Feb.,
1912
T H E J O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGILYEERI-VG CHE.WISTR Y .
of timber also adjacent t o this line, and prepared the soil for the unexcelled culture of rice and sugar. The whole of these enormous commercial resources were placed by Him so t o speak in the front yard of this fortunate railroad and without the expenditure of a dollar for their advertising bureau, so t h a t I feel justified, in concluding, to call the Eoregoing “ T h e Economic Geology of the Southern Pacific Railroad. ”
S U L P H U R MINES O F THE UNION S U L P H U R COMPANY I N LOUISIANA.’ B y F H . POUCH
N r Frasch has given us a most interesting description of the discovery and development of Sulphur Mine and of the Frasch Process, b u t for which this enormous deposit of sulphur would to-day be absolutelj- worthless. Much t h a t he has told us was
FIG. I.-EYPLoYEEs’
’
After what Mr. Frasch has told us there is really nothing more to be said in further description of the process but if you mill allow me, I will try to give you some further details as t o the size of the deposit, the output and the method of storing, handling and shipping our product. After having done this, as it is customary to chaperon visitors to the mine, i t will be my pleasant duty t o conduct you over the mine as I cannot actually take you through it in the conventional way, the Frasch method of operating making the mine too damp and warm for comfort. I shall endeavor t o do this with the aid of about thirty lantern slides and some motion pictures. I think I should add t h a t the motion pictures’ were made during the past week, especially for presentation before you this evening so t h a t practically you will see the work going on as it was at the mine to-day. As a matter of fact the undeveloped films did not reach New York until Wednesday and I saw
DWElLLINGS
quite new t o me and so little has been published heretofore about these deposits which was authentic, that I think we are all t o be congratulated upon hearing at first hand so much of the inside history of the development of this, the largest sulphur mine in the world. Lecture illustrated by lantern slides and moving pictures, delivered a t the Perkin Medal Meeting. Soclety Chemical Industry, Chemists’ Club, Jan. 19, 1912.
I43
AT
SULPHUR M I N E .
the finished films for the first time late this afternoon. Sulphur Mine is located about three miles from Sulphur, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, a town of about 1,000 inhabitants on the Southern Pacific. From 1 List of titles of motion pictures of Union Sulphur Co. Mine shown by Mr. Pough: Entrance to Mine; Panorama of Works from Office; Scenes from Belt Line Train: Sulphur Wells and Derricks: Filling Bins with Liquid
Sulphur: Blasting Sulphur: Men Working in Sulphur: Loading Sulphur in Box Cars; Loading Sulphur in Open Cars; Dredge in Operation: Men Going Home from W o r k ; and Panoramic View of Workmen’s Homes,
I44
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L Aa17D E*YGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y .
600-700 men are regularly employed a t the mine, so t h a t you will see it is quite a community of itself, and every effort is made by the Company to further the comfort of the men. A complete sewerage systern has been established and the Company owns a number of houses, which i t rents to the older employees, the foremen and members of the office force a t a
FIG. 2 -.1
WELL
DISCHARGING 500
nominal rental. I t is compelled as a matter of public necessity t o operate a boarding-house for the unmarried men, but as this results in a yearly loss to the Company of from $8,000 to $10,000,it is hardly a paying enterprise. Mr. Frasch is so set against anything t h a t might be looked upon as an exploitation of the men or t h a t might lead to i t , t h a t not only
Feb.,
1912
is no company store or anything of t h a t nature permitted, but no private commercial enterprise of any kind is allowed upon o r near the Company’s property, unless a barber shop can be so classed. The sulphur deposit, as shown by test borings, is quite sharply defined and nearly circular in shape. I t is considerably more than half a mile in diameter,
T O N S O F MOLTEN
SULPHUR PER D A Y .
and I can assure you t h a t you will find your trip this evening much more comfortable than had you made it with me on foot last July, although as the mine is encircled b y a standard gauge railroad some three miles in length, we could have placed an engine and a flat car a t your disposal. While we claimEto be up-to-date in all other respects. we have t o confess
Feb., 1 9 1 2
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A S D E N G I N E E R I S G C H E - W I S T R Y .
that our passenger accommodations on the railroad are somewhat primitive. The sulphur apparently- was deposited in the cone of a great geyser, which dates back t o the tertiary period, and is contained in a limestone formation in the proportion of about 7 0 per cent. sulphur t o 30 per cent. limestone. The sulphur beds, which are underlain b y a bed of gypsum, extend t o a depth of 1100feet or more. SThen you visit the mine, the most conspicuous objects, next t o the well derricks which dot the landscape in great profusion, are the boiler stacks, of which there are over 130. each stack representing a
fact t h a t an almost negligible quantity of the steam generated is used for power. I n a building to the rear of each battery are located the pumps and superheaters. The latter are vertical, cylindrical receptacles, about 3 f t in diameter b y 16 it. high, containing a series of shallow trays over which water pours and is thus brought into intimate contact with live steam from the boilers The problem of heating the great quantity of water required for the operation of the wells t o the proper temperature was a difficult one and the method described is another of Mr. Frasch’s ingenious inventions. Possibly a better idea of the capacity of this
FIG. 3.--100,000-T0N BLOCKOF
boiler of 150-300 h. p. These boilers are arranged in eight batteries, containing with one exception 1 5 or 2 0 boilers each, and each battery is capable of operating a well. As a rule two batteries are placed in a group so t h a t one foreman can oversee both. The boilers are fired entirely with fuel oil and b u t three men, two firemen and one water tender, are required on each shift t o attend t o the firing, and the feed water in each battery. The total boiler capacity is in the neighborhood of 2 j , 0 0 0 h. p . and you will therefore see t h a t there is installed a t Sulphur Mine one of the largest industrial steam generating plants in the world, a unique feature of which is the
145
SULPHUR.
