The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-20
How Salt Is Made at Kanawha.

We recently visited the great Kama
VIVA Valley to examine the salt works
and to see the process OF manufacturing
this article Of universal table use. Tn e
deposit exists here in the form Of
brine, which is drawn up from wells
from 800 to 900 feet in depth. 1t IS
found on both sides of the Kanawha
river for fifteen miles above Charleston
in West Virginia. The brine at the
Snow Hill Furnace Works, which is
in the heart of the saline district, is
reached by boring to the depth of 900
to l LOO feet. The well at the bottom is
three and oue-hali inches in diameter
and grows larger toward the top. The
water rises naturally to within 200 feet
of the surface, and is taken from this
depth by steam pumps into large res
ervoir above the level Of the evaporat'
ing watts. Each pump delivers from Is
to 40 gallons a minute according to its
capacity, and it takes from so to 60
gallons of the brine to make bushel
Of salt. The first process is to get rid
Of the iron which is found in the brine
1t passes through eight large watts heat
ed by steam, and the iron is precipitated
to the bottom leaving the brine pure.
The heating is done by copper steam
pipes. Three five inch pipes pass
through each vat, which evaporates
the water RAPIDLY. After the iron is
disposed of the brine passes into other
watts at lower level, and the salt set
ties at the bottom OF the watts as a sed-
iment. The salt is shoveled from the
watts every morning upon platform,
and after draining and drying few
hours is removed in wheel borrows to
the large bin where it is packed. The
brine is free from sulphate Of lime, and
the salt is remarkable for its dryness
and purity. The help employed over
these stesminy watts is mostly freedmen.
who are stripped to the waist, and seem
10 enjoy the steam bath in which they
spend their working hours. The pack
ing is principally in barrels, which are
found to be cheaper and better in some
respect than sacks. The barrels are
made OF oak slaves at Charleston, Of
two sizes, holding 81 and bushels of
so pounds to the bushel-hooped with
hickory. Both white oak and hickory
abound in the neighboriug forests, and
the cooper shops are cheaply supplied
from this source. The barrels are made
strong, and sold at 40 to IA cents each
by the quantity. The salt is put i'm
mediateIy Oh board the steamer at the
Snow Hill wharf, TO be shipped down
the rvSr Tor the western market, or to
lie transferred to the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad, at Charleston for the
east. The capital invested in these
works is about sl25,OO0. The copper
pipes used in pumping and evaporatiug
cost about $4,000. One very great
advantage which the manufacturers
here have is the extreme low price OF
fuel, and the facility for transportation
The best splint coal is taken from the
mines close by and delivered at a cost
of from one dollar to dollar and a
quarter a ton. The salt has water
carriage by the Ksnavha and OHIO
rivers to all the large packing cities Of
the west, and rail communication with
the east. Theretsil price ofthe salt here
is 81 60 per barrel, which is about sc
cents bushel OF so lbs. From the i'm
purities IN the manufacture 100 pounds
of bromine are made daily, which is
sold at IS cents q pound. Lands in
the valley for agricultural purposes are
worth from 800 to $3.50 per acre, and
the lands that will yield brine are worth
from $500 to $1,000 per acre. The
ouly drawback to the prosperity OF the
large salt manufacturer is the danger Of
over-production, which depresses the
price. To guard against this, the
strong parties in the business rent the
works oftheir weaker brethren TO lie
still. This prevents competition TO a
certain extent, and looks good deal
like monopoly. 1t would seem that ar
article OF necessity, in use upon every
mans table, should have all the ad'
vantage OF competition. and be furnish.
ed as cheaply as possible. 1t is claim
ed by the salt manufacturers here tina
they make the purest and best sal
in the world. This will be receiv'
ed with some grains OF allowance ir
the east, where they managed to pack
meat and salt butter in very credita-
BILE manner before Kanawha came in
to their markets. Now that commit
nicstions are opened, and Snow Hill
comes in competition with Onondags
and Liverpool, We shall soon have op'
portunity to Judge Of their comparative