Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-04-16

Whether yats, casks or barrels be uoeo, the Hme
principle must be carried out Of passing the leaSn.
ed Tor draned) liquor from tho first vessel into the
second and from the second TO the third before
holinr otherwise there will be much time and iuei
lost in useless boiling Of weak liquor; TINS Is
common at the caves and causes the satpetre
Ia cost more than necessary in time labor and fuel
We will now follow the process of teaching more
particularly. Suppose it takes eight gallons Of
ter to fill up the barrel after Che earth has been put
in even with its top, nearly SO, then about one
half or four gallons only will drain OIL generally;
we must now refill the barrel with four gallans more
of water, and this time four gallons will drain or
leach out because the earth has already been char
ed with water Again we refill the barrel the thru
time. putting in four gallons of water more and
after four gallons of liquor Tor as much rs will drain
away} has again leached off, the earth must De
thrown out and the barrel refed with fresh earth
from the cave.
1t will now be explained how to proceed so as to
have regular rotation Of the barrels, a. they shall
be empted one after the other Of the old earth ana
reflled with fresh earth from the cave. 1t will be
supposed at first that the work is on small scale,
then there will be required four barrels, if it be de-
sired to proceed economically; to make it clear, we
will suppose that these four barrels are placed round
in circle near each other, and three OF them are
filed with fresh earth, the fourth remaining empty
Now when the earth of the first barrel has been ex
haustcd of saltpctse by the three washngs it will be
fresh earth, We fill up the fourth or empty barrel
and this be going on during the teaching. Thus
we have three barrels working as at first the fresh
barrel being the third in thenew series, and recelv
ing the leached liquor from the one next to it. The
first barrel of the new arrangement, however Inns
already bsen washed twice before the new barrel
was filed with earth; hence, after washing it once
more with the four gallons of water, which 1t has
Just received from the barrel just eInpticd-which
quantity drains off and is poured fnto the one next
to 1.-THE earth is removed and this barrel left
empty. Barrel number one which We trSt emptied
Of the old EARTH having now been re6led with earth
from the cave. becomes the third IN the new at.
rangement, and so on.
The liquor of the first of the three working bar
rels 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 from this barrel is to be put into the
vessel where the lye from the ash barrel IL mixed
with it, and the whole allowed to settle. When
the liquor has become clear by settling or being
strained through cloth, it is ready to be placed
into The kettle tor boiling down. Thus there is
continual rotation Of the work Of the barrels with
out disturbing anything, and constantly providing
strong liquor for tn kettle to be boiled without los
ing any saltpetre in the earth thrown away. It
will generally take two days for the liquor to din
off from each barrel, but the time will vary with
the nature Of the earth, as sandy one may take
but few hours whilst clayed one may take three
or more days. In thia case it would be better to
mix sand with the earth, leached ashes gravel
even hay straw, than to lose so much time. If
watts be made deeper than a barrel more time will
be required to leach them off, 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 lye Of wood ashes
with the liquor Of the third vat barrel the prop
way is to take certain quantity, say pint Of
the liquor, and put it in clear glass, then gradu-
ally add the iye and stir well. So long as the lye
curd.es or clouds the liquor more must be added
When sufficient lye has been used allow the liquor
10 settle and become clear, then add few drops
more of I've; if II lorger clouds the liquor, su
cient has been used land if adding the I've has been
done carefully, no more has been employed than
was just necessary to precipitate the impurities
We will suppose one gill Of I've has been used to the
pint Of liquor, then 1t would take eight gs or one
quart of ye to eight pnts one gallon of liquor
hence, knowing the number of gallons Of liquor, it
is easy to At once how many gallons Of lye must
be added without further trial.
The above experiment may be employed to ascer-
tain if any earth contains sapetrc for if the ye of
wood ashes causes curding. or mudd!es the water
in which considerable quantity Of the earth has
been mixed, aud then drained Off we may presume
in general, be in proportion to the amount Of cur.
ling A slight cloudng of the liquor may be pro-
duced by other salts being present instead OF salt
petre; but If there is much curdng, it is pretty
sure sign Of satic,re. If there be any doubt how.
ever, allow the muddy liquor to SETTLE then draw it
oil and boil il down until it thickenS, then dip slip
of paper into IT and dry it WE'LL touch coal of fire
to the paper and if it burns rapidly and sparkles,
you may lie satpctre is present.
! In making lev FROM wood ashpd il is we'll to re-
mark that the leaves, bark, branches and limbs OF
: the tree contain more potash than the trunk and
that the oak and ash are generally the best woods
to get ashes from. In teaching the ashes similar
arrangement may be used as for the saltpetre liquor
that is, four barrels may be used together in the
way. keeping three filled with ashes and tn.
fourth empty, and passing the ley from to tn.
| other, a. before explained By this means strong
ley is always on hand to be used, and the saltpetrt
liquor is not waered too much 10y weak ley which
has TO evaporaed away at all expense Of fuel and
! labor
] will now speak Of the economy of labor in the
operations: thus, if the cave sufficiently large
and light enough or be lighted cheaply BY. fire
the ashes Of which may be nsed-t is evidently
cheaper to carry the watts and boilers into the
just where the earth u.s. near by, than to carry
the earth out in bags to the outside of the cave tt
be leached Again, 1t is more economical to bring
water to the earth than to take the earth to thu
water when both outside Of the cave, as is some
times done, because there is much less weight O
water used. By pursuing the method pointed ou
no time or material losteach day has its gegula
recurring operations to be performed-no surpu:
water has to be boiled away, and ley is wasted rem
dering the saltpetre impure
TO give son'e idea as to the quantity of saltpetrt
that can be made, will state that twelve barrels O.
the earth of the WILL in general make not les.
than one hundred pounds Of Saltprtre, and this viii
take from twelve IN fiffeen huShpIc nj achec
If the twelve barrels are arranged in four circles
or rows with an extra or fourth barrel to each row
then barrel Of the leached earth can be emptet
Hom every other row each dry, Tor two barrels {
day. and the same number filled with fresh earth
thus in six days the twelve barrels will have beer
worked through, and this can be done by one man
whilst second man bos away the liquor and at
tends TO the watts or barrels; third man can NOR
than supply the ashes used, and assist in finl
the barrels Thus in SIX DAYS We have the labor 0