Geological Reports on the State of New York. 3 



action of the pumps. This is supposed to favor the hypothesis, 

 that the impregnation arises from solid mineral salt beneath. 



The Onondaga lake is fresh water, and is secured from im- 

 pregnation from the surrounding saline marshes, by a stratum 

 of marl, from three to twelve feet thick, below which is a bed 

 of marly clay. 



These salines are under the direction of the State authorities, 

 and four wells are worked — one at Salina, one at Syracuse, one 

 at Geddes, and a fourth at Liverpool, on the Oswego canal, all 

 upon the borders of this little lake. 



The Salina spring affords more salt water than all the others ; 

 it is seventy feet deep, and the water is raised by forcing pumps 

 to such a height as to supply occasionally all the works in the vi- 

 cinity. Temperature of the well, 50*^ Fah., brine limpid and 

 sparkling, with carbonic acid gas: specific grav. 1.11060 at 60° 

 F. : has remained of uniform strength for at least thirty six years. 

 It contains — 



Garb, of lime, - - - - - .17 



Sulph. of hme, ... - 4.73 



Muriate of lime, - - - - 1.04 



" magnesia, - - - - .51 



Common salt, - ... - 140.02 



Oxide of iron, with a little silica and lime, - 0.04 



Carbonic acid, with a little lime and iron, - 0.09 



Water, with a trace of bromine and organic matter, 853.41 



1000.00. 



This brine contains 1130 grains of pure and dry salt in a wine 

 pint, and 9045 grains or 1.29 pounds avoir., in a gallon, and 43^ 

 gallons yield a bushel of salt weighing 56 pounds, and 41^ gal- 

 lons give a bushel of merchantable salt, which contains about five 

 per cent, of water. 



The Syracuse water gives a result almost identical — it is appa- 

 rently a very little weaker, but the difference is so small, that it may 

 be accidental ; the same may be said of the Geddes well, and of 

 that at Liverpool, which is indeed a little stronger : the average 

 yield of the four wells is 136.48 grains in 1000 of water, or nearly 

 I, whereas sea water affords an average of only g'g-, and these wa- 

 ters are therefore about twelve times as strong as sea water. 



