davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1917-09-30

way chemically by the sea water and
was precipitated in this form until 1t
found lodgmcnt in the shells or the
minute organisms. How the potash
came into the glauconite is one OF the
puzzles of science, but it Is thought
that it was derived originally from the
sea water, which in turn may have alb
sorbed it from the feldspathic rocks
and other washings from the land.
1t Will be seen, therefore, that ma
ture for thousands and perhaps mil
lions of years has been reducing and
grinding the material which composes
tho green sand. The waves and the
mountain torrents had been working
through the icons. The little shells
have been acting as receivers of the
accumulated potash and the greenish
coloring matter which goes with it.
In some localities in New Jersey and
also in other States nature seems to
have especially prepared for this new
potash industry. AS lime Is so much
needed there are often just beneath
the green sand layer strata of small
shells composed largely Of lime. They
can be burned and from them the lime
obtained for combining with the sill
cate
Tho green sand belt is about 1000
miles IN length, often fifteen to twenty
miles in width and on an average from
ten to fifteen feet in thickness. There
are places where 1t is as deep as 15(
feet. with such bountitil supply il
Is not likely that the new corporation
will suffer for lack of material nor fai
to make satisfactory arrangements fol
obtaining it from land owners.
The corporation has plant at Jones
Point, not far from Havcrstraw, where
it has been producing the potash botl
from feldspar ground in its mill ant
also from the glauconitc, the feldspal
which was reduced by the mills O
Neptune. 1t was at this plan: that
chemist acting under instructions from
the War Industries Board of the Coun
Gil OF National Defence spent tw,
weeks investigating the process. Hi
report was so favorable that Car
Vrooman, Assistant Secretary Of Agri
culture, made the recommendation con
cerning the steel. The metal will b
needed not only for the structure
work but also for the building of tn
huge disesters, twenty feet in height
required in handling the solutions.
The sun., 1917-09-30

forms and some Of the types, seen
under the powerful lens. appear like
mosaic For research purposes
the carbonate OF lime is dissolved
out and the casts of the calca-
reous organisms displayed. The
chambers Of the shells had been filled
or partly filed with red, yellow or
green casts In various stages of con-
solidation. In the formations of glau-
conite found In existing oceans there
may be seen arabesquelike patterns
IN blue and green upon brown'sh
ground.
With these colorcd granules, the
chief of which now seems to be the
green sand, most OF us are familiar.
1t was the custom years ago for WIS.,
itors to take home from the seashore
little vials OF the bright hued parti-
cles-red, yellow and green. There
were scoffers who believed that these
were dyed but as matter Of fact the
motley silicates were usually direct
from the laboratory of old ocean.
/ Prof Bailey sent samples of green
sand to Prof. Ehrenberg in Germany
who made a report on them to the
Royal Academy of Sciences In Berlin
The Teutonic savant seems at that
time, however. to not have grasped
the commercial possibilities in the
material.
DIR. Ehrenberg reported that the fill'
ing up of tho shells was due to 6
peculiar species Of natural injection
and is often so perfect that not only
the large and coarse cells, but also the
very finest canals of the cell walls ant
all their connecting tubes are thus
petrificd and separately exhibited. by
no artificial method can such fine ant
perfect injections be obtained
Although green sand is found on thu
land which was once under the anclen
pelagic wash, 1t Is also being forme,
or the floors Of existing seas. Th'
same processes which made It In tn,
Silurian epoch are still in progress. a
was shown by the dredgings made b.
the Challenger. Sir John Murray an
Prof. A. r. Renard deal with this in
teresting marine deposit in their re
port describing the Investigations mad
by the famous vessel in which the
voyaged about tho world. They be
lieved that the Glauconlte existed In
free state in the mud of ocean bottom,
and that 1t was acted upon In som
The sun., 1917-09-30