plant can be gained from the fact that the consumption of fuel oil amounts to 7 0 0 barrels per day a t each battery, when operating a t full capacity; that the average total daily consumption of water is about 7 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 gallons, and the average yearly consumption of fuel oil over I , O O O , O O O barrels. The enormous amount of water required for the boilers and superheaters is provided for b y means of a pumping station located on the Houston River, about 6 miles from the mine. This pumping station contains a centrifugal pump having a capacity of IZ,OOO,OOO gallons per day and the water is carried to the mine b y means of a private canal. To sup-
146
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G CHEiMISTR Y .
plement the pumping station and provide against breakdowns, there is an artificial storage reservoir, covering 1 5 0 acres. The wells are sunk in groups the individual wells being placed 50-100 feet apart, and one well will sometimes produce as high as 400-joo tons of sulphur per day, and keep up a steady flow for months a t a time-in one case the output from a single well reached 73,000 tons. I might say here t h a t one of our wells is now producing considerably more than 500 tons a day and has been for some weeks. The average output is over 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 tons per year but the only limitation is the market demand.
FIG.4.-LOADIXG
35
Feb.,
1912
daily. As the bed of sulphur grows in thickness, the sides of the bins are raised by means of additional uprights and planking until they reach a height of 60 f t . or more. When a bin is filled, another is built alongside of it, as shown in the pictures, so t h a t in this way (Fig. 2 ) continuous blocks of sulphur may be formed several hundred feet in length by 1 5 0 feet or more in width, and, as I have said, 60-65 feet in height. Blocks of sulphur have thus been formed containing as much as I j o , o o o tons. STThen i t is desired t o ship the sulphur, a movable track is laid as a spur from tHe main line, parallel t o the long side of the bin. The boards from this
T O K S OF SULPHUR I N 14 ~ \ I I N u T E S .
The liquid sulphur as i t flows from the wells is so pure t h a t we are able t o guarantee a sulphur content of 9 9 1 / ~per cent., for as a matter of fact the average purity is well above t h a t figure. The sulphur is collected and stored in large bins about 150 by 2 5 0 ft. square, which are made by setting posts into the ground t o which are nailed 2” X 12” planks of suitable length. The sulphur is delivered into the center of these bins and caused t o spread in thin layers about I ” thick, which cool so rapidly as t o permit continuous operation. A separate bin is used for each well in order to permit accurate measurement of the output which is carefully taken and recorded
side are then removed and the sulphur thrown down by means of blasts placed near the bottom of the pile. The sulphur is then picked up and loaded into cars b y means of locomotive cranes fitted with grab buckets capable of handling 2 tons a t a time and of loading a 35-ton car in 14 minutes. Shipments from the mine have frequently reached 1,000 tons per day for periods of 20-30 consecutive days. A large quantity of sulphur is shipped directly from the mine in closed cars which are loaded by box car loaders, but by far the largest portion of the sulphur is shipped b y rail in open, bottom-dump cars to Sabine, Texas, in trains of about 20 cars,
Feb., 1912
T H E J O URiVAL OF I N D U S T R I A L AAiD E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y .
where i t is loaded into steamers for distribution along the Atlantic Coast and for export t o Europe. The loading plant at Sabine has a capacity of from 600-So0 tons per hour, and the facilities are such t h a t i t is possible for a 75oo-ton steamer to dock, load and sail within 1 2 hours. It is customary for the steamers t o come t o the dock with the hatch covers raised, and while I was a t Sabine last January 1 saw our own steamer, the “HERJIAN FRASCH” begin t o load sulphur within 1 5 minutes from the time she was made fast t o the dock. The “HERMAN FRASCH,” I might say incidentally, was built for us a t the Quincy yards of the Fore River Shipbuilding Company and launched in December, 1909. She has a cargo-carrving capacity of g j o o tons and we are now contemplating building a second ship of
somewhat smaller capacity. I n addition to our own steamer we usually have two or three steamers under charter. The sulphur is handled a t Sabine b y means of cranes and grab buckets similar to these used at the mine, which deliver the sulphur into hoppers, from which it falls upon a rapidly moving system of belts, which carry i t t o the dock and up a n incline t o a height of about I O feet above the steamer’s deck. From the inclined belt it falls into a n adjustable iron chute in the form of a pipe which telescopes, from which i t drops into the hold of the steamer. By turning this iron chute from side t o side, i t is practical t o load the cargo so evenly t h a t no trimming is required in our own steamer, or vessel designed for carrykng bulk cargoes.
