Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-12-02
The Greatest known Salt Mine in
the World.

mense "island," "lake"E or "rhoun-
tain" of salt in St. Mary's Parish as
we have seen it variously styled.
Judge AVERY, although possessing
very large and important interests
over in st. Mary which require much
of his personal time and attention in
looking after, IL nevertheless, so
strongly identified with Baton Rouge
from early and long continued resi-
| dence, associations and private in
terests, as to make it his pleasure to
visit here occasionally, where he is
so well known, honored and esteemed.
The Judge informs us that he ID
| in train Of arrangements whereby
his interests in St. Mary will be
placed on such footing of enter-
prising development and systematic
management as may enable him ulti-
mately to take up once more his resi-
dence at Baton Rouge; an event
| which would be hailed with peculiar
qualification by all of our fellow
| citizens. 'HT-.
The salt mine, or island, belong
ing to Judge AVERY is, perhaps the
most extensive in the known world.
The salt is Of pure crystal and I'M
like that obtained from the famous
Cracow mines of Poland, requires no
reboiling. During the early part OF
the late war it was one of the prin-
cipal resources of supply to the
South.
A gentleman af Philadelphia, who
has just returned from a sojourn of
some weeks in tie Southern States,
during which time he paid visit to
the Parish Of st. Mary's, in Louisiana,
at which place he saw the island of
salt, gives the following facts:
The name of the Island it, "Petit
Ance," and consists of bill, at some
points l60 feet high, containing about
2, $40 acres Of land, surrounded by the
waters of Bayou Vermillion, situated
about nine miles foom Vermilllon Bay
in the above.named Parish.
d Although salt has been manufact-
ured upon the island for many, yet the
discovery Of the mines was not made
until 1868, and they we're only work
ed by the Confederates for period of
about three months previous to its oc-
cupancy by our troops, and during
this short space of time it is estimated
that the quantity taken out was not
less than 100000 pounds by means
of rude machinery.
The quality of the article is very
superior 600 2OO) pure salt, and SO
far as tests have been made, the de,
posit seems inexhaustible, and prom
ises to be one of greatest developments
of the age, and consequently of great
benefit to the nation, for although the
production Of salt in the United States
in 1860 was near y thirteen millions Of
bushels, yet the importations Of this
article from foreign ports were very
large.
While on this subject, we take oc-
casion to insert the following brief
description Of the.salt mines of Cracow,
which we happen to have at hand /:
The salt mines of Cracow were dis.
covered in 1851. The length Of the
mines from east to west, is about six
thousand feet; the breadth, from
North to South, about two thousand,
and they are eight hundred feet in
depth. When stranger wishes to
visit these mines, he is habited in
suit of miners clothes, and let down,
by machinery, perpendicular descent,
Of six hundred feet. The placeris very
dark, and the miner who descends as
guide, strikes light and conducts
the stranger forward, through several
gloomy winding passages, at the end
Of which they descend by ladders two
feet lower lower, into large cavern
through this cavern, they enter upon
an open plain, peopled by the miners
and their families, together with their
horses, dogs, and other domestic AMI
mails. Nothing can exceed the brill
fancy of this place, Illuminated by
thousands Of lamps, rejecting their
light upon the beautiful and transpa
rent surface of the salt in every varied
nolor