828 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Oft. Doc. 



ing work, but largely through the intiuence of Mr. Kobert Adger, 

 the chief manager, operations were continued, additional capital 

 raised and the result was the remarkable financial success already 

 mentioned. Subsequent to the organization of the Coosaw Com- 

 pany, the Marine and Kiver Company failing to comply with the 

 terms of its grant from the State, forfeited its charter and retired 

 from business, because they had found mining unprofitable. The 

 Coosaw entered iuto new conditions and bonds directly with the 

 State for the territory it had previously worked under permits 

 from the Marine and Eiver Company, in 1876, and continued work. 

 After overcoming apparently insurmountable difficulties, employing 

 the best talent for mining and marketing its product, it has rewarded 

 its projectors, and paid handsome dividends to its stockholders. 



The i)hosphate deposits in South Carolina are designated under 

 the heads, viz: as '"Land rock'' and ^'Itiver rock," according to the 

 location in which it is found. These two classes vary some in physi- 

 cal characteristics, but not greatly in chemical composition. 



The most prominent characteristic of the native Carolina phos- 

 phate is its nodular form. Even w^here the deposits occur as an 

 apparently smooth and compact layer, or in large, flat cakes, it is, 

 nevertheless, composed of irregular nodules, partially cemented or 

 comi)acted together. Kearly all these nodules have the egg or 

 kidney shape. The exterior is sometimes rough and indented, often 

 honeycombed with irregular holes, and sometimes it is smooth and 

 compact. The surface is occasionally shiny and coated, as if with 

 enamel. Fossil shells, fish bones and teeth are not infrequently 

 found imbedded in the nodules, and other animal remains occur 

 in the same general deposits. The nodules vary in size from the 

 fraction of an inch to several feet in diameter, and weigh from 

 almost a ton downwards. Vvlien found, as much of this deposit is, 

 in river bottoms or under marsh mud, the color of the material 

 is a gray or bluish black. The land rock is usually of a lighter 

 color, yellowish or grayish white. The masses are easily broken 

 and ground to a fine pow^der, light yellow or gray, often becoming 

 so fine as to float in the air. In this extremely fine condition, and 

 before being treated with acid, the material is often called Floats. 

 There is no reasonable doubt that these phosphates came from the 

 remains of both marine and land animals, although it would be 

 out of place to give the evidence here. A long series of geological 

 transformations is involved, together with different eras of animal 

 life, and subsequent changes in the mineral matters themselves. 

 From several hundred analyses of the raw or simply ground Caro- 

 lina rock, the mineral has been found to contain on an average from 

 25 to 28 per cent, of phosphoric acid — 2.5 to 5 per cent, carbonic 



