The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-13

lies in mammoth clods of all shapes
and sizes. and beyond are nothing but
bleak and bare sand There is no sign
of vegetation nor life OF any liind. All
is sand ana satl rock. The rock is of
different COlorS. in some places white
ana in others yellow. gray, lemon col
orcd or green. The nitrate lies in beds
or strata at some distance under the
surface. and the method OF getting it
out is to here a, round hole a foot i'm
diameter through the layers of sand
and rock above il and blow ii out with
hlastiug powder. The powder is made
on the spot. ana that out Of nitrate
similar to that which it is to blow up
The. only things required in addition
arc charcoal and sulphur. The eNplo-
sion breaks up the earth for a radius
of forty feet around the charge. and
thc charges arc put in in rows. so that
the mining can hc done in trenches
After the rock has been broken, it is
dug up with picks and crowhars 1t is
broken up into Jumps Of such size that
they can he loaded upon the cars. and
lie taken to the factories. whecr ii is
further reduced by machinery made for
the purpose.
Nitrate is seldom found pure in ma
turc As 1t lies in the desert it is
mixed with other rock. and the best OF
the deposits contain only from 40 10
80 per cent Of pure nitrate OF soda.
If tho ore contains more than 90 per
cent II is called caliche. and if less
than IL is Costra. The costra lies on
the TOP, and the calichc IS usually
io"nd underneath. Before the stuff
can he used II must he refined aud al
the earth and rock taken ont. The
Jaws require that the salts exported
must be ~ per cent or more pure !; is
such salts that form the nitrate OF soG:
of commerce.
There have been but fcw changes in
tho methods of nitrate reduction since
! visited this region, now more than
!iftccn years ago. There are many
moro oflicinas. as the nitrate factories
are called. and the output has been
quadruplcd: hut the methods of work
ing are just about the same. The aver
age ofiicina is collection Of great
buildings with tail snokcstacks rising
above them. II has thousands of dol
lars worth Of costly machinery, vast
tanks for boiling the nitrate rock and
cruShcrs like those Of smcltcr that
break the rock 10 pieces. 1t has set
Ting watts in which tho liquor contain
ing the pure nitrate of soda is left, un-
til 1t has dropped Its burden of val
liable salts. and also arrangements for
hagCinS the salts and shipping them
down 10 the scacoast over the rail
ROAD.
Some OF the largest plants OK this
kind cost millions of pesos. and some
Of them employ hundreds of men. Some
have an output of half-million
is one which markets in good season
as much a. 100000. 900 pounds per an
mum
The work 81 the big nitrate factory
is scientifically done. The rock is
crushed just so fine and boiled just so
much and no more. The boiling tanks
are usually situated in q building high
above the ground. Each is big enough
tn form Il hathtub for an elephant. II
is equipped With coils of steam pipe
That keep the temperature of the luid
within at Just the desired point. The
caltchc. or nitrate ore, is carried up an
Inclined railway and dumped into the
tank. Then the wator containing
certain portion OF nitrate of soda in
solution is allowed TO flow from tank
Ia tank. so IA TO act TO tho best adj
vantage ON tho salts within Expert
mcnis have shown just how much
water ANA how much salts should be
used. ana everything is done by the
rules tina, experience and science have
rTaAcd best for the reduction. II takes
three OF four hours Of boiling TO make
the liquid of the required density, and
when il is run off il looks for all the
world like Il pale maple molasscs or
thicll lemon syrup. II now goes into
the cryStalli2irg tanks. where il lies
for ten or fifteen DAYS During this
time the soda all drops To the bottom.
ana the tank is half fun Of what looks
Ike pure white SUGAR or salt. The
mother liquor. which floats on top, ia
nov drawn OF and returned to the
boiling tank to lie used over again, and
Tie salt is shovelcd out upon drying
floors. whcr" 1t remains until tho mois-
uire has all disappeared. 1t is now
fitted for export. and is haEGed up and
taken on the ears down to the sea
coast.
In my talks with the nitrate experts
OF chile. ! have learned much as to the
present extent Of the fields and their
future The AntofaGasta manager OF
The Nitrate Agencies. Limited. csti-
mates that there is enough sal, in sight
10 run the world for eighty years more
at the present rate OF consumption,
and there are others who say that the
nitrate fields VIII last for more than
4 century. There are three provinces
whose deposits are estimated at more
than 800, o00. 100000 pounds. Others OF
ing that there are now left only about
100000. "Ot,Obn pounds. These csti-
mates do not take into account the new
fields which are sure to he found. nor
the possibilities OF working over the
dumps about the oniciuas. which still
contain large percentage of nitratcs.