The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-25
Potash From Nebraska.

Omaha, Neb., Sept. 2O.-Nebraska
may soon be ready to supply the de-
mand Of America for potash, the sup
ply of which has been absolutely cut
off by the European war. Already
Nebraska concern is shipping car
load after carload Of potash every
week to Eastern States, where it is
used as the base for farm fertilizers
and the output of the plant is soon
to be doubled or trebled in an effort
to supply the demand caused by the
lcutting off of the German supply.
! Reports have been circula ed Of de-
pOsits of potash in Montana, Wyom-
Ing, Arizona and several other states,
but the Nebraska mine is the first one
to actually produce the substance in
Quantities sufficiently large to pay to
ship to market and sell. Heretofore
the entire United States has been
forcd to depend upon Germany for
potash, but the necessity caused by
SN.S WA ''e'S piONSo oO
its effect that the American potash
Will hereafter come from within the
boundaries Of the United States and
not from Germany.
The Nebraska potash mine is in
sheridan county near Alliance and
about three miles from a railroad. In
stead Of being in mass the potash is
held in solution in the water and in
| the muddy bottom Of a lake. The
lake covers $50 acres to depth of
ten feet, and below the water there
lies stratum of mud from twenty to
thirty feet in thickness. Both the
water and the mud are strongly i'm
pregnated with potash, and it is from
water and mud that the commercial
potash now being shipped is taken.
| The Nebraska potash mine is a
pumping proposition and not a drill
ing for the mineral the owners work
big suction pumps and force the
heavy impregnated water direct from
the lake into great evaporating vats.
Here heat Is applied and soon the
water is driven off. leaving a residue
Iof potash, salt alkali and several other
substances. The potash is in such
quantities that it can be used con-
mercially. Thousands of pounds of
the mineral are taken out of the Lake
every week and shipped in all di-
rections.
Late In the summer the water In
the lake evapOrates and disappears
entirely, leaving behind nothing but
mud bank from twenty to thirty feet
in thickness. The potash concern
Idigs deep wells into this mud and the
water oozes through the mud into
| them. Then this water is pumped
to the plant and evaporated. 1t car
ries far higher percentage Of potash
| than does the water out of the lake
when there Is no shortage of mois-
ture and the water is twenty feet
deep.
The main body or ledge of the pot
ash has not yet been found, although
the search for it has been pushed for
the last five or six years Long ago
ut became known that there was
potash in the waters and mud OF the
lake, but instead of trying to utilize
the solution the owners of the pro-
perty spent their time in attempting
ITO find the body of potash whence
that in the lake came. Deep wells
were bored a different points in the
vicinity and the borings were examin-
ed very critically. Not an ounce of
potash was found. The waters of
other lakes and streams near Alliance
were found to be absolutely all right
and not impregnatcd with the potash
and none of the soil surrounding The
potash lake was found to be impres-
mated with potash.