any lock on the Panama Canal. The
siphon lock at Oswego has a lift Of 25
feet, and is the first lock Of its type to
be built in tho United States and the
larges of its kind in the world.
In order to make the system COM
plete in every particular and equal to
every modern demand, there are many
other striking features. Of which only
few can be mentioned now The
most conspicuous of these are:
! I. The movable dams. These dams,
unique in this country, retain the
I waters Of the Mohawk River and will
be raised or lowered to govern the
depth of the water in the canalized
river bed
.. The big dams at Delta and Hinck-
ley, which impound water and create
two lakes each with an area OF hHc
| square miles. The stored up water is
| TO be let into the canal channel during
4 the dry period of summer so as TO IN
sure a minimum depth of twelve feet.
3. The massive steel guard gates
! which protect the various locks and
other works.
! 4. The curved fixed dam at Crescent
which is located above the Waterford
locks.
! 5. The 800 new bridges which carry
the railroads and the highways across
the Barge Canal.
G. The automatic spillways which
helm TO maintain the water levels II
the canal.
:. The fifty foot Taintor gates. the
largest in the world.
8 The power houses where electrical
mower is created for operating th'
canal structures.
1t has been estimated that 1t VII
be eminently practicable to run heet
of four 1000 ton barges in operatin;
The sun., 1917-09-30

fine. deep green. Placed in the di-
gester with lime, it goes through the
same chemical changes as does the
feldspar and yields from I to per
cent OF the much desired element. The
residue mixed with 90 per cent. ordi-
nary sand is made into bricks also.
These bricks are a delicate green.
which adapts them for ornamental pur-
poses in architecture just as moulded,
and when they are buried they. as
sumo light reddish brown tint which
is not much different from the pale
terra Gotta.
Tho bricks are not so good as the
feldspar kind. but they are said by
experts 70 be better than the average
pbricks of commerce. Mr.. Meadows be-
lieves that they can be sold for So a
thousand, which in his opinion would
about pay the cost OF making the
potash. The by-products therefore
pave the way to success.
As the green sand is so plentiful It
could probably be obtained for twenty
five cents Il ton. Whatever happens
after the war, there should be no COM
petition with Germany which In the
ODiiilon vi tHc ilNchtOIS NOulu IlOL DC
met by their process Of extraction
The Germans would be competing
against an ineXhaustible supply OF
raw material.
The remarkable part OF the develop
ment of the new process is its SIM
plicity. Why nobody ever thought OF
1t before Is as mysterious as Is the
nature of this verdune memento OF
the prehistoric seas. Green sand had
been used for years as a fertilizer
especially in New Jersey, where three
decades ago it was the subject OF O
special report by the state geologist.
The presence of green sand wa,
noted as early as 1928 by Alexander
Won Humboldt. 1t was not, however
until the microscope was applied thai
any light on its composition wa.
gained. 1t was observed in 1845 by
Prof. ]. w. Bailey. an American, tha
the substance had been deposited II
minute sea shells and that in man,
cases what appeared to he merel,
grains were In reality casts OF the In
terror OF the homes of tiny organism
which had lived millions of years ago
The traces of organic life in tn
green sand are often in bewildcrinl
The sun., 1917-09-30

Since the mechanical features or the
system have been installed and tested
the original time factors OF WORKING
have been found to be oNerSenerous
That is to say. tho locks can he hlled
and cmpticd and the gates opened ana
closed much more quickly than was a'
first deemed possible. This means
that il will be practicable to handle
promptly greater volume of traffic
Cen. Wotherspoon says the canal Is
fully capable of transporting IN each
direction in the course OF naN1sa-
ton season of seven months lo,ooo,ooo
tons. That Is. it can do the work or
COZ 600 freight cars. This is fact OF
The sun., 1917-09-30

had made . rich return for all the
moneys spent upon 1t when . balance
was struck In 1883.
At that time the canal had . depth
of seven feet and could float q boat
carrying load Of 240 tons, and not
withstanding the expense Of enlarge
ment and the outlays for maintenance
and operation 1t was then found that
tho Erie had. earned over and above
its original cost and upkeep charges
the sum Of 342.00O.00O. Not only that
but the Erie and its branches unques-
tionably wrought a social, industrial
and commercial revolution within the
State.
No wonder then that agitation per-
sisted for the betterment Of these
waterways SO that they could COM
pete on more even terms with the
rival land lines. 1t was believed by
many economic students. especially
those who had Investigated European
inland water traffic. that the New York
State canals could again become po-
tent aid to commercial and industrial
development. Not only that but they
were convinced that such agencies
would be needed. brought up to date,
Of course, to make 1t possible for New
York to win its share of trade in the
marts Of the world. Therefore in 1908.
almost nine decades after Clinton's
canal was begun. the people Of the
State decided again to enlarge the
waterway and to make it a so-called
Barge Canal capable of sustaining the
traffic Of craft Of 1000 tons and more.
Tsh> N>xw W~&>,v~.~
The present Barge Canal consists Of
four branches: the Erie. running
across the State from Waterford on
the Hudson River to Tonawanda.
where the Niagara River is entered
ana followed to Lake Erie, and thence
by a short run to Buffalo: the Cham
plain, running northward along tie
eastern boundary of the State from
Waterford to Whitehall at the south
ern end Of Lake Champlain; the
Oswego. branching from the Erie
Canal north Of Syracuse and running
northward to Oswego on Lake On
tario. and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal
leaving tie Erie west Of Oswego juno
ton and travelling southwark, con-
Meeting with two large lakes from
which II takes its name. The en-
largement Of this last canal was not
decided upon until 1909.
In technical phrase the old canals
were land lines, SO called because they
were artificial channels made by dig
ging excavations and rearing embank-
ments while avoiding natural streams
and lakes as far as possible for the
purpose of being beyond the reach OF
The sun., 1917-09-30
VIEW or TIE
ERIE CANAL
BELOW LOCK
Ne 4, WATERFORD

