ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 83 



ANALYSIS OF ROCK-SALT FROM SALTVILLE, YA. 



A specimen of this rock-salt sent by the Superintendent of the 

 salt-works in the valley of the Holston, yielded on analysis some- 

 what different results from the previously published analysis (Chem. 

 News," No. 1038) and in view of this and the claim made for this 

 Virginia brine, that it exceeds in purity nearly all others of which 

 analyses are on record, the analysis made in this laboratory is pub- 

 lished. The specimen was brownish-red in color, with a crystalline 

 structure and was obtained whilst deepening one of the salt- wells. 

 This rock-salt is not mined, the brine alone being used for the man- 

 ufacture of salt. The capacity of the works is at present 450,000 

 bushels per year, though at one time, during the late war, the yield 

 was as high as 10,000 bushels per day. 



According to this analysis the rock-salt contained : 



Na CI 93.05 



K CI ■ -- trace. 



CaS04.2H20 - 2.40 



MgSO* 07 



FegOg--.. .83 



SiOg .-- '....: 2.Sr 



• HgO .30 



99.46 



An analysis of the salt as marketed gave 98.89 per cent NaCl with 

 a small perentage of CaS042H30 and a trace of MgSO^ showing it 

 to be a high-grade salt. 



Chemical Laboratory, U. N. C. Thos. Radcliffe. 



THE STORM OF APRIL 22d, 1883. 



This storm is remarkable for its exce?^sive rain-fall. The barometer 

 fell slowly on on 2 1st and between three and four-tenths on 22nd. 

 The depression lasted during 23rd and 24th. The temperature was 

 normal before and at time of storm, but a fall of 16^F. in daily mean 

 followed it. The percentage of moisture in the atmosphere on 21st 

 was lower than for two weeks previous. A rapid rise in this per- 

 centage was noticed on 22nd and the air remained nearly saturated 

 until 24th, when there was a sudden falling off. Surface winds were 

 light during 21st and 22nd coming from S. E. The cirrus clouds 