I
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING A. C. S. PROGRAM OF PAPERS.
At the forty-fifth meeting of the American Chemical Society, held in Washington, December 2 7-3oth, a large number of important and instructive papers were presented under the various divisional heads. The following program indicates the character of material discussed. The greater portion of these papers will appear in t h e Journals of the Society. D I V I S I O N O F I N D U S T R I A L C H E M I S T S A N D CHEMICAL E N G I N E E K S .
G. D. ROSENGARTEN, Chairman. F. E. GALLAGHER, Secretary.
I47
The Estimation of Absorbed Gases and Oxygen in Copper by Ignition in Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen. By G. L. HEATH.
Synzposiurn
0%
iVinoral Wastes.
Informal discussions of losses in the preparation and utilization of mineral products, and of wastes, inefficient methods and proposed improvements of processes in the chemical technology of mineral substances. Carbon Waste. By J. -4. HOLMES. ( a ) Zinc Losses in Brass Manufacture. ( b j Need of Special Alloys for Special Uses. By W. H. BASSETT. Losses of Combined Nitrogen. By J. D. PENNOCK. New Uses to Reduce Abuses in Conservation. By W. R.WHITNEY.
Relation of Ultimate Composition to Calorific Power in Coal. Wastes in the Ceramic Industry. By -4.Y. BLEININGER. D. A. BARTLETTA N D Iv. E. WEATHERLESS. The Abuse of Brand. By .4.D. LITTLE. By H. C. SHERMAN, Relation of Proximate Composition to Calorific Power in Coal. Waste and Conservation of Potash and Phosphoric Acid. By A N D S. H. REG(Preliminary Report). By H. C. SHERMAN F. K. C A M E R O N . ESTER. Sulfur Fumes and Flue Dust. By F. G. COTTRELL. Preliminary Note of the Production of Mercury Fulminate. Miscellaneous Mineral Wastes. By CHARLES L. PARSONS. By CHARLES E. MUNROE. The Present Status of the Gas Industry and its Outlook. By CHARLESE. MUNROE. DIVISION O F A G R I C U L T C R A L AND FOOD CHEMISTRY. New Forms of Gas Analysis Apparatus. By G. A. BURRELL. New Forms of Apparatus for Gas Analysis. By F. hl. KILLIAMS. I I E. B A R N A R D Chairnknn. , B. E CURRY, Secretary Problems in the Manufacture of C. P. Acids. By J . T. BAKER. A Rapid Method for the Determination of Vanadium in Steels, A Study of the Pollution of the Ohio River Bordering Indiana. Ores, etc., Based on its Quantitative Inclusion by the PhosBy H. E. B A R N A R D , Chairman’s Address. phomolybdate Precipitate. By J. R. CAIN A N D J. C. HosA Modification of the Tiemann-Schulz Method. By IV. A. TETTER. WITHERS A N D F. W. SHERWOOD. Valuation of Fluorspar. By ERNSTBIDTEL. Determination of Small Amounts of Caffeine-A Comparison of The Quality of Commercial Kerosene. By L. B. LOCKHART. Methods. By B. L. MURRAY. Notes on a New Type of Extraction Thimble. By P. A. BOECK. The Filtration of Soil Solutions. A New Filter for this and Similar The Effect of Filtration upon the Physical Properties of Petroleum Purposes. By W. H. Ross A N D R. C. BENNER. Oils. By J. P. SIMMONS A N D 0. J. STEEPLE, JR. The Presence of Lead and Copper in Cream of Tartar and TarThe Direct Determination, of Small Amounts of Platinum in taric Acid. Technical Methods to Purify These Products. Ores and Bullion. By F. P. DEWEY. BRUNSCHWIG. By FERNAND The Product Patent. By F. P. SUMMERS. The Forms of Phosphorus in Cotton Seed Meal. By J. B. The Use of Potassium Cyanide Solution in the Investigation RATHER. of the Structure and Conductivity of Copper, Copper-covered An Electric Conductivity Test for Purity of Maple Syrup. By Steel and Other Metals. By J. 0. HANDY. J. F. SNELL. An Apparatus and Improved Method for Determining QuantiA Brief Study of the Phosphorus of theMati8re Noire. By JOHN tatively Hydrogen Sulfide in Illuminating Gas. B y E. P. STEWART. HARDING A N D E. JOHNSON. The Composition of Free Oyster Liquid. By EMMA CRAXDAL. Free Lime in Portland Cement. By H. E. KIEFER. New Data on the Composition of Prepared Mustards. By Glass Analysis. By W. C. TAYLOR A N D E. C. SULLIVAN. H.E. BISHOP.
