The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1917-09-07
JIHER SALIPETtR
CAVES KNOWN TO Be
!. IN MAURy COUNTY
WILLIAM ADHESION TELLS OF
WONDERFUL CAVE AT CAMP
BELLS STATION.
POWDER MANUFACTURER In 1872
Extensive Manufacture OF Powder At
The SaItpeter Cave at Southport
During the Civil War-Signs of Old
Plant Still Left.

1
Saltpeter caves in Maury county ar
| plentiful, according to some of the
older inhabitants. The article in TIL,
| Herald Of Thursday calls to memor.
many caves in the county in which
nave been manufactured saltpeter anC
from which powder was made during
he civil war and as far back as the
war of 1912.
| William ADHESION tells OF cave a.
Campbells Station that is one of the
largest in the country. Mr.. Addison
says that during the war that large
quantities of powder We're manufac
tured in this cave by the Confederate
| soldiers and that after the war many
! Of the farmers in that section contn.
ued the manufacture of saltpeter there
for their own private use in curing
and taking care Of their meat.
Mr.. Adkisson said that in entering
the cave for half mile was by wa
ter, and that two-horse wagon could
be driven into the mouth of the cave
without any difficulty, and after en-
tering, it was easy to turn round in
the cave. After going for half mile
an elevation of twelve to fifteen feet
was necessary in order to reach the
dry room above and that there were
some fifteen or twenty of these rooms
of different sizes.
In these rooms after the war said
Mr.. ADHESION, the farmers of that vi
Unity stored large quantities of ap-
pies and potatoes and that they were
kept perfectly. Back in the war of
1912, so goes the story according to
Mr.. Addison some workmen were in
the cave, and a huge stalactite fell
from the ceiling of one of the rooms
and fell onto pile Of tools lying on
the floor. After the war between the
states Mr.. Adkisson says that he re-
moved one of the tools from beneath
the huge rock which happened to be
a pick and that outside of being a
little rusty, that it was in a perfect
state of preservation.
The cave at Southport, known by
the old-timers as Saltpeter Cave. is
quite prominently known by the older
citizens of the county and especially
those who saw service in the civil
war. and it played an important part
in the equipment from an ammuni
ton standpoint with the soldier of
Tennessee. Powder was manufac-
tured at this cave upon large scale,
and it is understood that there are
some living in and near Columbia
now that helped to operate the pow
der plant located in this cave. There
are signs still extant, at this cave,
showing portions Of the old plant and
Of getting the saltpeter from
the earth This cave is from three
to five miles long and contains enor-
nous rooms. and it is the opinion Of
those who have recently explored the
cave that vast amount of saltpeter
bearing earth can be secured within
its confines at the present time.
The place has always been infested
with bats and owls, and the ammonia
arising from manure forms gaseous
compound of hydrogen and nitrogen.
with pungent smell and is often
termed as volatile alkali, and spirits
CT hartshorn. This creates an oxidiza-
ton or teaching process from the salt
hes:ing rocks.
The salpeter bearing dirt under the
cid system was mined and placed in
hoppers and water poured into the
hopper and a dripping process the
same as making lye from ashes for
making soap. was carried on. and then
this water was distilled by boiling
and the saltpeter crystals saved.