﻿119 
  

  

  ANTHRACITE. 
  

  

  (Mineralogy 
  of 
  New- 
  York, 
  page 
  188.) 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  nothing 
  has 
  occurred 
  since 
  the 
  publication 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mineralogy 
  of 
  New-York, 
  to 
  change 
  the 
  views 
  which 
  were 
  then 
  ex- 
  

   pressed 
  concerning 
  the 
  very 
  unimportant 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  of 
  

   anthracite 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  State. 
  The 
  anthracite 
  in 
  

   Herkimer 
  and 
  Montgomery 
  counties, 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  calciferous 
  sand- 
  

   stone, 
  and 
  it 
  appears 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  drops 
  or 
  buttons 
  ; 
  from 
  which 
  Mr. 
  

   Vanuxem 
  inferred 
  that 
  its 
  previous 
  nature 
  was 
  bituminous, 
  and 
  that 
  

   the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  had 
  been 
  subjected 
  to 
  heat, 
  not 
  dry, 
  but 
  

   humid, 
  and 
  which 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  numerous 
  siliceous 
  and 
  other 
  pro- 
  

   ducts 
  which 
  are 
  common 
  to 
  it. 
  Analysis 
  of 
  this 
  anthracite 
  gave 
  carbon, 
  

   86 
  # 
  50 
  ; 
  water, 
  1T50 
  ; 
  cream-colored 
  ash, 
  consisting 
  of 
  silica, 
  2*00. 
  

   The 
  proportion 
  of 
  water 
  is 
  greater 
  than 
  that 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  anthra- 
  

   cite 
  of 
  the 
  coal 
  series. 
  Rep. 
  on 
  the 
  Geol. 
  3d 
  DisU 
  p. 
  34. 
  

  

  CLASS 
  IV. 
  

   ALKALINE 
  MINERALS. 
  

  

  COMMON 
  SALT. 
  

  

  (Mineralogy 
  of 
  New- 
  York, 
  pages 
  119 
  and 
  198.) 
  

  

  • 
  

   This 
  is 
  a 
  product 
  of 
  great 
  importance 
  to 
  the 
  State, 
  and 
  I 
  shall 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  occupy 
  some 
  space 
  in 
  presenting 
  a 
  summary 
  of 
  the 
  information 
  

   which 
  has 
  accumulated 
  since 
  the 
  publication 
  of 
  the 
  Mineralogy 
  of 
  New- 
  

   York. 
  

  

  Crystalline 
  form. 
  Common 
  salt 
  sometimes 
  occurs 
  in 
  hopper-form 
  

   crystals, 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  symmetrical 
  agglomeration 
  of 
  a 
  multitude 
  of 
  

   little 
  cubes. 
  The 
  largest 
  surface 
  of 
  these 
  crystals 
  is 
  first 
  formed 
  near 
  

   the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  solution. 
  The 
  upper 
  part 
  rises,, 
  the 
  solution 
  is 
  thus 
  weak- 
  

   ened 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinity, 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  row 
  of 
  particles 
  retreats 
  

   from 
  the 
  margin. 
  The 
  same 
  explanation 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  succeeding 
  

   rows. 
  

  

  The 
  manufacture 
  of 
  salt 
  at 
  Syracuse, 
  and 
  the 
  surrounding 
  villages 
  in 
  

   Onondaga 
  county, 
  has 
  been 
  steadily 
  increasing 
  in 
  importance. 
  The 
  

   annual 
  produce 
  of 
  the 
  works 
  might 
  still 
  be 
  greatly 
  extended, 
  although 
  

   it 
  has 
  already 
  reached 
  the 
  considerable 
  amount 
  of 
  nearly 
  4,000,000 
  

  

  