THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I9II 43 



The waters at Richfield Springs contain the elements of the alkali 

 and alkaline earth groups together with sulfuric acid and smaller 

 amounts of chlorin, carbon dioxid and sulfureted hydrogen. They 

 are employed for medicinal baths as well as for drinking purposes. 

 The springs issue along the contact of Siluric limestone and Devonic 

 shales. Sharon Springs is situated to the east of Richfield Springs 

 and near the contact of the Lower and Upper Siluric. Clifton 

 Springs, Ontario county, and Massena Springs, St Lawrence county, 

 are among the localities where sulfureted waters occur and are 

 utilized. 



The Oak Orchard springs in the town of Byron, Genesee county, 

 are noteworthy for their acid waters which contain a considerable 

 proportion of aluminum, iron, calcium and magnesium, besides free 

 sulfuric acid. 



The Lebanon spring, Columbia county, is the single representative 

 in the State of the class of thermal springs. It has a temperature of 

 75° F. and is slightly charged with carbon dioxid and nitrogen. 



Ordinary spring waters. The greater quantity of spring waters 

 consumed in the State belongs to the nonmedicinal, noncarbonated 

 class, represented by such springs as the Great Bear, Deep Rock, 

 Mount View, Sun Ray, Chemung etc. The waters are obtained 

 either by flowing springs or from artesian wells and are shipped in 

 carboys or in tank cars to the principal cities where they are bottled 

 and distributed by wagons among the consumers. The essential 

 feature of such waters is their freedom from noxious impurities. 

 This is generally safeguarded by the care exercised in the handling 

 of the waters which are also regularly examined in the chemical and 

 bacteriological laboratories. 



Carbon dioxid. This gas is given off in quantity by- some of the 

 wells at Saratoga Springs, and its collection and storage for ship- 

 ment constituted for many years an important industry at that place. 

 Over 30 wells have been bored there for gas alone. The industry 

 has now been discontinued by force of a legislative enactment ; it 

 was considered that the pumping of the wells for the production of 

 the gas was detrimental to the other springs that were utilized solely 

 for their waters. For some time the value of the natural gas secured 

 for the wells exceeded that of the mineral water sales. 



List of springs. The following list includes the names and 