units, the leadlng barge ndVlnS power
enough to draw the three others along
at a speed of something like Elk miles
an hour. That is to say each fleet
win have q total freight capacity of
substantially $500 or $500 tons, de-
pending upon the motive power en-
ployed.
Just what this means can be better
realized II It Is borno in mind that
the average freight car when full
laden carries about thirty-two tons.
In other words. each canal fleet of
four 1000 ton oarges will transport
quite as much as 120 freight cars and
do the work under conditions that
make for easier reshipping and hand
ling at the terminal points, especially
IL the continued journey is to be by
water.
OF National Importance.
For some purposes, particularly
where faster service is desired. 1t Is
likely that 1000 ton barges will be
more suitable. and boats Of this sort
would in no wise be difficult to handle
in the locks or in the sharpest turns
in the canal. AS an indication OF
what is coming and also as an ex-
ample Of how conditions have changed
since the abandonment of animal trac-
ton the following instance recently
cited by Gen. w. w. Wotherspoon Is
of special interest. Speaking as the
! Superintendent of Public Works ne
! said:
"You will be interested to know that
/ a steam canal boat with one consort
/ each laden with 290 tons, has made
the trip from Albany to Syracuse
within the past month (July) in forty
six hours. Capt. George w. Taylor
who was in charge of the boats, IN
forms me that no effort was made Il
drive the craft at high speed or tt
made record but that the craf
nroceed,d steadily to destination.
THE route traversed by Capt. Tay
lor covered a distance of 157 miles, u,
which 121 miles were in the improved
canal channel. with twenty of the neV
locks. and thirty-six miles were II
the old canal, with four OF the sma!
locks. Previous to the Opening o.
tho improved canal channel a ho:s'
drawn boat consumed five days II
making the trip. and a steam cana
fleet perhaps four and one-halt dsyS
1t is no, outside the realm or poss!
hilitv that a fleet of boats with sun
cient power might make a trip lrou
New York to Buffalo and return IN
single week"
There is a popular notion that I'M
Erie Canal and it's branches play oh''
an unimportant part in the moNetheh
of freight 1t is true that the ehiai Se
ment and rcmodelling Of the systeii
has hampered the norma! flow OF 'rai
fc hut even so the figures point u
far fuller service when the routes ar
in full operation next year The fo'
lowing figures appear in the last an
nual report of the Chamber OF noh'
merce of the state of New YORK. Inc
show the estimated value of all prop
crtv transported on the canals OF IN
state each year, from 1905 to 1915 IN
elusive:
The sun., 1917-09-30
b John WALKER HARRINGTON

