The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-31

cate
Rene Bache In the Washington Star.
An expert sent by the geological sur
vey starts from Washington this week
for Florida. His errand is to try and find
ort something definite about the origin of
the phosphate deposits of that state,
which, though only dug for the market
since 1887, are already producing vast
wealth. One hundred and six mines for
getting out the stuff have been opened in
various parts of the peninsula, and it is
reckoned that 1873, 100000 tons of it are
actually in sight.
The phosphate deposits Of Florida are
the greatest in the world. Though science
has devoted some attention to studying
them. no satisfactory theory as to their
formation has as yet, been formed The
most generally accepted notion on the sub
iect is that the existence OF this valuable
fertilizer in such immense beds is due to
sea birds of a prehistoric epoch. The
part which they took, however, is sup
nosed to have been secondary.
Ages ago what is now Florida was I'M
der water On the bottom and swim
ming about were multitudes of mollusks
and O-0er creatures Nlbn SHELLS. Inc
shpils which they left behind them when
tbevdied formed banks of lime. Event
ualiv a great area of these banks was up
lifted above the surface of the ocean
TTnon them sea fowl Of various species
MADE their home, breeding there and de-
positing their droppings for century after
century
Rains poured down upon the banks.
dissOlying the droppings and causing the
;v,B 70 tho oh bet
Bird manure contains great percentage
of phOsphorc acid. This acid trans
formed the limy material into phosphate
of lime OF course, this work was only
ACCOMPLISHED through a vast duration of
time. How it was performed can be
imagined by anybody who has seen the
rookeries of pelicans and other marine
water fowl which exist to this day in
Florida.
The accumulation of droppiugs at such
rookeries is frequently astonishing. In
this waV were formed the deposits of
guano on certain islands of the coast of
Peru The guauo beds were as much as
100 feet deep in places, being composed of
of the excreta of famingoes, divers, pen
gains and other feathered creatures,
together with the excrement and bony
remains of seals, sea lions, and other ami
mails Ancient Peruvian law made it a
capital offense to kill single bird that
roasted on the islands Most of the
latter have been nearly stripped of the
precious fertilizing material.
NOT ALTOGETHER CERTAIN.
Unfortunately, this picturesque theory
as to the origin of the phosphate deposits
is not indorsed by all biologists. There
Is no doubt of the fact that the beds of
lime were formed by mollusks and other
creatures with shells, some little and
!; nh; al, of
them when they died. But it is believed
by some authorities that the phosphoric
acid was derived from the ocean, which
holds much of it in solution. Certain
species of molusks whose shells are found
in the beds secrete phosphate of lime
themselves, and may thus have aided in
the work
The truth is that this is is one of the
puzzles of geology, Nobody knows how
the deposits were formed. 1t IS certain
That at comparatively recent period the
lime banks sank beneath the sea, from
which they subsequently, emerged again.
Thus they were covered over with sew
eral feet in thickness of the sand which
IS the characteristic surface soil of Flor
ida. The beds of the so-called rock
phOSphate,n which extended over hun
dreds OF square miles, are located by
driving long iron rod with sharp
point down through the sand to the
stratum of lime beneath
his stratum of solid stuff forms layer
that IS as much as fifty feet thick in
places. It's covered with from two to
twenty feet of sand. Over a great part
of the state one cannot dig far without
coming to the rock phosphate After
It's presence has been ascertained beneath
a given area of surface soil. the latter is
cleared away, and the phosphate of lime
Is quarried out with blast, pick and
shovel. 1t is dried in kilns and is then
shipped into Baltimore and other north
ern ports. On its arrival it is ground
me and treated with sulphuric acid
me powder thus prepared is mixed with
various fertiliing materials, such as
nuates, of bones horns, blood and such
reuse from packing works. The final
product pulverized and perfectly desic-
taJed Is not at all offensive to the nos
trils
he TEST phosphate material contains
as much as 50 per cent. of phosphate Of
HIne. The latter in composition closely
resembles bone that has been deprived of
HS organic matter. Human bones, for
example, have 81 per cent of phosphate
OF lime and 30 per cent. of animal matter.
IL was only IN lS43 that the Duke of Rich
mona incidentally to some experiments,
discovered for the first time that the
Fa.Qe OF bones as a fertilizer was due not
W lhelr gelatine or fatty matter, as had
oeeu supposed, but to their phosphoric
aclu. IL was this discovery which first
'AGiled interest in phosphates.
Fnosphoric acid is one of the elements
noSl essential to vegetable growth. It
ruIers largely into the composition of
pants Seeds are more than half made
VI H. A COW at pasture during one sum-
r ulel VIII take away from the land fifty
loIhdS OF it III veal and milk accord
"isIl the soil must be continually resup-
tLeu with It, Thus it is not surprising
l eudl great attention should have been eX-
, '51 abroad by the discovery of phos-
pua0e deposits in Florida, Georgia, North
@uu south Carolina IN the last-namcd
tsale' winch, as a producer, ranks next
~i.eI II lorlda, there are at present thirty
iHNeS IN operation Small mines have
country
AN ENGLISH SYNDICATE.
Dhly the other day bowling swell
|a:u SINGLE eyeglass. whose accent pro-
t.a'HeI him an Engllshman. turned up at
WI, department. of agriculture here with
ieluesJ for some information about
l.eIlcan phosphate deposits. It pres
s-E appeared that he knew more on the
bI'9tJ IMAM the Official experts could tell
~ ne was chemist in the employ of
DrIush syndicate which had secured
Gp1ohs on extensive areas of phosphate
nus IN tue south. His orders were to
NNn