﻿222 
  Geologicai^ 
  Survey 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  [Sect. 
  

  

  westernmost 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  is 
  80 
  feet 
  high. 
  It 
  derives 
  its 
  

   name 
  from 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Coast 
  and 
  Geodetic 
  triangulation 
  platform 
  

   on 
  its 
  summit. 
  The 
  second, 
  "Green 
  Tree 
  hill," 
  is 
  merely 
  a 
  

   spur 
  of 
  lyookout 
  hill. 
  Near 
  the 
  giant 
  live 
  oak 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  

   its 
  summit 
  is 
  a 
  bit 
  of 
  crumbling 
  masonry 
  which 
  is 
  pointed 
  out 
  

   as 
  the 
  ruins 
  of 
  the 
  chimney 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  of 
  Lafitte, 
  the 
  pirate. 
  

   Around 
  it 
  many 
  holes 
  have 
  been 
  dug 
  in 
  a 
  fruitless 
  search 
  for 
  

   hidden 
  treasure. 
  " 
  Bald 
  hill," 
  67 
  feet 
  high, 
  and 
  the 
  Shaft 
  hill, 
  

   51 
  feet 
  high 
  near 
  the 
  northeastern 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  complete 
  

   the 
  range. 
  The 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  is 
  a 
  gently 
  sloping, 
  slightly 
  

   elevated 
  ridge 
  which 
  extends 
  south-east 
  from 
  the 
  hills. 
  Willow 
  

   pond, 
  almost 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  is 
  a 
  shallow, 
  wooded, 
  

   fresh 
  water 
  pond. 
  

  

  History 
  of 
  Mining 
  Operations 
  

  

  Discovery 
  of 
  salt. 
  — 
  The 
  accidental 
  discovery 
  of 
  rock 
  salt 
  in 
  an 
  

   artesian 
  boring 
  on 
  C6te 
  Carline, 
  and 
  the 
  ever 
  increasing 
  difficulty 
  

   of 
  mining 
  salt 
  on 
  Petite 
  Anse, 
  due 
  to 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  mine, 
  caused 
  

   systematic 
  explorations 
  for 
  salt 
  to 
  be 
  begun 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  islands. 
  

  

  In 
  November, 
  1896, 
  Capt. 
  A. 
  F. 
  lyucas 
  undertook, 
  at 
  his 
  own 
  

   expense, 
  to 
  find 
  salt 
  on 
  Belle 
  Isle. 
  In 
  December 
  he 
  discovered 
  

   salt 
  in 
  hole 
  No. 
  i 
  at 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  373 
  feet.* 
  In 
  1897 
  and 
  1898 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  company 
  bored 
  additional 
  holes 
  and 
  in 
  August 
  started 
  a 
  

   shaft 
  on 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  hole 
  No. 
  11 
  where 
  the 
  salt 
  was 
  found 
  within 
  

   103 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  Present 
  work. 
  — 
  With 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  shaft 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  company 
  put 
  up 
  a 
  large 
  saw- 
  mill 
  plant 
  and 
  has 
  with 
  it 
  cut 
  

   all 
  the 
  timber 
  for 
  its 
  buildings. 
  To 
  the 
  saw 
  mill 
  has 
  been 
  added 
  

   a 
  small 
  machine-shop 
  and 
  a 
  barreKfactory. 
  To 
  facilitate 
  trans- 
  

   portation 
  a 
  short 
  canal 
  has 
  been 
  dug 
  from 
  Myrtle 
  bayou 
  along 
  

   the 
  eastern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  island. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  writer's 
  visit, 
  

   it 
  had 
  reached 
  the 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  building 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  

   proposed 
  to 
  extend 
  it 
  past 
  the 
  saw- 
  mill 
  to 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  the 
  evapo- 
  

   rating 
  plant 
  and 
  storehouse. 
  

  

  Wax 
  and 
  Doctor's 
  bayous 
  give 
  deep 
  water 
  communication 
  with 
  

   the 
  Atchafalya 
  and 
  the 
  Atchafalya 
  afford 
  a 
  fair 
  depth 
  of 
  water 
  

   both 
  to 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  Gulf. 
  

  

  * 
  Letter 
  from 
  Capt. 
  A. 
  F. 
  Lucas. 
  * 
  

  

  