The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-21
PHOSPHATE FALLING OFF
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SITUA-
TON IN FLORIDA.

TON IN FLORIDA.
Miners Bsing Discharged and the
Smaller Companies Badly Hurt by
the Depresslon-Ths Throwing Into
the Market of Impure ROCK Rsspon-
sible in a Great Measure for the
Present State of Affairs-The Methods
Employed in the Preparation of the
Rock.
c. 0. Haines has recently returned from
a trip through the phosphate territory Of
Upper Florida, where the land rock is
chiefly mined, during which he made a
thorough investigation of the industry.
MIR. Haines was seen yesterday by a
MORNING News reporter and was asked
concerning the condition of the in
dustry. He said the article in yester-
days MORNING NEWS was a substantially
correct statement. The depression was by
no means exaggerated and the statement Of
the conditions that brought about the de-
preston was very correctly given.
MINERS BEING DISCHARGED.
A number of men have been discharged
from the phosphate mines on account Of the
depression, and many of the smaller compa-
MES have been badly hurt.
Mr.. HAines does not think, no Wever, there
is very large stock of merchantable phos-
phate hand. In fact, many miners are not
unable TO fill their contracts for phosphate
from their own mines aud are endesvoring
to buy from their neighbors. The trouble
is there is great deal of impure rock for
sale for which there is no market. II is this
class OF phosphate that is largely responsible
for the present condition Of affairs.
LEARNING TO BETTER THE QUALITY.
The depression is not without Its good re-
suits, however, in that the miners are
learning that 1t is necessary for them to
take moro care in the preparation of their
rock for market. The appliances at present
in use. where used at all, are very wide.
When mining was first begun great deal
OF the rock was shipped just as it was taken
from the mines, in large broken Jumps and
with little attempt at purifying it.
1t has been found that the state in which
tho phosphate is most preferred by the
manufacturers is about the size of egg coal,
and 1t has also been found that the rock is
moro easily purified after reducing it to
this shape.
THE BREAKING PROCESS.
A great deal of the rock found upon the
surface is in small Jumps, very much like the
pebble or river phosphate, but at
ter this Is cleared away the
rock is found in huge boulders
sometimes weighing thousands of pounds.
These have TO be blasted to pieces with dy-
Mantle. The rock does not run in regular
veins like coal, but is found in large
pockets, and after one pocket has been
cleaned out search must be instituted for
another.
The process commonly in use for purify
ing the phosphate is, after first breaking it
up, to separate from 1t the sand
and other. grosser impurities which
have clung 10 It, This
| is called "dry screening Aftor dry SCREEN
ing it the rock is washed to further separ-
ate it from impurities. which is called "wet
screening"
DRIED BY BURNING.
After washing it is necessary to dry it.
This is generally done by piling it up
around heap OF wood and burning it
some hat similar to brick kiln.
There are several methods Of drying it,
| however.
Some of the largest companies in the busi-
ness are arranging to put in extensive plants
OF machinery for breaking up, washing and
| drying the rock. The rock will be dried by
passing through the cylinders.
The results Of burning the rock are bene-
| fetal in several ways. Burning the rock
reduces it to a uniform color, generally
| pinkish, which Is very desirable from a
manufacturing standpoint. 1t also disln-
tegrates it aud allows the particles OF iron
and alunlina in the crevices Of the rock to
be separated from it.
IMPROVED PROCESSES NEEDED.
There is no doubt that the use Of these
improved processes will result in greatly
eleyating the grade of the rock and increas-
ing its desirability to the manufacturer.
There is another industry, Mr.. Haines
says, which the mining of phosphate should
give Florida, and that is the manufacture OF
phosphorus and phosphoric acid, both OF
which are largely used in manufacture and
the arts. The only mandatory of these
products in America at present is In Phila
| delphia. Phosphorus is used in the
manufacture Of matches and many other
things and phosphoric acid is largely used
for one thing, in making metal alloy in
| common use upon railroad cars and as q
bearing metal for machinery.
THE SAME THING IN CAROLINA.
Tho Carolina phosphate Miners" said
| Mr.. Haines, went thru Oh the same expe~
rience that the Florida miners are now
going through. They had to learn these
things before the business could be con-
Quoted at profit. There is every reason to
believe, despite the pressnt condition Of
| things, that Florida will, in few years, ex-
eel Carolina in tho phosphate industry
The Florida phosphate deposits extend over
broader area than the Carolina depos. is.
The country is much health
Ter. The labor is cheap and very
easily managed. The deposits also are of a
higher grade generally. am satisfied that
as immense fortunes will be made in the
Florida phosphate business as in the oil
business 10 Pennsylvania few years ago.
The business appears very similar 10 me- "
Mr.. Haaes does not think there will be
any marked Improvement in the present
conditions Of the phosphate industry until
the opening of the spring season, when the