﻿242 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  [Sect. 
  

  

  A 
  tramway 
  was 
  built 
  from 
  the 
  mine 
  and 
  a 
  short 
  embankment 
  

   made 
  across 
  the 
  marsh 
  to 
  Petite 
  An?e 
  bayou 
  where 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   slips 
  were 
  dug. 
  The 
  salt 
  was 
  loaded 
  in 
  lighters 
  and 
  carried 
  down 
  

   the 
  ba3'ou 
  to 
  Vermillion 
  bay 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  transferred 
  to 
  schoon- 
  

   ers. 
  This 
  did 
  not 
  prove 
  very 
  satisfactory 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  

   transfers 
  and 
  accidents 
  to 
  the 
  lighters 
  and 
  Fchooners 
  due 
  to 
  mud- 
  

   flats 
  and 
  bars. 
  

  

  The 
  salt 
  was 
  mined 
  by 
  chambers 
  and 
  cross-headings 
  averaging 
  

   about 
  40 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  25 
  or 
  more 
  feet 
  high, 
  pillars 
  40 
  feet 
  in 
  

   diameter 
  being 
  left 
  to 
  support 
  the 
  roof. 
  

  

  In 
  1886 
  the 
  American 
  Salt 
  company 
  was 
  succeeded 
  by 
  the 
  

   New 
  Iberia 
  Salt 
  company 
  which 
  made 
  arrangements 
  with 
  the 
  

   Southern 
  Pacific 
  railroad 
  for 
  a 
  switch 
  from 
  New 
  Iberia. 
  This 
  

   was 
  completed 
  in 
  1886 
  and 
  solved 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  transportation. 
  

  

  The 
  extreme 
  irregularity 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  was 
  not 
  

   fully 
  appreciated 
  by 
  the 
  companies 
  first 
  engaged 
  its 
  mining. 
  

   The 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  changes 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  from 
  20 
  feet 
  below 
  

   the 
  ground 
  to 
  loo 
  feet 
  in 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  200 
  yards. 
  The 
  

   galleries 
  on 
  the 
  90 
  foot 
  level 
  were 
  driven 
  under 
  the 
  false 
  idea 
  

   that 
  there 
  was 
  40 
  or 
  50 
  feet 
  of 
  salt 
  above 
  them 
  and 
  soon 
  

   approached 
  the 
  outer 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  salt. 
  Then 
  water 
  commenced 
  

   to 
  come 
  in 
  the 
  mine 
  through 
  the 
  crevices. 
  After 
  the 
  water 
  had 
  

   started, 
  it 
  did 
  not 
  take 
  long 
  for 
  it 
  to 
  dissolve 
  the 
  salt 
  and 
  change 
  

   the 
  crevices 
  into 
  holes. 
  Thus 
  the 
  first 
  sink-hole 
  was 
  formed 
  as 
  

   early 
  as 
  1883. 
  

  

  Others 
  followed 
  and 
  the 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  and 
  debris 
  carried 
  

   into 
  the 
  mine 
  through 
  the 
  sink-holes 
  verj^ 
  greatly 
  interfered 
  with 
  

   the 
  mining 
  operations. 
  First 
  the 
  eastern 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  western 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  mine 
  was 
  abandoned 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  decided 
  (1885) 
  to 
  

   sink 
  the 
  shaft 
  70 
  feet 
  deeper. 
  This 
  additional 
  depth, 
  with 
  the 
  

   eight 
  feet 
  required 
  for 
  the 
  pump, 
  made 
  the 
  total 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  

   working 
  shaft 
  168 
  feet. 
  Work 
  was 
  prosecuted 
  on 
  the 
  160 
  foot 
  

   level 
  by 
  driving 
  galleries 
  and 
  crossways 
  80 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  40 
  feet 
  

   high 
  and 
  leaving 
  supporting 
  pillars 
  60 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  July 
  I, 
  1893, 
  Myles 
  and 
  company 
  of 
  New 
  Orleans, 
  obtained 
  a 
  

   sublease 
  of 
  the 
  property. 
  The 
  water 
  which 
  entered 
  the 
  upper 
  

   levels 
  through 
  the 
  sink-holes 
  finally 
  effected 
  an 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  

   lower 
  levels 
  and 
  caused 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mine 
  to 
  be 
  abandoned 
  in 
  

  

  