HOI WATER AT SULl'UUR BANK. 



259 



On the southwest drift of the fifth level hot water and vapor are expelled 

 ■from cracks with some force and with a noise resembling that of escaping 

 steam. The quantity of steam condensed to a visible vapor, however, is 

 not very great, and the thermometer shows only 80'' C. (176° F.). The 

 escaping gases smell of ammonia. This is the hottest water met with, 

 though other springs show over 70° C.^ 



Composition of the waters. — It being clcar that the cinnabar has come to the 

 surface in solution under conditions little if at all different from those now 

 prevailing, the composition of the waters becomes a matter of special in- 

 terest. The following analyses show the composition of the contents of 

 1,000 cubic centimeters of hot water from two of the shafts in their prob- 

 able combinations : 



Silica, SiO' 



Feri'ons carbonate, FeCO^ ■ 



Calcium sulphate; CaSO' 



Calcium carbonate, CaCO' 



Magnesium carbonate, MgCO* — 



Sodic carbonate, Na'CO' 



Ammonium carbonate {H'Nj'CO'. 



Borax, Na^B'O' 



Sodic sulphate, Na'SO* 



Sodium chloride, NaCl 



Potaasiam chloride, KCl 



Fixed organic matter 



Hydrogen sulphide, H^S 



Carbon dioxide, CO^ 



Total weight, grams . 



0. 02340 

 0. 03520 

 0. 01890 

 1. 94675 



0. 00664 



1. 87840 



1. 10270 

 0. 04705 

 0. 00500 

 0. 00455 

 0. 26241 



5. 30815 



0. 05055 

 0. 00555 

 0. 3220O 

 0. 00282 

 2. 40435 



0. 68905 



1. 03975 

 0. 07470 

 0. 00760 

 0. 00074 

 1.75131 



6. 39185 



The simple instead of tlie acid carbonate of sodium is assumed in these 

 analyses because the acid salt is at least in part dissociated in hot solutions. 

 Tlie sulphydric acid was combined to some extent as a soluble sulphide, but 

 with what base it was united was not ascertained. Not a trace of mercury 

 could be detected in solution, though, as will be seen in Chapters XI and XV, 

 waters very similar to these are certainly capable of dissolving cinnabar. 



Nature of the mercuriferous solutions. — 111 thc hopB of obtaining fui'ther light on 

 this subject Dr. Melville visited Sulphur Bank with chemical appliances 



' I aiu not aware that mining operations have ever been carried on before where the inflowing 

 water had so high a temperature as l/fr^ F. The highest temperature which I observed in the Corn- 

 stock was 170° F. 



