Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-12-25
How Salt is Made at Ka-
.OaWha.

the works and to see the process
'Of manufacturing this article OF
universal table use. Tho de-
posits exist here in the form of
brine, which is drawn up from
wells from 300 to 1000 feet in
depth. 1t is found on both
Isides OF the kanawha river for
fifteen miles above Charleston
in West Virginia. The brine
at the Snow Hill Furnace
W orks, which is in the heart of
the saline district, is reached by
boring to the depth Of 900 to
| 100 feet. The we'll at the bot
tom is three and a half inches
in diameter and grows large to-
wards the top. The water rises
naturally to within 200 feet Of
the surface, and is taken from
this depth by steam pumps into
a large reservoir above the lev
lei OF the evapOrating vats.--
Each pump delivers from 10 to
40 gallons q minute according
to its capacity, and it takes from
% to 60 gallons of the brine to
make a bushel Of the salt. The
first process is to get rid of the
iron which is found in the brine.
1t passes through eight large
vats heated by steam, and the i
ron is prccipitated to the bot
m,leayingthe brine pure. The
heating is done by copper steam
pipes. Three five inch pipes pass
through each vat, which eyapo-
rates the water rapidly. After
the iron is disposed Of the brine
passes into other watts Il. low
er level, and the salt settles at
the bottom of the yats as a sed-
iment. The salt is shoyeIed
from the watts every morning
upon Il platform, and after
draining and drying a few hours
Is removed III WheelbarrOws to
The large bin where it is packed.
The brine is free from suIlphate
IOF lime and the salt is remarka-
bic for its dryncss and purity.
The help employed over these
steaming watts is mostly freed
men, who are stripped to the
waist and seem to enjoy the
steam bath in which they spend
working hours.
The packing is principally in
barrels which arc found to be
cheaper and better in some res
poets than sacks. The barrels
are made OF oak slaves at
Charleston, oftwo sizes, holding
% and z bushels each of 5Olbs.
to the bushel-hoo2ed with
hickory. Both white oak and
hickory abound in the neigh
boring forests, and the cooper
shops are cheapIy supplied
from this source. The barrels
Lare made strong and solid at 40
to AZ cents each by the quantity.
The salt is put immediately on
the steamer at Snow Hill wharf
to be shipped down the river for
The W estern market, or to be
transferred to the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad at Charleston
for the East. The capital IN
vested III these works is about
I$l25, 1000. The copper pipes
used in pumping and cyapora-
ting cost about $4,000. One
very great advantage which the
manufacturers here have is the
extreme low prices OF fuel and
the facility OF transportation. -
The best OF splint coal is taken
from the mines close by and de-
Illvercd at Il cost of from one
idollar to dollar and a quarter
Il ton. The salt has water car
riagc by the KanaWha and Ohio
Rivers to all the large packing
cities in the West, and rail COM
Imunications with the East
The retail price of the salt here
is SLIGO per barrel, which is a.
bout 80 cents n bushcl Of 80
lbs. From the impurities in
the manufacture 100 lbs. Of bro
mines are made daily, which is
sold for 70 cents a pound
Lands in the valley for agricul-
tural purposes are worth from
$100 to $3.50 per acre, and the
| lands that will yield brine are
worth from 500 to $1,000 per
acre.
The only drawback to the
prosperity Of the large salt
manufacturer is the danger of
over production, which de-
presses the price. To guard a.
gainstthis the strong parties in
the business rent the works Of
their weaker brethren to lie still.
This prevents competition to Il