Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-08-06
SALT MiNUFACTORY.
rFrom the Barnsiabie Journal

whether regarded as source VI buN"e
or as branch of our national Industry Is one u
no little importance. Necessity compelled 'ne
inhabitants Of this county to engage IN II; anu
under the fostering care OF our government !,s.
they have been encouraged to invest million
and half Of dollars in this manufacture. we
shall give history OF the establishment OF tne
manufacture in this county; an account OF the
improvements which have from time to time oeeu
made 10 the manner Of constructing salt WORKS.
and, of the present condition OF the manufacture
Sixty years ago, there were many small estab-
Iishments in this county FOX boiling salt IRON sea
water. That of Messrs. 0bed i. Smith and Joo
Chase. at Harwick, consisted Of twelve kettles.
of sixteen gallons each, set in mason work. anu
protected by low building. from the weather.
At first, they raised sea-water BY hand pump
afterwards by a windmill, and conveyed II IN
shouts to the boilers. This establishment was
continued till after the close of the revolutionary
war, a period Of more than twenty years. In
Falmouth and Barnstable, there were similar es
tabishments In TACT, the restrictions imposed
on our commerce by the British parliament Ior
several years prior to the revolution, by cutting
off the supply of foreign salt. compelled almost
every man on the seab0ard to become petty ma
nufacturer. The exhOrbtant price OF f"reign
s,It. and the distress occasioned by the revoiu-
ton obliged many TO continue this petty business,
and induced others to adopt other means tor ma
king salt for their own consumption. Soon alter
the close of that war, boiling salt was dlscontinu
ed. and has not since been resumed 10 this coun.
ty.
The salt made by boiling was very inferior
article. II was fine grained, and imperfectiy Sc
narrated from the lime salts Of the bittern. and
other impurities contained in sea-water. OF the
labor and xpense Of boiling salt, we may, with.
out entering into an exact calculation, form a
very correct estimation. In order to obtain
single bushe Of SALT eight barrels, or 252 gallons
Of sea water had to be evaporated, Tor the most
part, in kettles III adapted to that purpose, hang
ing over fire, or set in mason work unprotected
from the weather.
An apparently unimportant observation. one OF
those small incidents which often pave the way
to great discoveries, established the fact that salt
could De made in this climate by solar evapora-
ton. Several salt boilers at Harwch remarked
that some clam shells on the sea shore contained
minute chrystals Of salt These they concluded
must have been formed by the drying away OF the
water left in them by the tide. The correctness
Of this opinion they soon ascertaned oy ming
several. and setting them on pusts. MIR. Am
miel Weeks, of that town, made another expert.
Uructed shallow box, open at the top, six feet
in length by two'in width, and divided into three
compartments by narrow strips of board placed
crosswise on the inside. This he filled with sea-
water, and exposed to the suns rays in fair wea'
Their. and at other times kept il covered. Win
this simple apparatus, he manufactured salt suftl'
Gent for his own consumption This experiment
was made in the year IVA or 1775, and was
probably the first salt made in New England BY
solar evaporation.
About the same time that Mr. Weeks made his
experiment, an unsuccessful attempt to manufac-
ture salt was made at the Isle of Shoals. A vat
about ten feet square, and foot in depth, was
scooped out in the ground, and made tight with a
layer of CLAW. Over this rude frame was plac-
ed to support the boards that were laid over it to
form a covering on the approach Of a storm.
The first attempt to manufacture salt in works
constructed ON the plan now generally adopted
in this country, was made in 1875 or 7, by John
Sears Of Dennis. He was poor man and had
previously led sea.faring life. Possessing an
inventive genius, he conceived plan for manu-
featuring salt b. less tedious aud less expens.
i've process than the buillns down OF sea water.
Wanting the means to test the practicability OF
the plan, he associated himself with Edward
Sears, Christopher and Edward Crowell. The
latter had seen the works at the Isle OF Shoals,
to which reference has been made; but it does not
appear that John Sears had any knowledge that
salt had ever been made IN works similar to the
ones he proposed building.
The situation which they selected for the cree.
ton of their mandatory, is on Quivet Neck, in
the nurtherly part Of Dennis, Then Yarmouth
at a small distance from the sea shore. The vat,
or bottom, as it is generally called, was con.
structed 100 feet in length and 10 in width and
all on the same level. The flooring was white
pine plank laid on oaken sleeprrs. The latter ruu-
ming Cross wise, and the former lensthwise. The
sunnes were also Of plank, eight inches deep and
secured on the flooring By upright pieces morti.
sej into the ends of the sIeepers, and by knees
passing under the flooring and on the outer sides
Of the gunnel pieces. The corners Of the vat
were also secured by knees. The roof was Curl
ously fashioned. Rafters grooved on each side
were permanently fastened to the gun nels. at the
distance of from FIVE to six feet Of each other
The doors were made of corresponding width,
consisted Of several boards Of the same length with
the rafters, cIamped together like a common