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6 June. 

 CARRICKFERGUS SALT MINES. 



On this date the Club held their second summer excursion, 

 and a fine afternoon brought the large number of over ioo 

 members together in time to catch the 2.15 train to Carrick- 

 fergus, from which station the whole party proceeded to the 

 salt mines at Duncrue, some two miles distant. Here they 

 were met by the representative of the owners, who placed his 

 services at the Club's disposal during the afternoon. The 

 tedious business of lowering the large party into the mine was 

 then begun by the two shafts, down each of which the buckets 

 carried four persons at a time, one of the buckets being raised 

 at the same time that the other was lowered and by the same 

 engine. The depth of the shaft is about 750 feet, so that the 

 mines are considerably below the sea level. On arriving at the 

 bottom each member was supplied with a candle, and parties 

 were formed, each under the guidance of one of the miners and 

 one of the geological members, to explore the galleries. A 

 number of Bengal and coloured lights were lighted, which gave 

 good effect among the piers that had been left to support the 

 roof — often forty or fifty feet above the floors — while the crowd 

 of little twinkling lights seen at the far end of one of the 

 numerous drives was very wierd. So numerous was the party 

 that the first section was up again before the last was down. 

 At appropriate times William Gray and Alec G. Wilson (Hon. 

 Secretary) briefly described the geological features of the 

 Triassic period and the salt beds in particular. 



The salt is here worked by being quarried from the thick bed, 

 often almost in a pure state, and when raised to the surface in 

 buckets is tipped into a reservoir, from which the brine flows 

 down to the evaporating pans near the town. The best thanks 

 of the Club are due to Alexander Miscampbell, the Irish mana- 

 ger of the Salt Union, for his courtesy in allowing the members 



