ATTITUDES.
NITRATE MINING
1ququc is the chief port Of the province Oh
Tarapaca which. before the recent war, Was the
southernmost province of Fern, ana was KNOWN
to have inexhaustba sources of wealth in IT'S
mineral salts. Crude nitrate of soda was dscoV-
cred about $50. and the first shipment was made
in 1898 to ENGLAND Ii was used in the manu-
facturc OF nitric acid and also as fertilizer. ana
the quantity eALorted from lqulque Increased rap
ldiy 10 ',Oo4,'tO qulutaIs III 1870, t"e year PIE
ccding the outbIcaN of the war IN 1884, WI'h
Ohii i'll possession oi the nitrate ports ln'
exports of nitrate of soda were .'G0gi'o III
loS2 there was an increase to lo,"1o''-' ana III
1883 advance to l2,S2J,66I: IN consequence
of excessive production b0th the European anu
American markets were OVcrstOckcd ana The price
heavily declined. The ChIildh producers UNIV"
in agreement TO limit The exports uhH 'nc
surplus could he worked OF and better prices
secured. The value of salts exported from the
nitrate ports tPisagua. lquique, Cale'a b"ch''
Antofagasta, 1alta, and ,eV smaller towns
declined from S32,04@,j72 Omliah currehc! Al
1858, 10 Sl9,2JO,O4; in 1889. In 1881 therc
was revival of the nitrate industry In conSe-
qucnce of larger foreign demand, ana thc en-
ports Of salts increased In value 70 90, ''V',".
I'm loSs the valuations were S@'ooo' ~ 'ie
MA imum point of overprOductlon In loe" nav
ing been exceeded. The valuations iof is" are
not stated in the official circular when III" ' on
sui has handed 10 me, bat the quantity exported
is the largest ever shipped. Tie aggIc2ate was
20,6O6,454 Quintals against l66S;,Vo0 III l'SS
and l3,2n9,65j in 1851 VI ms this aSGie Ga.
lquique shipped 8,66l .cj5 and Psagua S,o9S,-
$50 quintas These figures reveal the RAPID de
vclopment of the nitrate industry under Chlllln
administration of the province OF larapaca.
The deposits of alkaline nltra'cs are emery
found in the Pampa de Iamarugal. never less
than twenty nor more than forty miles from the
sea The beds lie ordinarily SIN or eight fcrt
below the surface, although sometimes TIE drp'h
exceeds fifteen feet. Layers OF sand ana iimy
earth are first removed. and a hardened crust oil
costra is broken up in various ways. The caHchc
or crude nitrate. is underneath the costra III Jay
ers varying from six inches To hVc fert !" Is
never found on the hillsidcs. but always on the
desert levels Of Tarapaca. Trcnching and blast
ing are the ordinary processes OF mining c2lichr
which, when broken mp INTO small blog Ks, ~
crushed by machinery. then boiled in tanks. IN"
earthly matter falling T. the bottom, ana hnaiN
run off into crystallizing pans 10 cool SHOWN.
The average percentage OF nitric "I s",' IN
caliche is between 60 and So The crystals a.
positcd in the pans in the course Of three days
are sent 10 the coast by railway and th'r" shipped
10 Europe and the United States. In some as
tricts indre is found in calichc deposits and u
is extracted from the liquor by means "i hNpo-
sulpha'c Of soda. after tie boiling ana c9"lr'
prorcssrs Iodine is extensively used for bleach
ing and dycinC and also in medicine. Nitrate
was employed very largely ten years ago by hr''-
growers in France and Germany as \ ieruIHT;
hnt il was soon aSccrtainc1 that while the roots
attained TO an enormous size under ms sti'nn-
lus. the silt evcrciScl deletcrious effect upon
the sugar The demand for alkaline nl'rIi"N
from Germany COLLAPSED in 1891. hu' II has
sprung IN again and lie now very large. other
nses having been found for the fertilizers or pos
sibly some method Of countrracting the effects of
the salt on the saccharirc clements Of tho beet
having been devised The bulk II the silt IS
ing exhibit which tie American Consul has op-
nod