PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 875 



subside ; and, after acquiring its natural equilibrium, the crystal 

 mass drifts slowly out to sea with the current, and is called an 

 iceberg. And thus the glacier has fultilled its part in the great 

 law of circulation and change. 



The chairman presented the report b}^ C. F. Chandler, Ph. D., 

 Professor of Analytical and Applied Chemistry School of Mines, 

 Columbia College, New York, on the 



Saratoga Seltzer Spring. 

 Situation. 



The village of Saratoga, in Saratoga county, New York, is built 

 on both sides of a valley which runs nearly north and south. In 

 this valley occur the mineral springs which have made Saratoga 

 the most popular watering place in this country. 



At the northern end of the village the valley is quite narrow, 

 and 13 bounded on the west by a ledge of limestone, the " calcifer- 

 ous sand-rock " of the New York geologists, which rises abruptly 

 thirty or forty feet above the bed of the valley, which is here quite 

 level. At the base of this ledge occur four mineral springs, the 

 Saratoga Seltzer, the High Rock, the Star, and the Empire. The 

 Sellzer lies nearest the vilhige, being seventy-five feet south of 

 the High Rock. The lot on Avhich the spring is situated adjoins 

 the property of the High Rock spring, and extends from Putnam 

 to Front street, a distance of two hundred feet, with a frontage of 

 fifty feet on each street. About thrce-fiflhs of the lot is in the bed 

 of the valle}^ on the level of Putnam street, while the rema ning 

 two-fifths are on the limestone ledge, on the level of Front street. 

 The spring is situated near the cei:tre of the lot. 



History. 



This spring w^as noticed many years ago, before the valley was 

 drained, and a barrel was sunk into the gi'ound to serve as a reser- 

 voir for it, which led to its being called the "barrel spring." 

 Owing to the wet and miry character of the ground about it, it 

 was not much visited, and Avas in time suffered to lose itself in the 

 swamp, the barrel becoming completely submerged. 



In 18G0, the lot on which the spring is situated was purchased 

 by Dr. J. P. Haskins, who, in November, 1865, commenced exca- 

 vating, to tube the spring down to the rock, employing a force of 

 about thirty men. Two months and a half were occupied in exca- 

 vating a shaft twenty feet long by thirty feet wide, down to the 



