The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1902-01-04
Louisiana Salt.

~O'n'Ssthf1 CA iS1aIlus VI
which rise from the other.
wise marshY land. These islands
range in height from few feet to
about $50 feet. They are arrang-
ed IN practically straight line
running northwest and southeast. |
They are known a. jefferson or
Orange Island, Weeks Island,
Avery Island, Cote Blanche, and
Belle Isle. All these, except Cote
Blanche, have been prospected for
salt, which has been struck at a
comparatively shallow depth IN
each case. No knowledge of the
depth OF the beds, however, has
yet been obtained. On Jefferson
Island drill penetrated to depth
of 2,l00 feet without passing
through the salt bed.
So far as known the first attempt
to manufacture salt In Loulsna1a
was made In 1901, on Avery Is
land, the discovery being made by
a man named John II ,ys, who came
across brine spring while hunt
ing. The attempt to manufacture
salt from this spring was however,
not success, as the supply of brine
was not sufficient to pay the expen-
ses of operation. During the War
Of 1912 the price of salt was so ad-
vanced that operations were resum-
ed, and continued there until 1915,
| when the work was stopped. 1t
was not again resumed until 1861,
| when, on account of the blocade Of
the southern seaporss, salt became
expensive. As the supply of brine
was not sufficient to NEE the r.
qulrements, an attempt was made
to deelea The wells, and In MAY,
1862, bsdY Of roek salt was en-
countered at depth of about l6
feet The mining Of rock salt IN
the pits was then introduced, a, d
about ten pits were dug, the salt
teing found at from IA to 20 feet
below the surface. No official lie.
cord OF the salt taken from these
tworks was kept, although it is said
that there were from 400 TO SOC
men employ ed, and that %, 200, 00C
pounds were mined during the j ]
months they were III operation.
The ..eport Of the AInerlc |
Bureau OF Mines, published II, 1867
state ,fa, this method OF pit MIN
ing would pos ibly endanger snbse
Iouent srccessful shaft mining.
This prediction was borne out a
the shaft afterwards sunk to tn
salt body had TO be abandoned be
cause of surface waters penetrat
ling to the works. The first shat
sunk on Avery Island was a snal
one, 8 by feet ana 83 feet dteE
The shaft was leased afterwards t
the American Salt Company, whlc
cont,nued it to a depth Of 100 ie
and extended galleries east an
west 10 distances of 270 and 81
! feet respectively, crosscuts beln
J made from these galleries.
The problem of marketing tf
product of the mines proved to !
90 serious that the mining compan
: cut channel through two miles {
marsh to deep water, and cons'de
able trade was thus developed vii
1
Galveston, New Orleans, and NJ
bile. Transportation was fnr;h'
improved IN 1880 by the constru
lion Of q branch railroad from Ne
liberia. The later owners OF I
mmes experienced much difficulty
keeniug hack surface water tro
the mine works, and. we're final
compelled to abandon the snal
In 1897 shaft was sunk some q
tance from the old one, and t
new woke we're equipped with :
modern appliances. The new sha
was sunk $40 feet before any
Itempt At working the property "
begun. Its evidently believed tn
by sinking the shaft 70 this dls'an'
all danger from surface wate
woal,i be obvlated.
: Until 1898 all The production
LOUISIANA had be61 from mines
! Avery Island. In 1898 the &
q mpanY d Morgan City u'ik
saalt on Belle Isle, but, through