1884.] . i-Ob [Stevenson. 



the conglomerate, has been fully proved by Mr. Robinson, who took out 

 large quantities from a shaft 125 feet deep. A large mass encased in clay 

 was exhausted on this property. Seams of indurated black clay are not 

 uncommon here and occasional fragments of sandstone have been seen, but 

 no fragments of limestone are reported. Borings made on Mr. Robinson's 

 property were pushed to the depth of 600 feet without reaching bedded 

 rock. Salty material was obtained at 400 feet, but as the boring was dry, 

 brine was wanting and no attention was paid to the salt. After passing 

 through the conglomerate and the underlying blue clay, the drill pierced 

 only gypsum and red clay. 



Crossing the divide from the Robinson works, one comes to the Salt- 

 works, whose interesting history would be out of place here. Many years 

 ago a shaft was sunk in search of salt. It passed through 20 feet of blue 

 clay and then 195 feet of red clay and gypsum, reaching at 215 feet 

 abundance of rock salt associated with red clay and gypsum. The supply 

 of brine proved insufficient and after a number of years a well was bored 

 at a distance of a few yards. A large body of water was struck in this at 120 

 feet from the surface, which immediately rose to within 40 feet of the 

 well-curb. By advice of Mr. Musselwhite, the shaft was connected with 

 the new well by means of a tunnel passing through the saltrock, so that 

 now all pumping is done at the shaft and the supply of brine is apparent- 

 ly inexhaustible. The curb of the well is approximately 45 or 50 feet 

 above the Holston crossing, one-fourth mile beyond the end of the rail- 

 road track, so that the almost constant level of water in the wells is prac- 

 tically the same with that of the Holston bed. This great body of water 

 in flowing through tlie rocksalt becomes almost saturated, 90 per cent ; 20 

 gallons yield one bushel and there appears to be a minimum of bitter 

 waters. The salt when taken from the pans is permitted to drain over them 

 for an hour or two ; it is afterwards thrown into bins where the drip 

 ping continues for several weeks. The salt is then dry and no longer 

 affected by atmospheric conditions ; no rewashing is necessary. Of course, 

 the brine is saturated with gypsum, which is precipitated upon the pans, 

 forming a crust usually spoken of as " roclc salt." This deposit, contain- 

 ing not a little salt, accumulates rapidly and adheres so closely to the pans 

 that the labor of removing it adds much to the cost of producing tlie salt. 



The saltrock is at little more tlian 200 feet from the surface at the well. 

 Mr. W. A. Stuart, President of the Holston Salt and Plaster Co., states 

 that the salt continues to a depth of nearly 600 feet. 



The Pierson Plaster Worlcs kre on the Holston at nearly five miles east 

 from Saltville. These are idle, but they were worked vigorously for more 

 than five years and the excavations were carried to the depth of 60 feet. 

 The deposit is in the broad river "bottom," and everything points to con- 

 ditions similar to those seen at Saltville. The soil is underhxid by blue clay 

 which, wherever examined, rests on gypsum, its tliiclvness being approxi- 

 mately 12 feet. No deep borings have been made here to determine the 

 vertical extent of the deposit. Gypsum was once quarried directly under 



