﻿II] 
  Generai. 
  Geology 
  : 
  Economic 
  Products 
  127 
  

  

  sulphur 
  is 
  drawn 
  off 
  into 
  tanks 
  about 
  65 
  feet 
  long 
  by 
  15 
  feet 
  wide 
  

   and 
  12 
  inches 
  deep. 
  After 
  twenty-four 
  hours 
  of 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  

   atmosphere 
  (the 
  tanks 
  being 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  uncovered) 
  the 
  

   sulphur 
  solidifies 
  and 
  is 
  broken 
  out 
  in 
  lumps 
  ready 
  for 
  shipment. 
  

   The 
  sulphur 
  obtained 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  99.93 
  per 
  cent. 
  pure. 
  The 
  

   pumping 
  was 
  done 
  as 
  in 
  oil 
  wells, 
  with 
  sucker 
  rods 
  and 
  working 
  

   valve 
  operating 
  an 
  aluminum 
  working-barrel, 
  alumnium 
  not 
  

   being 
  affected 
  by 
  melted 
  sulphur. 
  All 
  the 
  trouble 
  experienced 
  

   in 
  the 
  execution 
  of 
  this 
  novel 
  smelting 
  process 
  has 
  been 
  caused 
  

   by 
  the 
  working 
  valve 
  getting 
  out 
  of 
  order, 
  alumnium 
  valves 
  and 
  

   zinc 
  valves 
  not 
  being 
  of 
  sufficient 
  strength 
  to 
  withstand 
  the 
  

   shock 
  which 
  the 
  heavj' 
  column 
  of 
  the 
  sulphur 
  would 
  cause 
  at 
  

   change 
  of 
  stroke." 
  The 
  principle 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  air-lift 
  " 
  pump 
  was 
  

   applied 
  in 
  1896 
  and 
  by 
  this 
  system 
  the 
  Union 
  Sulphur 
  Company 
  

   was 
  enabled 
  to 
  pump 
  265 
  tons 
  of 
  sulphur 
  per 
  day. 
  

  

  Plate 
  9 
  shows 
  the 
  melted 
  sulphur 
  pouring 
  into 
  the 
  tank, 
  in 
  

   the 
  central 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  picture 
  ; 
  partly 
  crystallized 
  sulphur 
  in 
  the 
  

   tank 
  on 
  the 
  right, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  men 
  engaged 
  in 
  picking 
  out 
  

   and 
  wheeling 
  away 
  the 
  finished 
  product. 
  

  

  This 
  process, 
  while 
  entirely 
  successful 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  recovering 
  the 
  

   sulphur 
  was 
  concerned, 
  did 
  not 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  entirely 
  so 
  

   from 
  a 
  financial 
  point 
  of 
  view. 
  As 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  cavity 
  about 
  

   the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  pipe 
  increased, 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  heated 
  water 
  

   required 
  to 
  melt 
  the 
  sulphur 
  became 
  greater 
  and 
  greater 
  and, 
  in 
  

   time, 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  cavity 
  became 
  so 
  large 
  that 
  the 
  sulphur 
  

   could 
  not 
  be 
  economically 
  removed. 
  

  

  The 
  production 
  of 
  the 
  mine 
  in 
  1895 
  was 
  about 
  800 
  tons, 
  in 
  1896 
  

   about 
  4,200 
  tons 
  and 
  in 
  1897 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  1,000 
  tons. 
  The 
  mines 
  

   are 
  at 
  present 
  closed 
  and 
  there 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  prospect 
  of 
  their 
  

   reopening 
  in 
  the 
  near 
  future. 
  

  

  Clays 
  

  

  Ge7ieral 
  statement. 
  — 
  The 
  clay 
  wealth 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  has 
  been 
  but 
  

   imperfectly 
  investigated 
  and 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  survey 
  will 
  

   therefore 
  be 
  directed 
  very 
  particularly, 
  during 
  the 
  ensuing 
  year, 
  

   to 
  this 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  economic 
  products. 
  

  

  Good 
  brick 
  clays 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  alluvium 
  and 
  yellow 
  loam 
  

   and 
  are 
  also 
  found 
  in 
  several 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  hill-lands. 
  The 
  clays 
  

  

  