The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-10
REPORT ON VESTS
PHOSPHATE ORES
Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and
Montana Have Largest
Deposit Known.
EXTENT Is NOT KNOWN
Government Experts Believe
the Tonnage Will Be Great
ly Extended Yet.
EXTENT Is NOT KNOWN

When tho great coal deposits OF Penn
| sylyania. West Virginia and other states
of the Appalachian region were being
formed. many millions of years ago, In
what the ceologis,s term thc Carbonifer-
Gus age, there was also being accumu~
lated in the Rocky Mountain region
enormous mineral deposits which are OF
a widely different character but which
may nevertheless play economic part
| in the industrial development OF the
| United States comparable even to that OF
coal. These are the phosphate deposits
| OF Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana.
which are now known to contain hun
dreds of millions of ions of phosphate
rock constituting a most important arti-
iicial fertilizer.
assumed that the phosphate deposits of
South Carolina, Florida. and Tennessee
afforded 'lneXhaustble" supply, but
geological survey show that at the pres
ent rate of increase In phosphate min
ing these eastern deposits are likely TO
be exhausted within generation
Greatest Known Deposits.
The discovery Of the western phosphate
beds. therefore. constituted most I'M
portsnt find and thought the first recon-
noissance OF these deposits by the geo
logical survey showed their considerable
extent. the more detailed study and eN-
ploration, with additional discoveries
made by The survey during the last three
years. have shown that the field is prob
ably the greaeest In the world. Recent
geologic study of the phosphate bearing
strata indicate the probably still greater
extension OF the phosphate area. Tho
northernmost portion OF tho beds first
discovered was In Wyoming. but an out
crop OF the same character and In the
M formation
year in Montana some 100 miles farther
north, so that survey geologists believe
that workable phosphate beds may be
found in many other places.
The geological survey has Just pub
lished a bulletin embracing three reports
or western phosphate fields. one cover
serve by r, w. Richards and G: r.
Mansfield, another OIL rock phosphate
near Melrose, Mont. by Iloyt s. Gale.
and third being reconnaissance report
on the phosphate deposits in western
Montana, by Eliot BlacSwelder. The re-
port by Messrs. Richards and Mansfield
includes detailed description OF the
Idaho field. the Investigations having
been made by townships, the outcrops ex
amined. and the tonnage OF high-grade
phosphate rock estimated. The result Is
highly gratifying. Tonnage estimates
were made OF the phosphate rock In nine
townships, and in no township was there
found to be less than approximately
10000, 900 tons OF hish-grad phosphate
rock, containing for the most part from
so to SO per cent phosphoric acid, Phos
phate rock containing so 10 65 per cent
phosphoric acid is generally considered
high grade.
Enormous Tonnage.
One OF the townships examined con-
tains an estimated o93, ,000,0 000 tons of
phosphate rock, the net result OF the sur
vey's work showing an approximate ton
mage OF $500, 600 900 long tons with 10
per cent phosphoric acid, Nor does this
include the tonnage of the Montana phos-
phate Withdrawals. which aggregate
nearly $4,000 acres.
Mr.. Gales report Is brief description
of his discovery last year of the Montana
which were Immediately made by the
president. The surveys tests Of a num-
her OF samples collected by Mr. Gale
show the rock TO be high grade. approXi-
phoric acid, The ,hickest beds arc six
10 eight feet in thickness a siX-foot
bed would contain approximately 2l,Oob
long tons to the acre.
"One of the most important consider
ations in connection with the discovery
OF phosphate rock in western Montana"
says Mr. Gale, "is lis significance as 10
the probable extent OF the western phos-
that similar deposits may extend over
a large part Of western Montana Their
nearness 10 the large copper smelters Is
important. for these smelters produce
great quantities of sulphuric acid and
sulphurous acid fumes which are usually
allowed 10 go TO waste through the
smokestack OF the plant. Reduction OF
phosphate rock by means of sulphurc
acid appears TO offer what is perhaps
the largest commercial use for tsese
waste products Of the smelters," Mr..
Gales quotes report showing the daily
loss at the Anaconda smelter alone OF
about $500 tons of suiphuric acid,
Suggests Concentration.
Mr.. Gale suggests q further innovation
in the treatment of phosphate rock
which would greatly reduce the transpor-
tation charges that at present stand in
the way Of development. BY this process
a ton Of concentrated phosphate wonld
equal three tons of ordinary superphos-
phate, The fertilizer distributor would
therefore pay freight on one ton where
he now pays il on three.
The report calls attention To the fact
That under the present mining law there
appears TO be no adequate provision for
the disposal OF phosphate lands. and
that. It is presumed that congress will
in the near future pass some well-con
sidered measure 10 cover this need
Mr.. B1ackweldcr's contribution on
liminary report and shows large and
widely distributed deposits. He also
mentions the presence OF very great
quantities of low grade rock. which in
course OF time Will doubtless be mined. !
For instance In the Snake River cam
yon I'm western Wyoming he noted a to-
tai thickness Of phosphate beds exceed !
ing forty feet. of which about twenty !
nine feet contain more than 30 per cent
phospborc acid and some beds contain
general lack OF knowledge regarding |
phosphate deposits. Mr. Blackwelder |
mentions an excavation in the phosphate !
beds near Teton pass. This tunnel. dug
more than fifteen years ago. was made |
on the suppositicn that the black ma !
torial was coal. It's real nature Was not |
recognized. and throughout tho district
the very existence OF phosphate deposits |
seemed TO be unknown to the inhabitants. |
San Francisco Oil Stocks.
James A. Pollock & Co. bankers and |
brokers. furnish Lhe following. rnceiNnd |