TOTASH enough to meet the needs
- of the nation for war and peace
L may soon be drawn from the
great banks of green sand which
stretch in a verdant band from Sandy
Hook to Florida. The Council of Ma
tional Defence evidently believes that
this can be done, for 1t has recon-
mended TO the Priority Board that
enough steel be supplied as soon as
possible for building a plant capable of
producing twenty tons of potash day
by the Charlton Meadows process
Many ways of solving the problem
rs to where the United States may OBJ
tain enough potash to mako into mu-
nitions and with which to fertilize her
fields have been suggested ever since
that fateful day in 1914 when the ma
tions went to war. The vending Of
this element had become In effect q
German monopoly. for In the father
land are large areas underlaid with
rock salt and other chemicals with
which potash is associated. Here was
soluble ore, easily worked and which
yielded this valuable product In sum-
cient quantities to enable the Teutons
to undersell the world When tho sup
ply was cut of potash and its salts
were marketed at prices which few
years ago would have seemed fabu-
lous.
Tho caustic grade which now brings
81. 800 was sold before the war for
500; potash carbonate. quoted these
days at about $500 a ton. was once
only one fifteenth of that price. The
cheapest form of the element. the
muriate, which before the war could
be had for $40. Ia now sold on q basis
Of $500 q ton.
Both our Government and private
enterprise devoted themselves to md
ing q way Of wrestling potash from
hard nature which would be at the
same time efficient and economical
Some progress was made in deriving
I the chemical from the kelp beds Of thu
Pacific, and recently attention wal
called to tho vast quantities Of 1t which
could bs obtained by. evaporating thu
The sun., 1917-09-30

saturated solution of salts which nils
Searles Lake, in California. Potash is
being derived from such sources, but
as 1t Is needed principally on the At
lantic seaboard the cost Of transport
ing 1t across the continent is almost
prohibitive.
The East has plenty Of 1t. but 1t is
locked up in feldspar, that double sill
cate of aluminium and potassium,
found In great abundance in the APP
palachians. Fcldspar was the subject
Of special investigation by DR..
Thomas II. Norton Of the Department
Of Commerce, and he drew attention
to tho enormous cost Of deriving the
chemical from such a fiinty source
Feldspar has the hardness Of granite
and the grinding Of it alone costs from
81 to So a ton. Actually it contains
about 10 per cent. Of potash.
Several years ago II. w. Charlton
perfected method of extracting
potash from ground feldspar which
seemed most effective. The powdered
mineral was mixed with the same pro-
portion Of lime and the mixture thrown
into a gigantic boiler where 1t was
ulSCStcu IOE tuEt0 With WdtcT
through which live steam was forced.
In the presence of a chemical reaction
potash was liberated which was dis
solved in the liquid. The solution was
then drawn Off. and the residue left
from evaporation Is potash in a form
practically pure. The limo and ground
feldspar remaining in the digester
mixed with sand was made into bricks
Of unusual excellence. Even at the
high prices which these bricks bring
in the market as a by-product the
cost Of production Of potash was still
very high.
It was at this stage that T. c.
Meadows appeared. He is an in
dustrial chemist Of experience In the
making of fertilizers.
"If feldspar costs so much to grind
az all this" said he. "why don't you
get something which Is already pull.
verized: green sand, for instance"
This was the beginning Of the ex.
periments Of the Kaolin Products
Company which was originated to de.
velop the Charlton process as revised
by Mr.. Meadows. Green sand is 9
double silicate OF potash and iron-a
The sun., 1917-09-30

working of power capstans. the buffer
beams, &c, is effected by series OF
small switches which are assembled in
a small box on one of the lock walls,
where they may be reached handily by
the man or men on duty.
The Barge Canal locks are 1928 feet
long and 4j feet wide. They will lift
at one time, from one water level to
another, six such boats as are at pres
ent in use. or LAO tons. This is not,
however. the total weight capacity, but
rather the bulk capacity OF the locks.
The sun., 1917-09-30

The most notable Of these locks are
the five at Waterford, near Troy,
which have a combined lift of 169 feet
within short distance, and constitute
the greatest series of high lift locks in
the world. Each Of them has cost
about a quarter of million of dollars,
The lock at Little Falls has a lift of
4Oi2 feet; and this is especially notable
inasmuch as 1t has n greater lift than
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1917-02-22

1890
THE PUBLIC FORUM
TO THE MEMORY OF CAPT.
BARRY. - A few days ago one of
ChicagO's prominent citizens in days
not so far agone was buried, but
have searched the papers in vain to
find any fitting tribute to his mem
DRY, and in some of them not even
mention of his burial l refer to the
late Capt. Miles E. Barry, one of Chi
cagO's best known boat owners and
lake men for 40 years.
Capt. Barry was not only well
known as a lake captain, but also
as a member of the city council, rep
resenting the 21st ward for many
years, and during his incUmbency be-
ing chairman of the river and haTbOr
committee, where he did splendid
work in behalf of all the peOplpe.
He was president of the Barry
boat companies, for several years,
and was a partner of VIM. Hackley,
the famous MuskegOn millionaire,
who died suddenly of heart disease
several years ago while on his way
from this city to his Michigan home.
His death was the cause of Capt.
BarTy's retirement from the steam
ship business. Had Hackley lived
they would have built up the largest
steamship business in the city, for
the former was worth $4O,OOO,OOO
and fully intended backing the bust
ness with all his means.
Capt. Barry began life on the lakes
at the age of IA years and rapidly
rose to the captaincy Of a vessel He
was known in every port on the
Great Lakes and will be missed by all
his comrades.
He was a man of good, clean char
acteT, having none Of the vices or
habits which so often are attributed
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1917-02-22
AID. HERMAN MILLER.

