The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-22
A SALT NINE.
TOUR THROUGH THE GREAT
MINES OF BAVARIA.
The Wonderful Enects Produced
by the Mining Operations and by
Natures Fantastic Handiwork
"A Weird Experience.


A writer in the New York Commercial
Adoertiser describes q dramatic visit to
the great show mines of the Salzsa am.
mergut region in Bavaria. He says:
The great mountain looms up round,
green and beautiful, from the lovely
valley of Berchtesgadsn. A dark tunnel
close by the carriage road leads directly
into the dark city of salt under this
green mountain. AS we entered this
tunnel, the guide whose duty it is to
conduct us, thrust into the hands of
each tiny miners lantern; and, shiver-
ing little in the vault-like air, we fol,
lowed closely after him through the
long and narrow gallery, which was
evenly scooped out of the solid, salty
rock. Through the bottom of the GAL
lery. which with the exception Of q slight
dampness on the ground was quite dry
and clean, was laid cal: track by which
the workmen pass in and out. Along
the narrow passage We walked single
file, the lights from our lantern pene-
trating the gloom before us, until
we came to fight of 1873 steps
leading into sort of followed out
chamber. From here the dug-ou gang
ways, with car tracks in each, led off in
every direction to different parts of the
mountain. Into one of these we plunged,
the dark salt crystal, glistening as we
passed. In comparing the muddy-look-
ing salt in its crude state with the pure
white salt of our tables, we can realize
what purifying processit must undergo
before It'll fit for use. Aswe penetrated
further into the heart of the mountain,
however, the percentage of salt became
so great that only the traces of powder
used in blasting prevented the crystal
walls from appearing quite white.
Through tunnels that grew saltier and
more salty, we assembled another fight
of steps and were then in the gallery
above the one we had entered. To give
an idea of the extent of these great show
mines of the world, the guide told US
that there were five stories of worked
out galleries above us, extending for miles
in the mountain in all directions, and
still the inexhaustible store exists to
unknown heights and depths. As from
25, 900 to 30, 900 tons of table salt per
annum are supplied from here, as wellas
1000 tons of rock salt for cattle, one can
we'll believe that this one mountain could
supply the whole world with that useful
commodity.
Upon descending another of the inter-
minable stairways cut in the rock q
well d and beautiful sight burst upon US.
A deep and briny lake lay here in the
bowels of the earth, its borders defined
by the hundreds of twinkling lights that
the miners had placed there, and which,
reflected in the black pool, doubled and
redoubled and lighted mysteriously tha
lofty chamber out of which the lake was
followed. The scene was so weird and
fantastic that we might we'll have FAM.
cied ourselves in another and not better
world. The lanterns threw ftful CLEANS
over our strange attire and lighted as
tonished faces. Was this the river Styx,
and was that Charon waiting to row US
over2 For there was a boat and We
were to continue this fanciful program
by entering it and being padded across
the inky lake. Surprises were in store
for us on every side, and as we landed
on the other side, tiny fountain shot
out of the water shower of glittering
spray that cleaned and sparkled in the
many lights, completing scene very
like some weird spectacular drama.
There are many of these great pools In
the mountain, but only this one is ex-
hibited 10 visitors. The water is let in
fresh from the mountain above, and is
allowed to lie until thoroughly impreg-
mated with salt, when it is carried off in
pipes to the village of Ilsogang, about
four miles distant. There it is raised to
the top of q mountain, to flow down
twenty long miles to Reichenhall, where
it is evaporated and the crystalized
salt ground for table use. ..... ........
From the lake we still wandered buta
deep pit soon barred the way. Here we
were to be shot down a slippery board
into the dark regions below, very much
as If we had been wheelbarrow loads OF
salt rocks, to be dumped down a chute.
Protests were of no avail, this was the
route laid down, and unless we wished
to be left behind in the dark mines, we
must follow it. We meekly took cur
place astride the long board until we
| were closely packed mass of absurd
humanity, men and women together.
The guide, by means of rope, kept us
from slipping until we were safely on.
Then, our limbs close to the earth, our lam
terms we'll in front, and fearfully clutch
ing our neighbors' shoulders, we were
shot like lii ghtning down the smoothly
polished plane, bringing up with bang
in the bottom of the pit. It was all so
sudden and breath taking that we
scarcely realized what had happened un-
til we were on our feet. The pit into
which we had made such a sudden
entry had still deeper pit in
the centre of it which was rallied
for safety and hung round with hun
dreds of miners lanterns. This pit, we
were told, had once been briny lake
like that we had just passed, but it had,
long ago beer drained, revealing one of
the richest veins in the mine. A shaft
of over 800 feet in depth had been sunk
here, yielding pure salt all the way, and
its limit had not been reached. No
miners were then at work here, as, ow-
ing to the danger from blasting, all
work is suspended during the hours de-
voted to visitors.
Another shute carried us into the bot
tom of the cavern, and from here an
other long tunnel was traversed, which
led into little show room. The miners
had here arranged the prettiest bits of
salt formations into fanciful shapes, deco
rated with small salt fountains and lam
terms. Bits of salt rock were here pre-.
serted as souvenirs, and we were then
placed astride long cushioned board on