The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-05-03
From the Charleston (Ta.) Republican.
KANAWHA SALT WORKS.


1t has been known to the public for
some two years that several extensive
salt furnaces in the Kama wha salt re-
gion have-been operated exclusively by
gas. The gas forcing up the water
from depth OF thousand or fifteen
hundred feet, and then being collected
in a barrel, which serves as a gasome-
ter, it is conveyed by pipe to the fur
mace, furnishing all the heat necessary
to carry on at the same time all the
processes of the manufacture OF salt to
its completion in an establishment ca
pable of making hundred barrels in a
day, and at night brilliantly lighting up
the whole works; thus saving the ex-
pense of steam-engine to pump up
the water. and all the fuel and lights.
Last week, in deepening one of the
wells of Messrs. Dickinson & Shrews-
bury, the auger struck steam of gas.
at the depth of one thousand feet, that
in quantity and force far surpasses any
thing of the kind heretofore discovered
here, or perhaps in the world. The
auger was pressed up with such force
as almost to overcome the exertions OF
the workmen to hold itdown while they
could unscrew the detachments. The
way being cleared, the gas having full
play, sent column of water one hun.
d. ed feet, land, if tubed, would no doubt
raise 1t to double that ',listance,) occa-
sionally discharging stones from the
size of a musket ball to that of hens
egg almost with the force of grape
shot from piece ofordnance. When
we were there on Thursday last, all
hands were engaged in active efforts
To gel down p'ugto check the force
of the gas, so rs to enable them to in
sert the tube. They have, we learn.
partially succeeded, and in few days,
both the gas and water will be turned
to good account. Serious apprehen.
sions were very Justly entertained Of
the destruction Of the furnaces in the
immediate neighborhood, as well as o.
the residence of Mr.. VIM. Tompkins
should this immense body Of gas take
fire, which il was thought might occur
from a steamboat passing on the river
so extensively was it diffused in the at
mosphere. A strong guard is kept up
nigh, and day to prevent such catas.
trophe. On Saturday, the third wei
from the one we are speaking OF took
fire, and, with the most active exertions
was not extinguished till considerable
damage was done to the works.
That our readers may have some idea
Of the extent Of natures laboratory OF
gas mandatory on the hanawba, we
will say that gas enough issues from
this single welI'to light all the cities in
the United States, and we think we
might safely throw in London, Paris
St. Petersburg, and a half-dozen Other
big cities of Europe.
Some entertain fears that both the
gas and the salt water will shortly fail
we incline to the opinion that the up
per stratum, the outskirts, the suburb.
only of the treasures of salt and gas, a.
well as many a subterranean wonder
are just now being reached. No mat
ter whose dominions down there may
be encroached upon, whether those o
Pluto or Eolus, our enterprising sal
manufacturers are as determined to ex
plore them, annex them, and revel il
their palaces, as the annexationists nr'
hy.and-by to revel in the halls OF th'
Montezumas.