176 



EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1899. 



California deposits have in times past been worked at Clear Lake, in 

 Modoc County, in Colusa Count3% in Tehama County (Specimen No. 

 30118,r.S.N.M.), and in Napa County (Specimen No. 6769T,l'.S.N.M.). 

 The Louisiana deposits lie in strata of Quaternary age, and are derived 

 from g-ypsum. The following facts relative to this deposit are from 

 Professor Kemp's paper, already alluded to : 



Probably the richest and geographically the most accessible of the American 

 localities is in southwestern Louisiana, 230 miles west of New Orleans and 12 miles 

 from Lake Charles. The tirst hole which revealed this sulphur was sunk hi search 

 of petroleum, of which the presence of oil and tarry matter on the surface were 

 regarded, quite justly, as an indication. While more or less of these bituminous 

 substances were revealed by the drill, the great bed of sulphur is the main object of 

 interest. A number of holes have since been put down with the results recorded 

 below, and they leave no doubt that there is a very large body which awaits exploi- 

 tation. The first explorations were made by the Louisiana Petroleum and Coal Oil 

 Company. It was succeeded by the Calcasieu Sulphur and Mining Company. The 

 Louisiana Sulphur Mining Company followed, and now the owners are the American 

 Sulphur Company. The records of four holes are appended. Nos. 1 and 2 were the 

 first sunk, and were about 150 feet apart. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 were put down in 1886. 

 No. 3 is n( )rthwest of No. 1 . 



Records of several of the bore holes that have penetrated the sulplnir hed. 



Strata. 



Clay, quicksand, and gravel . 



Soft rock 



Sulphur bed, 70 to 80 per cent 

 Gypsum and sulphur 



Depth of hole 



Original 

 well 

 No. 1. 



333 

 110 



108 

 ti80 



Granet's Wells. 



No. 2. 



344 



84 



112 



12 



No. 3. No. 4, 



426 



70 



119 



6 



1,231 



Van 



Slooten'i 



well 



No. 5. 



332 

 138 

 45 



(a) 



345 

 91 



110 

 57 



525 



603 



American .Sulphur 

 Company. 



No. 6. No. 7., No. 8. 



350 

 95 



125 

 32 



370 

 72 



126 

 30 



499 

 44 

 52 



596 



a Stopped in sulphur. 



Analyses from the large bed in holes No. 2 and No. 3 gave the 

 following: 



Depth. 



Hole No 



428 feet 



441 feet 



459 feet 



466 feet 



486 feet 



— feet 



— feet 



— feet 



540 feet 



Sulphur. 



Per cent. 

 62 

 70 

 80 

 83 

 90 

 80 

 75 

 80 

 68 



Depth. 



Hole No. S. 



503 feet 



533 feet 



549 feet 



552 feet 



604 feet 



Sulphur. 



