The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-04-14
VIRGINIA SALT MINES.

VIRGINIA SALT MINES.
Hunts Merchants Magazine says it is in
debted to correspondent, an intelligent and
interchangeable gatherer of facts connected
with almost every material, commercial and
industrial interest in the United States, for
the subjoined account of the great Salt Mines
IN the mountains of Virginia.
The State of Virginia 10 moving the great work Of
internal Improvement. and 10 making . railroad that
VIII reach the great salt mioes Of It's mountains and
lew years that salt will be distributed over the
whole OF the Eastern Statesite rior ouslitv viii
insure Tor !. ready sale everywhere for IL is better
worth one dollar per bushel for table use than any
twsnty-hye cents 1t pure chloride Of sodium, and
,emsa a. Dry as -four In any latitude from the
mountains at an elevation of 1881 feet above the
OF the sea- aud the waters of the north fork
and near the rivers of the States of entuckv Tan
nes.ee and North Carolina where these border on
Tbs e., Point int Of the @ State Of Virgins
gypsum. -
About ten years SINCE two boxes of eeol ,pic.l sne
cimens were cent to me from tn ese mines and from
the surrounding country. In repackipe these into
other boxes some pieces Of fossil put in box
beds of Northern New York, and rsmaiosd in that
connection until the present year. On being OPEN
ed, the specimens were all Ia good order the salt
duced any rust.
l have no doubt that this deposit Of salt resulted
of the tributaries of the great Ksnawhs River. is
near this salt mine and is the source Of
the saline supplies of the deep wells Of the Ka.
change. and when raised from the deep wells is
found there to contain bromiue in great abundance
4, The Ksnawha saiines are among the wonders of
the world; the salt water comes from depth of 1000
feet, and is cold q northern bla.t Ia winter
thus exploding the theory that the heat in
the earth everywhere, AZ progress is made down
The gas which is issued from these deep wells in
aoundapce 10 sufficient to illuminate the entire Nor
then Hemisphere, and rises with force that Is suf-
hctent to throw cannon ball a considerable dis
tance.
the salL mines of VirRiDis the bones of the beho-
moth are found, of size indicating large as the
hull of ship of the line.
L have doubt the table salt Of our market will
in three years, be supplied by the Virginia salt
mines; and even now, our grocers cannot do better
thsn to send to the salt mines of Virginia for pure
table SALT for the supply of their customers who
want good article.-Hunfs Magazine
THE MASSACHUSETTS NuNNRaY VrsIrArIoN.--
Tuesday last, during the session of the Committee
of the Massachusetts, Legislature sitting to nves-
tigate the conduct of the Nunnery Committee,
statement was made from the Sisters having con.
troll of the school which was visited OF which the
following Is q condensation:
"On the Goth of March, the undersigned were
somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of
what appeared to be large number of individuals,
of whose visit they had received no previous no.
tice. They were informed by one of these gen
tlemen that they were Committee of the Legis-
la!ure OF Massachusetts, and as such desired to
enter the house and examine it. Although the mum
Der seemed large, and the purpose of the visit was
not quite clear, and some excitement was caused
in the household, yet no objection was made to
their entrance, and they or some of them visited
every part of the house dncluding the cellar) with
the exception of a closet, which happened to be
locked, but which contained only linen belonging to
the establishment.
1t was the wish of the Superior to 60 with the
committee, and to point out the various rooms and
to explain their purposes; but as the number was
SO large and the house is not spacious one, some
of the gentlemen appeared to make their investi
cations without her assistance. One OF the under.
signed was at her devotions In the small room fit
ted up as Chapel, and not having been notified of
the presence of the committee, until they entered
there, she may have been somewhat agtated, and
endeavored to leave the room by a door which
happened to be locked, when one of the COM
mittee laid his hand on her shoulder and de.
sired her to answer certain questions, which she
did tor few moments, but declined further con
versation In that place, when he followed her into
the entry and continued the questions, taking In
his hand tn rosary suspend ed from her person, in
manner more familiar than she had ever been
accustomed to.
Another OF the committee informed one OF the
undersigned that he had formerly been Catholic,
bu. had left that church. to which he hoped to re-
turn and desired to know when he could see her
and have pleasant conversation; but as the VOWS
of the undersigned con1ne their efforts to the
teaching of young ladies, no appointment could be
made for the purpose desired.
The undersigned, although they may have been
considerably agitated at first, we're not alarmed
after the object of the visit and inspection became
more clearly understood and they endeavored to
answer every question put to them, and to con.
duct the committee to every psrt of the house
which they desired to see, the Superior remarking
that she feared the rooms would hardly be large
enough to contain them.
The undersigned desire to state that they have
not been instrumental in calling public attention to
this subject in any way. The facts were menton-
ed to their friends, the event was one of an
unusual character in their seminary, and from
their ignorance of the manner of conducting such
Investigations, they may have given it somewhat
more attention than would have been by teachers
of other schools for young ladies in this vicinity
who are more conversant with the usages OF legis
la.ive committees"
DEATH OF PATRIoT.-Frederic Fratney, Po.
lish patriot exiled by his love of liberty, died a
Milwaukee on the 5th, where he had resided nine