Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-09-30
German Salt Mines.

correspondent of the Providence Journal,
in letter dated Constance, June 3, thus de.
scribes visi, which he made 10 the celebrated
sal, mines near Salzburg:
From Salzburg, where | arrived the next
day, made visit to the celebrated salt mines
of Hallein. They are situated upon mountain
half an hours walk from the town. Beneath
handsome brick house on the summit OF The
moun,nin is the entrance TO the mine. Another
gentleman and myself made the descent togelh-
er. We were obliged TO clothe ourselves In
large linen jackets and trousers, with black
leather apron tied on behind, and thus pictures
ouely accoulred, with ligh, in hand, we COM
menced the subterranean excursion. We first
trarersed long, narrow, and gently descend
ing passage, cut in the solid rock, un'ii we
came 10 steep and novel railway, going down
into darkness which our light could not pe','
citrate. The railway consisted of two smoolh
and round beams, about half foot apart, and
rope upon the righ, side which served as
baus,rade. We sat across the beams. our right
legs under the rope, which we grasped in our
hand, the guide being ahead, and as every thing
was slippery, away we went at the rate OF
twenty knots an hour down inio the abyss
Arrived at the bottom, we lraversed anotner
long passage, cut not in the rock, but in the sail
ore itself, The crysialized saline earth. from
which. by the operation of fresh water, the
clear salt. in The form of brine, is precipl'a'ed
These sab galleries are bordered on the sides
floor, and roof Soon We came 10 another rail-
road, whic we sho, down in The same exraordln
ary manner, reaching a second level, of which
levels there are eigh. Thus proceeding we
reached al last salt lake, illuminated for the
occasion, and over which we sailed, reminding
one of the passage of The S'yx. We 'her
PASSED .hruugh chambers containing portraits
of Austrian Emperors, of Salzburg Archbshops
and collections of minerals, until we arrived
wooden car upon which one rides sraddlt
ou, of mountain. Seated upon this we were
swiftly drawn by miners along the narrow rocl
gallery, a work in itself of some half a century
until a, las, we discerned the daylight al ih'
end of the passage, resembling at first an In
tense star, but becoming paer as we proceeded
We rushed into the broad day, having traverset
space of l4,9ss feet in the womb Of .h'
noun, ain, and having been an hour and hal
buried in its Intricate ~indngs. This mlne Il
supposed 10 have been worked even before th'
Romans were in Germany. II belongs to Aus
lria, but runs under earth into the kingdom
Bavaria. Ii is said that fourteen days wouit
be required to explore it thoroughly. Il is al
ways supplied with fresh air and water, the LAT
ter being necessary for the extraction OF I'M
sal, from the ore This brine is conveyed BY
pipes 10 Halleln, aud there converted by mean
of evaporation tn,o pure salt. The fresh vale
springs found in this mountain run SO curiousl,
and proyidenlially, that, though traversing en-
tire salt star,as, they do not ever mingle or be
come tinged by the contact. The miners arr
healthy and live TO an old age. They work IN
diyidually bu, six hours day Salxburg isa'
aoeieu, ccclesia ,,,csl city built upon the si''
iofs Roman colony No city IN Europe cat