LOUISIANA  ROCK  SALT 
329 
less  than  21,000,000  pounds  being  taken  from  it  in  the  course 
of  three  months. 
When  the  islands  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Federal  forces, 
the  works,  bridges  and  buildings  were  destroyed,  but  the  solid 
rock  of  crystal  wealth  remained,  and  is  in  future  to  form  a 
prominent  part  of  the  material  resources  of  Louisiana.  The 
mine  has  recently  been  purchased  by  C.  A.  Weed,  of  this  city, 
and  Hawkes,  Pratt  &  Co.,  of  New  York.  Their  borings  have 
extended  over  a  great  number  of  acres,  and  the  salt  rock  is 
found  everywhere,  from  fifteen  to  twenty-two  feet  below  the 
surface.  At  the  point  where  the  principal  excavation  was  made, 
the  pits  have  been  sunk  through  the  salt  to  the  depth  of  over 
forty  feet,  without  finding  any  indication  of  reaching  the  bot- 
tom. It  is  supposed  that  the  mine  covers  at  least  one  hundred 
acres,  and  there  is  at  present  no  means  of  ascertaining  the 
depths  of  the  deposits.  A  number  of  dwelling-houses  and 
extensive  stables  have  already  been  completed  on  the  island, 
and  a  large  building  is  now  in  process  of  construction  over  the 
main  entrance,  which  is  to  contain  the  steam-engine,  mills, 
crushers,  &c.  In  one  week  ten  inexperienced  hands  recently  got 
out  200,000  pounds  of  salt — nearly  four  tons  per  day  to  each 
hand.  What  will  be  the  product  when  all  the  contemplated 
mechanical  agencies  are  put  into  effective  operation  ? 
An  analysis  made  by  Dr.  J.  L.  Riddell,  of  New  Orleans, 
gives  the  following  result : — 
I  find  the  samples  of  rock  salt  furnished  by  you  from  the 
Petite  Anse  Mines,  Attakapas,  La.,  to  contain  in  one  hundred 
parts  by  weight : 
Chloride  of  sodium  (common  salt)       ....  98*88 
Sulphate  of  lime  (gypsum)  ......  0*76 
Chloride  of  Magnesium      .......  0*23 
Chloride  of  Calcium  0-13 
Total      .       .       ...       .       .  100,00 
Nothing  else  present  in  quantity  to  be  appreciated.  This 
salt  is  white  or  colorless,  and  visibly  consists  of  impervious 
aggregations  of  irregular  cubical  crystals  of  common  salt, 
averaging  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter.    It  attracts  no 
