68 
THE  SULPHUR  PRODUCE  OF  ITALY, 
THE  SULPHUR  PRODUCE  OF  ITALY. 
The  sulphur  mines  of  Italy  have  long  been  famous  for  their 
yield,  and  their  present  productiveness  fully  sustains  their  repu- 
tation. They  are  now  producing  something  like  300,000  tons 
per  annum,  which,  taken  in  the  crude  state,  represents  a  money 
value  of  about  ,£1,200,000.  But  their  yield  has  only  become  so 
enormous  in  the  course  of  years,  the  average  yield  for  the  year 
1830  being  but  one-tenth  of  the  present  yield.  The  greater 
part  of  the  above  quantity  is  derived  from  Sicily  ;  the  Romagna, 
however,  commenced  to  increase  the  supply  some  seven  years 
since,  and  in  1862  was  contributing  about  8000  tons  per  annum, 
and  this  quantity  has  since  been  increased.  For  the  last  four- 
teen years  an  improved  method  of  separating  the  sulphur  from 
the  accompanying  limestone  has  been  successfully  practiced  in 
Sicily.  The  separation  of  the  sulphur  from  gangue  is  always 
effected  by  liquation,  the  necessary  heat  for  the  fusion  being 
obtained  by  burning  a  portion  of  the  ore.  This  operation, 
which  was  formerly  eifected  in  small  cylindrical  open  kilns,  is. 
by  the  improved  process,  performed  in  heaps,  which  are  often 
four  hundred  times  the  capacity  of  the  kilns.  The  ore  is  arranged 
in  a  manner  similar  to  that  adopted  in  charcoal  burning,  the 
air  being  excluded  by  an  impermeable  covering  of  earth.  The 
loss  occasioned  by  the  formation  of  sulphurous  acid  has  been 
greatly  reduced  by  the  new  process.  The  production  is  increased 
by  one-fifth,  and  the  new  heaps  can  be  placed  in  the  vicinity  of 
houses  and  gardens  without  objection.  Under  the  old  system  it 
was  necessary  to  keep  the  heaps  several  miles  away  from  dwell- 
ings  and  vegetation.  The  further  advantage  of  the  process  is 
that  the  heaps  may  be  fired  at  any  time,  instead  of  large  masses 
of  ore  being  kept  in  reserve  for  ignition  at  a  particular  season 
of  the  year.  Beyond  this  the  process,  which  formerly  was  one 
of  the  most  deadly  nature,  has  been  converted  into  one  almost 
free  from  danger  to  the  workmen, 
A  large  portion  of  the  island  of  Sicily  is  occupied  by  the 
gypsum  and  sulphur  bearing  formation,  which  extends  from 
Mount  Etna  to  the  neighborhood  of  TrapanL  The  rate  of  pro- 
ductiveness diminishes  towards  Trapani,  Caltanisetta  and 
Girgenti  boasting  the  best  mines?  Catania  and  Palermo  those 
