Sulphur mining in Italy

Before the Frasch extraction by steam, sulphur was mined from underground mines in Agrigento Province. Porto Empedocle's port was not deep enough to load directly onto larger vessels. The sulfur was loaded into bags which were in turn reloaded out further in the port. Since the 19th century that method of mining has been displaced by steam extraction wells around the world. In the late 1890's some of my ancestors did that back breaking kind of work in the Province. My uncle was employed at that kind of mining as a 12 year old.