The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
GASES OF ATACAMA.
Fruitful Spots In the FOrbiddlns Waste
OF ChiIe's Desert.

-
OF ChlIe's Desert.
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile
is the soene Of the greatest industry Of its
hind in the world. This region yields
enormous quantities Of n~itrates, used to
enrich the fields Of Europe and the United
States.
The desert 10 one Of the most f~orbidding
and desolate regions Of the world m few
persons who have read about 1t have ever
associated the Atacama waste with any
thought Of vegetation. The fact is that
this rainless desert has its beautiful little
GASES, which are Of great value.
There are times when this naked surface
yellow with sane or white with salt incrusta-
tions, is very beautiful. As the sun is
going down the rolling landscape with its
hills and low mountain ranges is clothed
with gorgeous hues.
The color of gold is sown far n wide
over the broad surface and strips OF purple
fill every valley. A recent writer says
that in all the regions bordering the Pacific
he has never seen anything 30 beautiful
as this desert at the hour OF sunset.
The best description that has been writ
ten OF the GASES Of the saltpetre region has
just appeared in a report by DR.. Simon.
one OF the officials in Chile OF the Nitrates
Syndicate. He first describes briefly the
geographical conditions.
In north Chile near the sea and parallel
with the coast and the high Andes are the
coastal cordilleras. Between these lesser
ranges an the high cordilleras stretches
the IAtacS;Ha ~aSt5, tho northern part OF
which is the elevated plain called the Pampa
de Tamarugal.
In this pampa covered with sand, with
here and there areas Of glistening white
salt, ere a considerable number OF GASES,
the most conspicuous OF which are Plea
inc Matilda. Plea has been known since
the Spaniards first visited this region as
a place where water came near to the
surface.
The source Of this water is of course
the high Andes, but the particular streams
believed that the little rivers from the
Andes which contribute the water supply
Of Matilda nave been identified.
This desert water is very warm Its
temperature being from 70 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit, and the GASES are called health
resorts, for though the mineral constituents
Of the water give 1t q scarcely perceptible
flavor it is thought to be beneficial in the
case Of some diseases.
The oasis Of Pica yields the water upon
NllSll In uOt -bNO bAONN
the capital of this mining region, depends
for drinking water. Tn fluid is carried
down to the sea in pipes, a distance OF sixty
miles.
water thar the Plea oasis yields and every
drop is husbanded. There is no part OF
the world where agriculture is more in
tensively carried on than in this green spot
in the desert.
The wine OF Plea, a heavy, sweet beverage
Qnpnathinu liza Manpira mr. nOTt wilma. lH
famous throughout Chile. Many kinds of
fruits are raised and also tons Of vegetables
and fodder plants, particularly alfalfa;
The Matilda oasis swells the supply of
food and fodder, and these two GASES are
known as the vegetable gardens Of the
nitrate territory. Without them the thou
sands OF laborers and hundreds OF officials
in the numerous saltpetre works would be
compelled to live almost entirely upon
preserved foods. The GASES therefore play
a very important economic role in the
industries OF this region. although the
demand for their products is much greater
than the supply. The alfalfa is turned into
hay and is cut five times a year.
for hundreds of workpeople are required
to carry on their industries. There are
many other smaller GASES which are created
in a somewhat different manner.
1t has been found that In various parts
of the desert the earth underneath the sur
face layer OF sand or salt is su efficiently moist
to grow crops Comparatively little of the
water gathers into reservoirs such as un-
derlie Plea and Matilda, but capillary at
traction spreads it through the soil, keeping
it usually in just the condition required for
growing crops.
These GASES are called canchons. The
layer Of Sane or salt is removed and crops
of all kinds are raised in great quantity
considering the limited area cultivated.
Most of these GASES are situated within con-
venient distance Of the nitrate stations,
and many wagons are constantly plying
10 and iro between the little settlements
and the nitrate works. The soil is kept in
the highest state of fertility and few regions
produce more TO the acre than these verdant
places in the desert.
The GASES are extremely useful also as
timber producers in a desert where the
nitrate works require fuel. Three varieties
Of acacia grow rapidly into fine trees and
the amount OF fuel which the Gases supply
is now becoming important.