532 



SALT. 



intended to produce annually 100,000 bushels; and 

 from the known enterprise of the gentlemen most large- 

 ly concerned, there is no probability of a miscalcula- 

 tion. 



It is the general belief at Salina, that great masses 

 of salt exist, and may be discovered near to the sur- 

 face ; and the legislature have granted certain powers 

 to persons searching for the mineral, securing to them 

 certain valuable privileges on the successful termina- 

 tion of their search. With the aid of such strong sti- 

 mulus, added to the usual hope of gain, we may hope 

 that fossil salt will be discovered, as it doubtless does 

 exist in the vicinity, although perhaps at a considerable 

 depth. Unless it should prove very pure, however, it 

 would be necessary to redissolve it to obtain the salt of 

 commerce. In which case it is at least problematical 

 if it would add much to the value of the manufacture. 



From the springs in the town of Salina, (including 

 the villages of Salina, Syracuse, Liverpool, and Ged- 

 desburgh,) it is calculated that at least three millions 

 of bushels could be made annually, should the demand 

 justify it, yielding the state a yearly revenue of 375,000 

 dollars. 



Montfzuma, in the county of Cayuga, embraces salt 

 springs of great value. The works are owned by a 

 company engaged in the manufacture of refined or rec- 

 tified salt. The following Table shows the quantity 

 of salt made, the revenue to the state, and the ex- 



inspected, from 



pense : 



Com.to Supdnt. 



Bushels. Revenue, at 7 1-2 per cent. 



Dol. Cts. Dol. Cts. 



Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 1823, 3332 416 30 31 23 



Oct. 31, 1822, to Jan. HI, 1823, 5031* 628 93 47 16 



Jan. 31 to April 30, 1823, 32074 4-00 <J3 3006 



April 30 to July 31, 1823, 272G 340 T5 25 55 



14,297 1787 11 



134 00 



The salt water used at Montezuma, was obtained by 

 the Indians by digging small holes in the ground a foot 

 or two in depth, in the marsh at the foot of the ridge 

 upon which the village now stands. The water came 

 through small strata of quicksand. Afterwards wells 

 were sunk by the whites to various depths, from four- 

 teen to fifty feet, from which water of the same quality 

 with that which was first discovered was taken in suffi- 

 cient quantities to make considerable salt. The wa- 

 ter, however, was weak, yielding about eight ounces 

 to the gallon. 



About 1807, General John Swartwout began to ma- 

 nufacture salt from salt water, discovered in a branch 

 of the Seneca River, since called Salt Creek, at the 

 depth of about eight or twelve feet from the surface. 

 This water was of a quality like that first used ; the 

 fresh water was partially excluded by means of a curb. 



In the year 1810, under the direction of the Cayuga 

 Manufacturing Company, a well was sunk on the west 

 side of the ridge of ground upon which the village now 

 stands, to the depth of something more than one hun- 

 dred feet. In sinking this well three separate springs 

 of water were discovered : the first, like that which 

 had been previously used, about ten feet from the sur- 

 face. Then succeeded a stratum of fine blue clay, five 

 or six feet in depth ; then a stratum of hard pan, with 

 occasionally some gravel, about thirty-five feet in depth ; 

 then a thin stratum of quicksand, containing a little 

 weak brine, having about ten ounces to the gallon-; 

 then succeeded thin irregular strata of sand and clay, 

 with some water, until they reached to the distance of 

 a hundred feet, where they found the great fountain 

 of water, which came in through a body of quicksand. 

 This water, when pure and unmixed with the upper 



veins, produced abcut twenty ounces to the gallon. 

 Another well was sui.k on the east side of the ridge, > 

 and the great fountain was found at the depth of eighty 

 feet. The geological appearances were like those in 

 the first well. Another well is partly completed in 

 this place : it is now sunk to about the depth of fifty 

 feet, and the geological appearances are much the same 

 as in the other wells, except that the upper vein of 

 water is more abundant than in the other wells, and 

 the sand deeper. 



The foreign matter is essentially the same as at Sa- 

 lina. 



The strength of the water now used from our wells, 

 compared with that of Salir>a, is about as nine to twelve. 

 The amount manufactured at these works last year 

 was between 16 and 20,000 bushels, 1000 of which 

 was made by solar evaporation. No kettles are used, 

 but large pans of wrought iron, which were made in. 

 Liverpool, England. Only six of these were in ope- 

 ration last year ; more have heretofore been in opera- 

 tion. Twelve or fourteen will be in operation next 

 year. 



No rock salt has ever been found here. 

 The hills and ridges run almost due north and south, 

 and the soil is generally gravelly, the pebbles being 

 round and smooth. 



In 1810, the county of Cayuga furnished nearly 

 60,000 bushels of salt. How much is made at present 

 I have not been able to ascertain. 



In the county of Wayne, the town of Galen manu- 

 factured about 150 bushels daily in 1810, making an 

 average of about 50,000 yearly. There are several 

 other valuable salt springs in this county. 



Genesee county contains several valuable salines ; 

 but they are not extensively wrought, yielding only a 

 few thousand bushels a year. 



Seneca county enjoys fine salt springs in Wolcott 

 and the neighbouring towns; but they arenot'produc- 

 tive at present. 



The salt springs in the counties of Ontario, Niagara, 

 Tompkins, and Oneida, have not been used thus far in. 

 the production of salt. They are individually of great 

 worth to the proprietors and to the state, and will soon 

 be made productive. 



The strength of our salt springs is, upon an average, 

 greater than those in Europe, though it is a matter of 

 no practical moment at the present day. It should be 

 remembered, however, that many European brine 

 springs have been estimated too highly. It has been 

 repeatedly said, for instance, that the brine springs of 

 Barton and Northwich, in England, yield six ounces 

 of salt to the pound of brine, or more than one-fourth 

 part pure salt. Now, experiment proves, according- to 

 the minute investigations of the Bishop of Landaff, that 

 this cannot be true ; for allowing that sixteen ounces 

 of water can hold six ounces of salt in solution, and no 

 more, it follows that no brine spring can yield six 

 ounces of salt from a pint of brine, because sixteen 

 ounces of water with six ounces of salt would be a sa- 

 turated brine of twenty-two ounces: therefore, if twen- 

 ty-two ounces of brine yield six ounces of salt, sixteen 

 ounces of brine can yield only four and four-elevenths 

 ounces of salt. So that the strongest brine can yield 

 very little more than one-fourth j*nrt its weight of salt. 

 Cheshire salt brine gives twenty-two per cent. ; in one 

 remarkable case it gave twenty-five per cent. ; and 

 once twenty-six per cent, of salt. 



In Switzerland, from thirteen to fourteen per cent, 

 is the usua' strength of the salt brine springs. la 

 France, eleven per cent, is the average. 



Salt. 



