34 BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



holes, one for forcing the water in and the other for the 

 saturated brine to rise in. 



The wells of the Kerr Salt Co. are what are known as " forc- 

 ing wells," i. e. the wells are combined and the water from 

 the Oatka Creek being forced down by means of a common 

 Cameron or Deane pump. These wells are arranged to pre- 

 vent the back pressure on the pump, which would result if 

 there were only one well, as the amount of water is distrib- 

 uted over several wells instead of one. The wells have an 

 outside ring of iron called the "casing" and an inside ring 

 called the " tubing" through which the fresh water is forced 

 in. The rock on which the casing rests is reamed out level 

 to fit the end of the casing and cement is used to make the 

 joints tight. The tubing is secured in a collar at the top 

 which rests at the upper end of the casing. This is what 

 supports the weight of the rods and this weight serves to 

 prevent the brine at a pressure of 250 lbs. or so, from escap- 

 ing. The water becomes saturated and is forced up the pipe 

 in the other well to the tanks. 



At the Duncan Salt Company's works at Silver Springs, 

 fresh water is taken from springs and is pumped into the 

 wells. The method of forcing in at one well and out at 

 another is employed for connected wells. In all cases the 

 water is forced down on the outside of the tubing between 

 the casing and the tubing, and comes up through the tubing 

 whether one well is used or whether the wells are connected. 

 The fresh water from the springs is first pumped through 

 a Cameron pump. It goes down the wells outside the tub- 

 ing, dissolves the salt layers, rises in the tube as saturated 

 brine and is discharged in a tank. The method of tubing 

 is as follows: A 12 inch pipe is first sunk down to the rock. 

 Then a drill of about 6 inches diameter is used and the hole 

 bored deeper to firm rock and the casing is put in. Then 

 the tube hole of 4 or 5 inches is bored. The casing is put 

 in and the lower part packed with rubber which fits in be- 

 tween the rock and the casing and prevents the leakage of 



