St. Louis Paper - October, 1917 - The Sulphur Deposits in Culberson, Co., Texas (with Discussion)

The earliest mention of the sulphur deposits in what is now Culberson County, Texas, seems to be contained in " Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, United States War Department, 1853-54." Captain John Pope (he was not commissioned Captain until 1856) had charge of one of the divisions of the Survey. In his report on the geology of the route, William P. Blake noted the analysis of a greenish earthy powder from the bed of Delaware Creek, at the springs, which contained 18.28 per cent. of free sulphur. The report states: "From the chemical examination of the waters of the spring, by Dr. Booth, it appears that chloride of sodium is the principal solid ingredient, but considerable quantities of sulphide of sodium are present. ***** The waters from the springs examined by Dr. Booth were alkaline, but it is possible that some of the springs are acid; and in this case the precipitation of sulphur would ensue on the mixture of the acid waters with those charged with alkaline sulphurets and the origin of the deposits of sulphur would be thus explained." This is the first reference to the existence of sulphur in that region, the first mention of the character of the water found there and the first suggestion as to the origin of the deposits. The possibility of the existence of acid waters was confirmed by E. M. Skeats, nearly 50 years later.' In this publication, Skeats says that the water from the sulphur deposits in Section 11, Block 114, Township 6, contains 79.08 grains of free sillphuric acid per gallon. This locality is about 13 miles (21 km.) south . of Delaware Creek and about 35 miles (56 km.) east of the Delaware Springs. The next published reference to the existence of sulphur in Trans-Pecos. Texas is in the Pirst Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Texas, 1889, page 226, where W. H. von Streeruwitz mentions that sulphur is found in that region, but gives no further information. In the