The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-05-01
LARGEST SALT NINE IN WORLD
FORMS UNDERGROUND CoL-
LECTION OF STREETS.
WEIRD SUBTERRANEAN LAKES

There Are Houses, Beautiful Chapeis
Handsome Dance Halls, Statues
Obelisks and Railway Station Al
Carved Out of Rock Salt.
The most interesting salt mine II
the world, as we'll as the largest, Is
that at Wielszka, in Galicla, Aus
tria. which forms an underground
collection of streets, houses, monu'
ments and churches. It's history can
be traced back thousand years
and tie mine is still being worked
The town and a good part OF the
neighboring country are entirely I'M
dermined by this vast excaVatlon'
which forms an oval, ~ miles III
length and one mile central WldVh.
The mines are entered by numerous
shafts. with galleries at seven ulnel
emf levels. leading to labyrinth Oh
noesaqes and immense excavations
avtandinfg to a total length OF more
than 500 miles. The main galleries
alone total 65 miles, and there are
% miles of railway line in TINS uh-
derground wonderland. The aggre-
gate depth of the seven stories or
"feIds." into which the mines are
divided are nearly 1900 feet. The
animal Weld is about 100000 TONS,
which necessitates the employment
of over 900 permanent and mum
her of temporary workmen.
Some of the chambers formerly eX-
cayated in this apparently inexhaust-
ible mass of the purest rock SAT-
wore more than $50 feet high, Dut
those now made are much smaller
The strangeness and beauty OF the
artistic chambers, which have result
ed from the excavations OF centuries
are a revelation to the visitor, VINO
ia continually confronting fresh sur"
nrises On the second level he Is
rowed across an immense salt lake
differing with the dazzling renee
fions of numberless candles, when
throw twinkling shadows on the
weird beauty of this remarkable
Mace He is surprised to learn on
raaching the third level that the lake
is directly over his head. This lake
is formed by the water which trickles
through the strata and is 40 feet IN
depth.
Chapels and Beautiful Halls.
Sightseers are conducted by guides
through the wonders of this city OF
salt The first stop is the chapel
dedicated to St. Anthony hewn 2OO
wears ago by some unknown miner
from a single piece of rock salt. Inc
altar has twisted columns, and there
are statues at each side, praying
monks kneeling on the steps, and
over the altar the crucifiXion and a
statue of the Virgin Smaller affairs
at the sides and the pulpit are cary
ed from pure salt spar. This chapel
was formerly used for religious ser
vices. but they are now conducted III
the more modern chapel of st. Cune-
gund
Then comes a great dancing hall
HING with chandeliers carved from
crystal salt in 1914 in honor of the
visit of the Tsar to the mine. Visitors
often dance here to the music OF an
orchestra Next they go to the CHAP
ell of st. Cunegund, opened in 1895.
The chapel itself is $50 feet long,
As feet broad and 80 feet high. 1t
contains statues, beautiful pulpit,
affairs and chandeliers, all of salt.
The Michalowice Hall is "a feet
LONG. 54 feet wide and 10S feet high,
with a colossal chandelier Z feet in
diameter, containing 200 candles.
Passing through other beautiful halls
one reaches the Crown Prince Ru-
dolph Grotto, where the lights and
white carving are reflected in the wa
From
the center of the water rises statue
of salt, of course-surrounded by
fir trees and stalactites. A beautiful
memorial column to the unfortunate
crown prince occupies prominent
place in this spacious hall.
Many other wonders are to be seen
on the lower levels, including lecture
and refreshment rooms, handsome
bathrooms, where the miners mold
dances, and a railway station whose
slender columns present remarKa-
Bile appearance in the light or the
candles. Numerous statues and ODE
Hsks find places in appropriate inches
and corners. Everything is hewn
or carved out of the rock Of salt,
History of the Mines.
1t is not known when these mines
were discovered, but they were GER
tainIy worked in the 18th century,
when they belonged to Poland, and
they had become very productive in
the 18th century, during the reign of
Casmir the Great who established
regulations for their mining. In
1856, when the famous STAFF of Po-