Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-04-16

errnr ut the caves and causes the saltpetre
to cost more than necessary In time labor ana fue
We will now follow the process Of teaching more
particularly. Suppose it takes eight gallons OF wa
ter to fill up the barrel after the earth has been put
in even with its tor, or nearly so, then about one
half or four gallons only will drain off generally;
wemuSt now refill the barrel with four galans more
of water and this time four gallons will drain or
leach out because the earth has already been charg
ed with water. Again we refill the barrel the third
time putting in four gallons of water more, and
after four gallons OF liquor Tor as much as will drain
away has again leached off The earth must be
thrown out and the barrel relled with fresh earth
from the cave.
have regular rotation of the barrels they shall
be emptied after the other of the old earth and
refiifcd with fresh earth from the cave II will be
supposed at first that the work is small SCALE
then there will be required four barrels if it be de-
sired to proceed economically; TO make il clear, We
will suppose that these four barrels placed round
in a circle each other, and three Of them are
filed with fresh EARTH the fourth ramaining empty.
Now when the earth of the first barrel has been ex
hauS;ed of saltp,e by the three washings /: will be
thrown out, but instead of filling up this barael with
fresh earth, tin up the fourth or empty barrel,
and this can be going on during the teaching Thus
We have three barrels working rs at hrS the fresh
barrel being the third in the series and receiv
ing the eached liquor from the one next to it. The
hrSt barrel OF the new arrangement however, has
was filled with earth; hence, after washing it once
more with the four gallons Of water, which 1t has
just received from the barrel just emptled-which
quantity drains off and is poured into the one next
to 1.-THE Garth is removed and this barrel left
empty. Barrel number one, which We first emptied
OF the old EARTH having been retiied with earth
from the cave, becomes the third IN the new
rangemcnt and so
The liquor Of the first Of the three working bar
rclS being always poured into the second barrel,
and the liquor which teaches from this to be always
poured into the third barrel and finally the liquor
which drains fon this barrel is to be put into the
vessel, where the lye FROM the ash barrel is mixed
with it, and the whole allowed 10 settle When
the liquor has become clear 10y settling being
strained through cloth, it is ready to he placed
into the kettle for boiling down. Thus there is a
continual rotation of the work IF the barrels with
out disturbing anything, and constantly providing
strong liquor for tn, kettle to b, boiled without los
ing any saltpetre in the earth thrown away. 1t
will generally take two days for the liquor to drain
off from each barrel, but the time will vary with
the nature of the earth, as sandy may take
but few hours. whilst clayed one may take three
days. In this case it would be better to
mix sand with the earth lesched ashes or gravel,
even hay or straw, than to lose so much time. IL
yatS be made deeper than barrel, more time will
be required TO leach them of, which, Of course, is
to be avoided, nothing is gained by taking two
three weeks to- leach off large vat, whilst the
same earth in smaller vats or casks may be leached
off in two days.
With regard to mixing the I've OF wood ashes
with the liquor Of the third vat barrel the prop
way is to take certain quantity say one pint of
the liquor, and put it in clear glass, then gradu
ally add the I've, and stir WELL So long as the I've
curdleS or clouds the liquor more must be added
When sufficient I've has been used, allow the liquor
TO settle and become clear then add few drops
more Of lye; If II no logger clouds the liquor sutli
Gent has been used and if adding the I've has been
hach aon IL
was just necessary to precipits:e the impurities
We will suppose gill of I've has been used to the
pint of liquor, then 1t would take eight glls one
quart of I've TO eight pints one gallon of liquor
hence, knowing the number of gallons of liquor it
is easy 20 at once how many gallons Of ye must
be added without further trial.
The above experiment may be employed to aSccr-
tam if any earth contains sapctrc for if the I've of
wood ashes 4 curdling, muddes the water
in which considerable quantity OF the earth has
been mixed, and then drained oil, we may presume
that there is saipeue present and the quantity WILL
in general, be III proportion to the amount Of cur
ding. \ slight cluudng OF the liquor may be pro-
duccd by other salts being present instead of salt
pctre; bat if there is much curdlIng IL is pretty
sure sign OF slltpcrc II there be any doubt how.
ever, allow the muddy liquor TO settle, then draw it
off and boil it down until It thchenS then dip slip
of paper into i, and dry it we'll touch coal of fire
to the paper, and if it burns rapidly and spGrkes,
you may bc sure satpetrc Is present.
In making ley from wood ashCd it is well to re-
mark. that the leaves, bark, branches and limbs Of
the tree contain potash than the trunk, and
that the oak aud ash are generally the best woods
to get ashes from. In teaching the ashes similar
arrangement may be used as for the satpetre liquor
that is four barrels may be used together in the
SANE way keeping three filled with ashes and the
fourth empty, and passing the ley from one TO the
other, IL; before explained. By this means strong
ley is always hand to be used and the saltpetre
hguor is not watered too mach by weak ley which
has to DC evaporaed away at an expense OF fuel and
labor.
1 will now speak of the economy of labor in the
operations: thus, If the cave Is sufficiently large
and light enough can he lighted chcaply by fire
! the ashes of which may be use'i-it is evidently
cheaper to carry the watts and boilers into the
just where the earth is, near by, than to carry
the earth out in bags to the outside of the to
be leached. Again, 1t is more economical to briey
water TO tie earth than to take the earth to the
water when both are outside of the cave as IS some
/ times done, because there is much less weight Of
! water used. by pursuing the method pointed out
no time or material is oSt-cach day has its regular
| recurring operations to be periorned-no surplus
water has TO be boiled away and ley is wasted rem
dering the saltpetre impure.
To give some idea, to the quantity OF Saltpetre
that be made will state that twelve barrels of
the earth of the caves WILL in general, make not less
than hundred pounds of saltpctre, and this will
! take from twelve to fifteen bushels oil ashes.
If the twelve barrels arranged in four circles
rows, with extra fourth barrel to'each row,
then barrel of the lesched earth can be empted
| from every other each day, Ter two barrels a
day) and the same number filed with fresh Garth,
! thus in six days the twelve barrels will have been
worked through, and this Can be done by one man,
whilst second man boils away the liquor and at
tends 10 thG watts barrels; third man can more
than supply the ashes used and can assist in Killing
the barrels Thus in six days we have the labor OF
three men, which is abundantly ample to make over
he
is difficult to he procured If the earth is richer
than that supposed or if the teaching of each bar
rel takes but day, instead Of two as will FIRE.
! quently be the case then two hundred pounds OF