New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-16
GuDpoyvHer for the South.

From the Memphis Appeal of Wednesday we
extract the following interesting article:
We were yesterday on board the steamboat New
Moon, and seeing large lot of kettles, between
twenty and thirty, some of great size, and the
men at work getting steam engine on board, we
inquired what these articles for, and were lll-
formed by the captain of the boat that they We're
intended for the manufacture of saltpeter at spot
in the mountains some sixty or seventy miles dis
tant from Jacksonport, Ark, to which town the
boat would convey them. We learned that Nr.
Blinkey, of this city. aud Mr.. Jones, who resides
dow! the river opposite the town OF Commerce,
have bought from Capt james Smith, who lives on
Black river the saltpeter about to be worked,
it is said at the price OF S25 ,O00 The purchasers
in the present contingency. have determined, pa
triOtGalIy to spare no pains or expense to supply
the South with article she much requires rs
saltpeter for the manufacture OF gunpowder. As
rs thirty or forty hands can be obtained, they
will be set to work. and it is believed that large
amount of saltpeter will be procured. Jackson
port is situated at the junction of Black with White
river.
Black river divides the eastern border of Inde-
pendence county from the neighboring county OF
Jackson in which JaCk8OnpOrt is situated, ln In
dependence county, Col. Miller owns saltpeteI
cave, situated two hundred and fifty or three hun
dred feet up in a ridge Of sub CarDOnter0us lime.
stone. 1t has passages in it extending from two
hundred to three hundred yards i'll length, and
eight or ten in width. We not aware Of the
per centage Of saltpeter the earth Of this carbCn
contains. Newton county also contains saltpesGl
caves. 1t is one of the most mountainous counties
in the State of Arkansas; the Buffalo lork o
White river takes its rise in it, On Cave creak, il
this county. are several saltpeter caves th3 prin
cipal one is the property Of j. S. Thompson, ESQ
The dark brown inter earth which forms he iOCJ
of the cave is rich in salpeter, owing, no doubt
to the large quantities OF organic MATES which i
! Incorporated with the earth THIS nitro oartR 'ua
been traced fifty or sixty yards back ilto the cav
to the depth Of seven or eight feet; it is nike
with broken rock. With a very rough 1node {
manufacture, five pounds of saltpete'. to tn
| bushcl Of earth have been obtained in ;, hopper
| two hundred bushels, netting Shau' and DouDt
of the salt. Many remains have Aoe' fonnd in IN
cavern; the entire skeleton Of &D infant was e,
humed on one occasion. What ! nerhaps, MOI
curious, broken sea-shcll TaS once dur up her
For q hundred and fifty feet ,acE from he rmoutl
| this cave probably contains a larger proportion
saltpeter than almost az v in tie state. 1t hi
several branches, whoE may probably also col
tain saltpeter. The e 4rth Of them has not bee
| examined
In Washington County, which borders on the 1
DIAN territory, .Orth of Van Buren,, there is sal
petre cave, he dr the Benton county line. lmmeC
ately on 'he vest bank of While river, in Marie
county, w .lch boiders the Missouriine, among Il
Gll'!S apt oyerhanging ledges Of limestone, is