The Sentinel=record., 1914-08-26
CHILE NECESSARY
IN time OF WAR
HER BIG NITRATE FIELDS FUR
NisH THE BASIS FOR THE Elk
PLoSlVES OF THE WORLD.
Present European War is Expected TO
Make Heavy Demands on This
South American Product.

Where is all the raw material COM
ing from for the vast abount of pow
der that will be needed in the great
European war? That is question
that South America can answer, ac-
cordlng to a news note in the July
number of the MONTHLY BULLETIN
of the Pan American Union, Washing
ton, ID. G..
Strange to say, the one country In
the world which in times of peace sup
plies the greatest agent to increase
the productiveness of the earth, will
now be called upon for identically the
same agent for the means of destrnc-
| ton. That country is the Republic
| of Chile, and the product which has
now assumed such tremendous inbort-
ance is the nitrate of soda 1t sup
| plies 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, on August 10, in the
| city of Santiago, certain nitrate lands
| located in the Province of Tarapaca,
| thus opening up for development ad-
| ditional areas containing this remark
able product.
| The greatest use in recent years of
| Chilean nitrate has been "to make
two blades or grass grow where but
one grew before and in this capacity
It has been blessing to humanity.
The use of nitrate of soda as IA fertil-
iZer, though very genera 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 1916,
crystals over part of his garden.
Things planted in this particular spot
| ,greW wonderfully. Samples of the
soil we're sent to Scotland for analys-
lis and the nature of the substance and
it, value as a fertilizer was soon es-
tablished. According to tradition, how
ever, centuries before the Spanish con
quest, the Incas of Peru and some OF
the natives of Bolivia knew of the
fertili2ing value of the white crystals,
and are supposed to have known how
TO produce them from the crude mater
lal
Today Grille enjoys practically n
world monopoy In the production of
nitrate, and its use is constantly grow
ing. In 1913 the exports reached the
| Ia. IL
tons were shipped from the yariols
ports of the country and went TO IN
crease the productiveness of the soils
OF many different nations Incidental
lily, Chile derives a golden harvest
from the product. The revenue derived
from the export duty on nitrate, If
equally distributed among the nhabi-
tants of the country. would give every
man, woman and child no less than
$40 annually. This great revenue IS
being used to build railroads, improve
harbors. foster education, and TO
build up the nation generally; and,
taking into consideration the number
of its inhabitants, makes Chile one OF
the richest countries in the world.
The Chilean nitrate beds are found
in strip OF country about 500 miles
long, at distance varying from 10 TO
90 miles from the Pacific coast. The
deposits lie in great beds, or strata,
overIying strata are penetrated Oy
and the product is easily mined. The
| small shafts or drills on through the
natural nitrate beds to the underlying
bedrock or substrata 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 surface layers and tho
nitrate The fragments OF nitrate are
then gathered from the debris and
carried in carts or small ears to the
lOFGCINAS, or factories, which convert
the natural product into the white
lerystals OF nitrate of soda, sack them
and then transport them to the near
est port for shipment.
Just now, however, the greatest de-
mand for nitrate will be to make pow
der and other explosives. Nitric ae.1
| l. UtGutd w Hltio-Sl1NNl-
inc, dynamite, smokeless powder AMI
the various kinds of high explosives
used In these modern times. Even in
times of peace the United States uses
for manufacturing explosives 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 word will demand
and doubtless the price of Chilean
nitrate will soar.