MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 35 



cliff east of the village. " Loose specimens are found in the stone 

 fences and may be recognized by their color, cr3?-stal form and great 

 weight. The mineral was examined chemically by Dr V. J. Chambers 

 of Columbia University who found it to be strontium sulphate, 

 with some barium sulphate admixed. From this analysis it appears 

 that the mineral is in reality barytocelestite." 



References 

 Beck, Lewis C. Mineralogy of New York. 1 842 

 Gebhard, John. On the Geology and Mineralogy of Schoharie, N. Y. Amer. 



Jour. Sci., V. 28, 172, 1835 

 Grabau, A. W. Geology and Palentology of the Schoharie Valley. N. Y. State 



Mus. Bui. 92, 1906 

 Shepard, C. U. Amer. Jour. Sci., v. 27, 1835 

 Whitlock, H. P. Minerals not Commercially Important. N. Y. State Mus., 



57th Ann. Rep't,. 1904 



CARBON DIOXIDE 



Carbon dioxide is classed as a mineral when it occurs free, naturally 

 stored within the earth. Mostly it is produced artificially by 

 combustion of coal or coke, by fermentation in brewing and by 

 calcination of mineral carbonates like limestone, dolomite and 

 magnesite. Its principal use is in the carbonating of beverages. 



Natural carbon dioxide exists in the mineral waters of Saratoga 

 and Ballston springs, being held in solution by the waters as they 

 occur in the underground reservoirs and separating from them as 

 they issue at the surface with diminishing pressure. For many 

 years its collection and distribution was an industry of importance 

 in Saratoga and vicinity, the value of the output exceeding that 

 reported for the sales of mineral waters by themselves. The 

 industry was finally discontinued with the erection of the State 

 reservation and the cessation of pumping under legal restraint. 

 Since then no gas has been sold separately, although the natural 

 supplies are used locally in the charging of the bottled mineral 

 waters for general constimption. 



The presence of large quantities of free carbon dioxide in the 

 waters is the most interesting and intrinsically important feature 

 of the Saratoga-Ballston district. There is no other spring resort 

 in the State or in the whole eastern part of the country that is 

 comparable in that respect. Similar examples of highly carbonate 

 waters are found on the Pacific coast and at some of the celebrated 

 European spas. The sources of the gas is an unsolved problem, 

 further than that it must come from great depths before it joins 

 2 



