Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-10-05
I From the Richmond Enquire
Salt in Tirsinia.

-
her coal, her iron and copper formations.
In the western part of the state. on the
Great Kanawha. that noble river Of The
woods. /, the z sail wells are, perhaps,
the most extensive in the world, and the
probability IS, that Kanawha alone could
supply the world with salt for ages, since
Hi Is known TO exist forever twenty miles
through the valley Of that river and tlis
would be no small numbersof bushels
even if we only allow Twenty pounds lt9f
each Of the one Thousand million persons
Iswho use it more or less FAa
iii this region. peculiar facilities exist
fot manufacturing the article, SINCE h
IIies in the midst Of the great coal region Y
III the state; and SO convenient y this
fuel deposited and obtained, that II can I
| be- mined in many cases. Immediately 70
lie vicinity Of the salt works. and ife.
ouen.ly, it can besdeliyered by meansEo 81
Ghutes. inclined planes, &c., directly
| from the mines 10 the furnaces. without
lthe aid of machinery. frhe gases winch
arise from coal, carboniferous or bitum 2
nous formations. as IN China and many
other places, here escape from numerous
salt wells 10 abundance, and effect great
economy in the salt making operations
though ii Is evidently not used as judi
ciousiyand effectively as Z scientific apPlii
cation would warrant uslto4e expect
| Tie depth at which the salt water y
reached is various, and generally extends
from a few feet to about ons thousand,
though ii is found much deeper and prob-
ably exists many thousands Of feet below
| ne surface. With the great extent q
Kanawha salt formations, and the .facili-
lies for manufacturing it,Ithere can be no
limits placed to the production Of the az
ticle but the demand, as soon'as this mag
nficent region can be fully opened out
and developed by the river itself, when
improved as designed. The quantity Of
s.lt which lie West will demand Of the
Kanawha salt wells. win be prodigious IN
the course Of few years, when the sup
plyIwili be regular, with the means Of
constant transportation, and the permai
hence lof Il market not liable tolthe sudden
fluctuations which now soseriously affect
the Kanawha salt manufacturers.
The quantityof salt required to sup
ply The wants Of the United States. Is not
less than fifteen millions bushels per an
num- Or about half a bushel to each In
habitant. II has been stated that we re-
auiire 4 bushef 10 each iuhabitant, but
thatIis evidently too much, though it, is
probable that,we use 4 larger proportion
than the average consumption per head
IN other countries. In, England the con-
sumption Of salt per head, i estimated at
Twenty 1--WE pounds, and in France e e
twenty pounds. But even supposing we
consume annually a half bushel each, or
fifteen millions per annum, the business
supplying that demand becomes one u
great importance, and if Imported. must
necessarily produce great drain Of the
precious metals or their equivalent. But
great as the business may be, there are
three states in the Union which can sup
ply The whole Of that demand with ease,
at moderate prices. Virginia herself
could supply herself and furnish the ls
South and West with FIVE millions bush
els per annupl the great bulk Of which
would Reproduced opfhe Kanawha river;
| but thereare salt deposits Oh the east Of
the mountains il the southwest, which
though less inextent. arc equally as val,
liable, on account Of die strength and pu-
riLyaof The salt water and the location Of
the wells. Thsmos eastern deposit 81
salt that has been found appears 10 be
located in Pittsylvanis county, but the
most important is that magnificent de.
post Of almost pure brine ipSmyth coun-
ty, in south western Virginia. whore the
celebrated Preston salt has been manu-.
factuyed foI The last century. The Pres
ton Shines at Saltyille produceabout three
hundred Thousand bushels Of salt yearly,
the characteraof which. when carefully
manufactured. is not excelledFby any sail
now made in any part Of the world !; and
we have no doubt that an article equal tc
| the refined salt ofthe Dutch, from which
1.-THE . Dutch herrings receive their pc,
lculiar flavor, might be prepared from
those wells, with small amount Of ad-
| ditional care and labor. The brine is the
tstrongest now known, one fourth Of The
bulk being pure salt, twenty bushels q
brine produce Eve million bushels of salt
Those salines are as capable If prodnc
ing one bushels as the amount now fur
nished, and, we should Judge, with !
corresponding degree of profit and ye
| the drain on The natural supply would b
1 felt for ages ID, come. "a branch roae
from the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
isextended from Glade Spring depot 1,
Ssltyille, which was built expressly foj
the produce Of The Preston saiines, ant
which are hereworked in close proximit,
I'd each other. 9s8sg
| Coal has been found within sight Of til,
furnaces. and il IS supposed % exist il
4 quantity and quality sufficient for ever
purpose. With such desirable facilitiel
and natural richness we cannot iInagin'
another locality where Nature has beef
more liberal for, in addition to the i'm
mense quantities Of gypsum and salt
both iron ores and coal are abundant
and black lead. pure silica, limestone
marble. mill stone or burr, and othe
minerals are plentiful, which,. with tn
Isoils, that are wonderfully rich, even i
the peaks Of the limestone knobs. rende
sfSaltyille and the region around one Of til