The Washington herald., 1909-07-11

Development OF the sulphur deposits n
Louisiana nipped IN the bud one OF ths
prettiest schemes % corner the sulphur
rrade OF the world ever devised n ths
brain OF the trust promoter.
Just about the time Of the announce
rnent Of the big sulphur ind in Louiz ana
a company Of American capitalists was
about 70 close the deal for the purchase
OF the famous POpOcatapeJl volcano n
Mexico. Il was the intention OF this COM
pany 70 produce sulphur from the extinct
crater Of this mountain so cheaply as 20
drive out the product OF Italy and so con
troll the trade OF the world The finding
OF the beds n LoulEana stopped the
game eReotually. and tbs Mexican noun
tain has gone back 20 IT'S former owner.
Gen Casper Sanchez OchOca, of Mexico
City, who came into its possession many
years ago.
Cen. Oehoa thought he had got rid es
the monster volcano by selling = 20
syndicate Of Americans, headed By Capt
Charles holt. formerly OF New York. but
a resident o. Mexico for several years
Capt Holt purchased the volcano IN lS04
for q reported consideration OF 10000
United States money, which IS equivalent
20 Sl0000,00o Mexican money
Capt. HOIt's Plan.
Il was planned BY Capt Holt 20 organ
ize a company with q capital stock Of
100000 gold for the purpose OF carrying
on various kinds OF operations or the
mountain IN addition 10 mining the sui
phur which is stored in the crater OF the
volcano. an incline railway was 70 be built
/ from its base 10 its summit. the City OF
I Mexico vas 70 be supplied with ice from
/ the perpetual ice field that surnOunts the
mountain. and al Us base the principal
/ forest vas 20 be converted into beauri-
I fui PARK. hotels were 20 be erected. and
/ il WAS 70 be made an ideal resort for
/ American tourists
I Capt Holt was unable 70 finance the
I big proposition and after three years OF
ehort IN that direction the project was
/ abandoned. and few days ago title 20
7 the mountain reverted 20 Gen OchOa K
\ Is stated that Capt Holt Is stin interested
/ IN the park and hotel features OF the
4 original plan and that Gen. Ochoa and
other men o. means are connected with
the minor projects
14S,OOO,OOO Tons OF Sulphur.
1T a dizzy proposition 70 think OF min
I ing sulphur at an altitude of $500 feet
But II IS asserted BY experts who have
I investigated and reported on the feasibil-
/ ity of the plan that the physical dificol-
I rfes which stand IN the way can be over
/ come BY the application o. engineering
I ingenuity. backed BY SUFFICIENT money 10
carry Il through.
4 A commission Of mining experts. Gp-
( pointed by the Mexican government, made
an exhaustive study ard Investigation o.
tho sulphur deposits contained IN the era
ter Of the PopOcatape-I volcano g few
wears aEO. This ofHcial report states that
not only IS this sulphur deposit the larg-
est n the world. but that this native
ucrmetaIIic element e absolutely pure, as
I II exists IN the crater of the POpocatapel
volcano. The report shows that al the
une the investigation was made there
were approximately 100000 tons Of sui
phur n the crater within q depth of 90
feet.
The manufacture OF sulphur through
the influence Of nature IS going on con-
stantly. and. according 20 the estimate
made by the government experts. this an
inual Increase amounts 10 appproXima1ely
4 !. -, coo tons. Astounding as these 1gures
may appear. they are amply verified By
measurements made from year 70 year
Enough TO supply World.
The annual consumption OF sulphur n
the United States IS a little more than
1900 tons. ard al OF Europe co1sumes
annually less than 10000 tons Nest OF
the commercial sulphur Is known as sec
onds, OF 50 Per cent pure The annual in-
crease o. sulphur IN the crater OF Popo-
Icataped Is sufficient 70 supply the mar
kets OF the world. IL IS asserted
I The greatest sulphur-prOducing country
. in the world is Italy. which has an an
nual output Of about $1,000 tons. accord
inr 70 the most reliable figures obtain
able here. Nearly ell OF ItalyAs sulphur
comes from The Island OF Sicily. The
I United States. Fragce. and japan produce,
I al told, less than 10 COO tons annually
/ At an average market price OF 50 sold
a ton the value Of sulphur stored IN the
. crater Of the volcano Is fabulous. i was
the ambitious plan Of Capt. Holt 20 sup
ply big part o. the world with the prod
uct. he said il could be mined and placed
on the market fl The United States az an
( expense OF not exceeding SO gold 8 ton
( This would have 1T a big margin o.
! profit. Il his figures were correct
Mined for 400 Years.
I The mining OF sulphur IN the crater Of
/ lPopocatapetl has been carried on inter
nittently for 40 years. During the time
of the conquest. when fernando COrtsz
was in power. the deposits were mined IN
a primitive way By the Spaniar6s. Since
then great quantities Of sulphur have
been brought out OF the crater On tbs
hacks Of Aexicans and carried down the
mountain and thence 70 market.
/ The daring OF some OF these native sui
phur miners Is remarkable. They 90 not
/ hesitate 70 go 70 the very rim OF the hole
which comes Up through the incrusted
I deposit OF sulphur and which leads far
down 20 the ever-seething caldrOn Of the
volcano. The crater IS about 200 feet n
diameter. and the fumes which constantly
pour forth through the ventway are dissi-
pated in the air above before they extend
70 any harmful degree over other parts
Of the crater. In most places the walls
OF the crater are perpendicular. The de-
scent from the rim OF the crater % the
top OF the sulphur deposit IS sheer $50
feet.
The natives who engage IN mining the
product in a desultory way for Gen
Ochoa reach the mine BY means o. rope
ladders. bringing the product out on their
backs. Enormous blocks Of pure sulphur
are scattered about the nine. Some of
these chunks weight 80 pounds each
I The temperature IN the crater is com
fOrtably warm On the outside or TOD OF
n the mountain Is an area OF snow and ice.
which extends Ear down IT'S sides.
Mount P0pocatapetl IS reverenced By
the lower class Of Mexicans- Il is a com
manoing agure OF the landscape FOR 90
miles around Many are the legends
which are told concerning the old noun