216 Notices of Memoirs — The Salt Mines of Prussia, 



In the Prussian mine at Stassfurt, Salt was reached at a depth of 

 816 feet; after the following strata had been passed through, namely: 



Alluvial Soil 27 feet. 



New Eed Sandstone ... 576 „ 



Gypsum, Anhydrite, and Marl 213 „ 



Salt. 

 At a bore-hole at Schonebeck, some distance from Stassfurt, the 

 salt was 1,480 feet from the surface, the rocks passed through being 



Alluvial Soil 25 feet 



Keuper, with Lettenkohle fan impure form of Brown-coal) 211 „ 



Muschelkalk 1 1067 „ 



New Eed Sandstone 1680 „ 



The brine contained but 7^ per cent, of common salt. 



Accounts are given of several other bore-holes in the same locality, 

 showing considerable variations in the depths at which the Salt is 

 reached, but the most important and interesting account relates to a 

 shaft sunk at Stassfurt, which reached pure Salt at a depth of 1,066 

 feet from the surface. The beds penetrated were as follows : — 



Alluvial Soil 27 feet. 



Sandstone, with some schist and grey limestone 576 „ 



Gypsum and Anhydrite 192 „ 



Bituminous matter mixed with Anhydrite and Common Salt 21 „ 



Potash Salts 158 „ 



Eock Salt (the upper part mixed to a considerable extent with 



Anhydrite) 92 „ 



At this depth (1066 feet) lateral workings were commenced, the Salt 

 being wrought in a manner somewhat similar to our long- wall system 

 of coal-mining. 



The total thickness of the Salts was found to be 1,197 feet; these 

 the authors consider in detail. The lowest beds comprised 685 feet 

 of pure Eock Salt, with thin layers of Anhydrite J-inch thick, 

 dividing the Salt at intervals of from one to eight inches. Then 

 comes a bed, about 200 feet thick, composed of 



Chloride of Sodium 91-20 



Anhydrite 0-66 



Polyhalite 633 



Hydrated Chloride of Magnesium 1'51 



Higher up, the gradual disappearance of the more insoluble salts is 

 manifest; the deposit contains but 2 per cent, of anhydrite, to 60 per 

 cent, of common salt, and from 17 to 20 per cent, of Kieserite 

 (monohydrated sulphate of magnesium), used in the preparation of 

 Epsom Salts. In the uppermost beds the insoluble salts are entirely 

 absent, the average composition being : — 



Carnallite 55 



Common Salt 25 



Kieserite 16 



Hydrated Chloride of Magnesium 4 



In conclusion, the authors recommend the Salt mines as well 

 worth a visit. To the scientific and non-scientific any trouble will be 

 amply repaid, for apart from the high geological interest of the 

 deposits, there is great attraction in the beauty of the passages and 

 chambers in the interior of the mine, decked with magnificent 

 crystals of the chiorides of sodium and potassium, sj)arkling and 

 glistening in the light of the lamps. — Abridged from the " Chemical 

 News," February 5th and 12th, 1869. 



