Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-10-02
CHILE PROFITS BY THE WAR
r Furnishes Nitrate of Soda for Making
Powder.

Furnishes Nitrate Of Soda for Making
Powder.
Where Is all the raw material COM
ing from for the vast amount Of pow
der that will be needed in the great
European war? That is a question that
South America can answer according
to a news note in the July number OF
the Monthly Bulletin Of the Pan Amer
lean Union, Washington d. c.
Strange to say, the one country in
the world in times Of peace supplies
the greatest agent to increase the pro-
ductiveness Of the earth, will now be
called upon for identically the same
agent to supply the means Of destruc-
ton. That country is the republic of
Chile and the product which has now
assumed such tremendous Importance
is the nitrate of soda which it supplies
to the world. The nitrate fields of
Chile form a wonderful asset in the
national economy, and this news note
states that the government will sell at
public auction in the city Of Santiago,
certain nitrate lands located In the
Province Of Tarapaca, thus opening up
for developing additional areas con-
tanning this remarkable product.
The greatest use in recent years of
Chilean nitrate has been Ito make two
blades Of grass grow where but one
grew before" and in this capacity II
has been blessing to humanity. The
use Of nitrate Of soda as a fertilizer,
though very general now, has been
known to our civilization less than a
century The story goes that an old
Scotchman who lived near the present
nitrate fields about 1851, spread some
soil containing white crystals over part
Of his gardens. Things planted in this
particular spot grew wonderfully.
Samples Of the soil were sent to Scot
land for analysis, and the nature Of the
substance and its value as a fertilizer
was soon established According to
tradition, however, centuries before
the Spanish conquest, the Incas of
Peru and some Of the natives Of Boil
via knew Of the fertilizing value Of the
white crystals, and are supposed to
have known how to produce them from
the crude material.
Today Chile enjoys practically a
world monopoly in the production Of
nitrate and it's use is constantly grow
ing. In 1913 the exports reached the
high-water mark. Nearly 100000
tons were shipped from the various
ports Of the country and went to In
crease the productiveness Of the soils
Of many different nations. Incidentally
Chile derives a golden harvest from
the product The revenue derived from
the export duty on nitrate, II equally
distributed among the inhabitants Of
the country, would give every man,
woman and child no less than SO an
nually. This great revenue Is being
used to build railroads, improve har-
bors foster education and to build up
the nation generally; and taking into
consideration the number Of it's inhab-
itants, makes Chile one Of the richest
countries in the world.
The Childean nitrate beds are found
in a strip Of country about 500 miles
long at distance varying from Is to
80 miles from the Pacific coast. The
deposits lie in great beds, or strata Of
clay or gravel The everything strata
are penetrated by small shafts or
drills on through the natural nitrate
beds to the underlying bedrock or
sub-stratu Of clay or gravel At the
bottom Of the shafts charges Of powder
or dynamite are placed, which, when
exploded break up and scatter the sur
face layers and the nitrate. The frag-
ments Of nitrate are then gathered
from the debris and carried in carts
or small cars to the Officinas or fac
tories, which convert the natural pro-
duct into the white crystals Of nitrate
Of soda, sack them, and then transport
them to the nearest port for shipment.
Just now, however the greatest de-
mand for nitrate will be to make
powder and other explosives. Nitric
acid is needed to manufacture nitro
glycerine, dynamite smokeless powder
and the various kinds Of high eXplo-
sives used in these modern times.
Even in times Of peace the United
States uses for manufacturing eXplo-
sives three times the amount Of nitrate
used in the production Of fertilizer. In
times Of war no estimate can be made
as to the amount the world will de-
mand, and doubtless the price Of Chi
lean nitrate will soar