226 ORIGIN OF MINERAL SPRINGS. 



end of Otsego county, and in Tlerkimer and Oneida counties, 

 are highly favorable for springs appearing at a lower level. 



The whole of the thermal springs of the United States, those 

 of Hoosic, Lebanon, Virginia, Buncombe county, North Caroli- 

 na, and Washita, in all probability have one character as to ori- 

 gin, that of issuing or rising through faults, and having been 

 raised from a great depth, as their temperature indicates. They are 

 of importance as to the point in question, from their negative char- 

 acter, being iieither saline nor sulphureous, or what is termed 

 mineral, excepting those of Washita, which have left, or leave a 

 deposit of calcareous tutfa, iron and gypsum. These springs, 

 were it true that the sulphur springs of New York owe their 

 mineral nature to a subterranean or volcanic origin, would, from 

 the great depth from whence they spring, be the most lilvcly to 

 contain sulphur ; but they contain none, and the whole of the 

 New York springs of that kind, are placed above those of the 

 thermal ones, as to their surface rock, if we except those of Wash- 

 ita. Of their rock, we cannot say that we know it, from the 

 reports published of that region. The thermal springs are those 

 which have come from the greatest depth, and are connected with 

 the oldest rocks, appearing to have originated between the pri- 

 mary and the transition classes. 



The next kind, as to rock or age, are the acidulous saline cha- 

 lybeates, those only of New York being considered. They form 

 the well-known waters of Saratoga and Ballston, to which those 

 of the borings at Albany, and Halleck's spring in Oneida coun- 

 ty, are added, being of the same, but of an inferior nature. The 

 whole belong to the Hudson river group, issuing from, or ob- 

 tained by boring in that group. 



Ascending higher in the series in New York, are the brine 

 springs of the Medina sandstone, characterized by the Fucoides 

 Harlani. These springs are numerous, commencing in the coun- 

 ty of Oswego, and appear in Cayuga, Wayne, and others fur- 

 ther west. They are the lowest springs in the State, with the 

 exception of one, which contains salt in such purity and amount, 

 as to be entitled to the appellation of brine springs. For 

 some time, their rock or source, and the one from which the sa- 