AID. HERMAN MILLER. - En-
closed please find front page of the
Journal, which is being distributed
like handbills in this ward. Marked
as they are and given away free in
saloons by the dozens, it shows the
principles of our alderman, Herman
Miller.
His intentions in the Journal may
be good, but his execution in keeping
our alleys clean and preventing dis
ease is rotten.
am a constant reader of The Day
Book and always will be. Being born
and raised in this ward, 1 cannot
stand for such false statements as
made in the paper enclosed. We
truthfuIly know conditions here.
Kindly make an investigation trip
through our alleys and neighbOrhOod
and results will explain themselves.
A Day-Book Reader.
Editors Note.-The Journal cons
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1917-02-22

to sailors before the mast. He did
not touch intoxicants of any sort, nor
did he use tobacco or drugs. No man
ever lived in this city who was more
liberal and charitable while he pos
sessed the means to be so. There was
no limit to his readiness to help his
friends, and l doubt not he was often
imposed upon by the spurious article,
for he once told me that if he were
to walk from the Chicago river to
Chicago avenue on Clark street and
collect the money due him from
those who owed him borrowed funds
that he would take up more than
100000, not one cent of which
would ever be repaid, and at this
time the captain was penniless.
Capt. BaTTy's last years were full
of tragedy and UnUtterable sorrow,
but there yet remained a few friends
who always welcomed his compan-
iOnship and did their utmost to cheer
him. One of these feels it incumbent
upon him to say these few words in
memory of the man and his virtues.
If there were more Capt. BarTys and
fewer RockefeIIers and Morgans, the
world would be a better place to live
in.-E. G. Ballard, 1856 N. La Sale St.
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1917-02-22

(the treaty.; for at present the cry
against the treaty is like that against
a mad dog"
By watchful waiting, as Pres. Viii
son has done with Mexico and is do
ing now with Germany, Washington
was able to keep out of two wars.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-10
GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
Out to Capture State Championship
 Honors Again This Season.

- It is evident that Windham IIieh School will put out as good a girls basketball team this year as last an :. last years team was practically unde- feated in this state. Only two of the previous years players are left but there are fifty candidates to choose from.
 The girls have been racticing sew erai times and the positions on the team are practically settled with the exception of one of the forwards. They will probably line up with Louise ChappelI who has played at the school in all of her four years. at center, Irene Vanderman and Helen probably hold down the guarding while MarceIla Kegler, one of the last years stars will be one of the forwards, while the other forward position is still a fight between Lizabell Lynch and Margaret Smith. Class teams will probably be formed to en1iven the sport at the school.
 The last years team was defeated onlv once in this state, at Naugatuck, while fighting for the state champion shin. but they trimmed this school twice in three games so they were state champions.
 ford, Morse Business College. Hart . ford but the date has not been set They will also play. Storrs. if a team is formed up there. The first game of the season will be nlayed at Rock vile. December 9th, with Rockville Hjeh School
 They are desirous of paving with any high school team within a req = sonahle distance of this city.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-10
was to the front wheel, which was snapped off.
Brief Mention.

Principal Hart of the South Coo entry Center school is spending the weekend with her sister in Norwich. Miss Anne J. Oates is spending the weekend at her home in Ellington. Pickett's orchestra played to a well attended dance in Putnam, Thursday evening. This (Saturday) evening they will play for a dance in Norwich. Charles A. Jones of the Normal school faculty has been appointed au- ditor at Storrs College and started in last Thursday. The work requires little Of his time and does not inter fede with his teaching at the Normal School.
 The first advertisements have been placed on the Council of Defense new billboard on the footbridge one stat :ng the purpose of the billboard and the other calling attention to the Y. M. c. A. war work. the Red Triangle which is on all letters which are writ ten at the front.