1889.J NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 39 



country. No definite action had been taken ; but the question 

 was to be made the subject of correspondence, in order to obtain 

 the sentiment of the foreign delegates generally. 



The first paper announced for the evening was then presented, 

 entitled 



THE KOCK-SALT DEPOSITS OF THE SALINA GROUP IN WESTERN 



NEW YORK. 



BY J. S. NEAVBERRY. 



(Abstract.) 



Among the many important scientific and pecuniary resultsof 

 the boring of wells for oil and gas in the country bordering the 

 great lakes, is the discovery of tiiick and extended sheets of 

 rock-salt where they wore not before suspected to exist, and 

 where they are likely to become sources of wealth. 



The first of this series of wells was that bored for oil at Gode- 

 rich, Canada, in 18G6. Here, at the tieptli of about 1,000 feet, 

 layers of rock-salt were penetrated, estimated to have an aggregate 

 thickness of about 30 feet. The salt, separated from the sliale 

 with which it was mingled, was analyzed by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt 

 and found to be of exceptional purity. Since that time a number 

 of wells have been sunk at Goderich, Clinton, and Kincardine, and 

 from the brines pumped from them in 1873 nearly two and a 

 half million bushels of salt were produced, about one-half of 

 which found its way to the American markets. 



In 18T6, the diamond drill having in the meantime come into 

 use, Mr. A. Y. Attrill, of New York, purchased a tract of land at 

 Goderich and drilled a well to the depth of 1,517 feet. At 1,028 

 feet the first bed of rock-salt was struck ; this was 31 feet in 

 thickness. At 1,085 feet the second bed, 25 feet in thickness, 

 was reached ; at 1,127 feet the third bed, 35 feet thick ; at 1,223 

 feet the fourth bed, 16 feet ; and the fifth and sixth beds, respec- 

 tively 13 and 16 feet in thickness, were reached at the depths of 

 1,243 and 1,385 feet. 



The cores of salt brought up by the diamond drill were exam- 

 ined by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt. Much of it was slightly stained 

 with clay, from which it must be separated by solution before 

 refined salt could be made. Ten feet of the second bed was, 

 however, perfectly white and consisted of 99| per cent of sodium 

 chloride. 



The salt of Goderich occurs in the Onondaga salt group, and, 

 as we shall see, is on the same geological level (Salina) with the 

 beds of salt recently discovered in western New York. 



