14 MR. THOMAS WARD ON THE 



after another they collapsed, leaving large funnel-shaped 

 pits filled with water, locally known as " rock pit-holes/' 

 to mark their position. In all the upper mines large pil- 

 lars, about 5 yards square, were left to support the roof. 

 In the lower mines these pillars, though originally of the 

 same size, are now left larger, varying from 8 to 1 2 yards 

 square. One or two lower mines have collapsed by the 

 roof falling in for want of sufficient supports. Some have 

 been abandoned because of the breaking-in of brine or 

 water. Of late years, however, when worked to the 

 ooundary of the owner, they have been allowed to fill with 

 brine, which is pumped out for the manufacture of white 

 salt. About 150,000 tons per year of rock salt are mined 

 from the lower portion of the salt bed, which is the purest. 

 This is not quite one tenth of the quantity of white salt 

 made from brine. Whether, however, the salt is mined 

 as rock salt or is manufactured from brine, the beds of 

 rock salt before described furnish the whole. 



The manufacture of salt from natural brine is carried on 

 more largely in Cheshire than in any other portion of the 

 world. The brine is found upon or near to the surface of 

 the first bed of rock salt. It is reached by the sinking of a 

 shaft or huge well, sometimes as much as 10 feet in dia- 

 meter, which is cylindered to keep out the fresh water. 

 Till recently there has been no great diminution in the 

 quantity of brine. As soon as the "flag" overlying the 

 " rock head " was pierced the brine rose very copiously, 

 and the most rapid pumping only produced a slight change 

 of level. The height of the brine above the surface of the 

 rock salt varied in all the districts, but in every case was 

 considerable, being frequently 50 yards. The level of the 

 brine when at rest or unpumped has fallen very consider- 

 ably of late years, owing to the enormous increase in the 

 make of salt. At Winsford the level in 1880 was 20 yards 



