Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-05-14

waste of their bodies In the coral till
the lower crevices were filled and, a
gradually rising body of guano at
tanned at length level with the tops
of the pinnacles, and then rose above
them and lay in level plateau across
the island.
Vast Phosphate Deposits.
On the margin the rains, the winds,
and the breakers, spouting high
against the coral, washed away this
deposit, so that ramparts of bare pin
nacles stood up and still stand. all
around the island; but the coral walls
back from the shore held safe the
treasure. After this the teeming bird
life deserted the island, how or why
is mystery.
Then under Natures forces a trans
formation occurred. Guano is chiefly
phosphoric acid and nitrogen; coral is
chiefly lime. Somehow, by the close
contact, the guano became changed
into phosphate of lime, which is guano
raised to the nth power. 1t had now
become a hard rock, odorless and
generally colorless, although some
specimens show fine, dark stratifica-
ton and take a high polish.
A British trading company operat-
ing from Sydney discovered phosphate
on Ocean island, smaller neighbor Of
Nauru, and then found the larger de-
posits on the latter island. A lease
was obtained from the Germans on a
partnership basis and when the World
war started the exploitation was prov
ing profitable for both groups.
There were exciting times on the
little islands during the war. An Aus
tralian warship called, replaced the
German flag by the British and re-
ceived the agreement of the German
residents to submit 70 British control.
But when the ship had sailed away
the Germans seized control and de-
ported the British residents to Ocean
island. 1t was months before word
could be gotten to the outside world
and another ship sent TO arrest the
Germans and restore British control
on the island
Nauru has about twelve hundred ma
tives. In 1913 all indicated their de-
sire to become British subjects.
How Phosphate Is Mined.
Phosphate is mined by Chinese
coolies in open quarries, but these
are not like stone quarries, where
everything is taken out as the work
progresses. The phosphate is packed
between the coral pinnacles as
tightly as the filling in a tooth and
must be excavated, leaving the pin
nacles standing
There is, perhaps, no hotter work
ing place on earth, for as the work.
men descend, digging and blasting.
they are below the level of the trade
winds cool breath and exposed to
the fierce rays Of the tropic sun.
When coolie has filed a pair Of
baskets he hangs one on each end of
a carrying-pole and makes his way by
devious paths through the worked-out
places to central carrier, called the
flying fox" running on a cable. He
humps his baskets and trots back for
another load, while the carrier con-
veys the phosphate to hopper, a tall
wooden tower with chutes. from
which it is dropped into cars ready to
take it to the dryers. huge buildings
containing crushing and drying ma
chinery and storage bins for the fin
ished product.
Two classes of laborers, the workers
in the phosphate field and the loading
crews on the cars and boats, include
few natives of Nauru. The former. az
we have seen, are Chinese coolies. the
latter Kanakas recruited from other
islands.
Nauru is about seven and a half
miles long and half as wide and is
shaped like an oyster. It is bordered
by the reef, which is bare at low tide,
and inside of which is a beach of
white coral sand. The beach above
tide level is covered with coconut
palms, interspersed with pandanus and
other trees and shrubs.
Back of the coconut plain rises a
palisade of tall coral pinnacles whose
summit is the phosphate plateau.
which is covered by forest of ever
green trees, the most common one be-
ing the tamanu with handsome deep
green leaves, resembling laurel, and
flowers like orange blossoms.
In the center of one end Of the
island is a small lagoon surrounded
by coconut grove The broad plateau
is uninhabited. as the natives live only
under the coconut trees.