Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-11-29

30 feet above the marshes. .lua, salt a.
posts have been found at no great Dis
tance below the surface. similar 10 tha'
of jefferson Island. but less remark a BIZ.
The deposit on Petite Ansc has Beer
mined ever since 1862, and was consid.
cred To be without rival until the recent
discovery on the actors property.
The elevations described form the uos.
distinctive landmarks for hun lrcds ol
miles along the coast of the Calf of Mex
leo. ana played an important part in thc
operations OF tho buccaneers OF the latter
part of the eighteenth century. The fa
NOrable location of i;ellc Isle in the WA
ter$ of Atchafalaya bay mad. it the rem
drzVnIs Of the famous pirate Laitt. and
his adventurous companions carly in tn.
present century. Numerous legends arc
stll ailnat concerning treasure buried hy
these gory frCcbO0lers on some part ~
the island not satisfactorily located, ana
the existence IN thc ncighborin@ ba-ou'
Of stlndrN oId sInk2u wrecks. ,oliIla rEl'
believed To Dc the relics of tho bticcan.t !.
feet. has confirmed the IolGlar faith .n
this subject especially among the SHal-
ish and French Creole inhabitants uf The
region.
Occasionally even nowadays midnight
expeditions are nadc hE the pp.;s"ssDrS
of ancient yellow parchmc nt maps. treas
ured as family hcirlooms. and price -,
if they were only more exact i'm their in
diCation OF the location of tho buried
booty Great pits and trenches are dug
StneraiIN near some giant I've oak. which
might hc Supposed % have served tn
pirates rs a convenient mark. but there
IS no authentic record oi success
achieved in the search. though there are
current reports Of Il seemingly my thical
person. one Leblanc on Lenuir. VINO stid-
denly became amazingly rich owing his
wealth u thc discovery NJ TIM secret
hoard Of LHiitit.
tn. first discovery ~ tEt. natural treas
urr was madc i'll INie IN 4 negro who was
digging well on Petite Ansc. Within
twenty feet of the surface H. struck the
.f..f. .-aF .-Ha1r sf1f
soon aftcrward by the Confederate gov
ernment and worked until the CnioI
torces. attacking h.. land and sea. d.
stroYcd the works. They We're not lc-
Charleston and ST. Louis capitalists
leased the property. This mine had no
rival in Louisiana until IN" rrCcnt discoV-
cry uH jefferson Island, seven miles 10
the northwest. which was formerly
known as Miil"r's island, but 1T first re-
named by the actor Orange island. an
account Of thr cNtxnsivc groves OF on
@nEc trees planted by him there.
Like his faVuritc character i.ip Van
Wrinkle. Mr.. Jefferson vote M u iiad
himself exceedingly StirDri%,G-,n this i'll
stance rather IgrceIhiY. however mas
much rs he discovered himself a. hr Ia,
po.spssur III Il block 0I salt worth an
enormous fortune. He isas -el rather puZ-
zlcd 10 know what 10 DO with his wonder
fIi mine. but before long. doubtless il
Will be opened up in much The same way
as The similar deposit on Petite .AnSe.
The shaft is sink 1oo feet or 50 into thv
body Of the salt. when series OF cham
hers are cXcavated along a level. the
pick3X being aided by blasting. y cham
her thus made. IA feet long. 49, feet wide
and ~ feet high. yields atolt aDro tom,
of salt mined without the use of s.n-
q. stick of timbcriuc.
Pillars sixty feet squar" are LEFT he
tween the chambers. for support. ana as
soon rs a given level has been worked On.
on this plan the shaft is sunk another ltJ
feet, and another series or story Of cham
Dcrs is eXcaVated in the same manner.
The great Vanlted rooms constructed N
this process. with their piers ana arches
of pnrC crystalline salt. present. especial
~ when scintllating under the strong
illumination of a calcium or electric light
a most impressive appearance, not par;tl-
loled by underground views III ordinary
mines. All other rock-salt beds known
in tho United States have layers of salt
from two To eighteen fCct thick. alter
mating with limestone. sandstone. gyp-
sum and other mineral strata. 50 that
the product of the mines is more or less
impure as ii comes out.