﻿GEOLOGY 
  OF 
  SARATOGA 
  SPRINGS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  153 
  

  

  the 
  pyrite 
  of 
  these 
  shales. 
  Such 
  waters 
  are 
  of 
  frequent 
  occur- 
  

   rence 
  the 
  world 
  over 
  ; 
  nevertheless 
  such 
  a 
  large 
  spring 
  as 
  the 
  

   " 
  White 
  Sulphur 
  " 
  spring, 
  near 
  the 
  south 
  end 
  of 
  Saratoga 
  lake, 
  

   would 
  have 
  great 
  notoriety 
  in 
  most 
  districts. 
  

  

  About 
  Saratoga 
  these 
  sulphur 
  waters 
  are 
  plainly 
  not 
  deep-seated 
  

   waters 
  of 
  any 
  type; 
  they 
  come 
  from 
  no 
  great 
  distance 
  below 
  the 
  

   surface, 
  and 
  have 
  not 
  reached 
  a 
  depth 
  so 
  great 
  as 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   shales. 
  So 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  drill 
  passes 
  through 
  the 
  shales 
  into 
  the 
  

   dolomite 
  beneath, 
  the 
  carbonated 
  waters 
  are 
  met 
  with, 
  and 
  would 
  

   surely 
  be 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  sulphur 
  waters, 
  had 
  these 
  reached 
  to 
  like 
  

   depth. 
  

  

  The 
  carbonated 
  waters. 
  There 
  are 
  few 
  problems 
  in 
  geology 
  

   more 
  difficult 
  than 
  those 
  concerned 
  with 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  mineral 
  

   waters 
  of 
  a 
  specific 
  region. 
  The 
  precise 
  data 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  are 
  always 
  comparatively 
  few, 
  and 
  the 
  problem 
  must 
  be 
  dealt 
  

   with 
  by 
  indirect 
  methods. 
  In 
  discussing 
  such 
  questions 
  much 
  that 
  

   is 
  hypothetical 
  creeps 
  into 
  the 
  discussion 
  unawares 
  ; 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  

   regard 
  to 
  certain 
  fundamental 
  matters 
  our 
  information 
  is 
  so 
  far 
  

   from 
  being 
  precise, 
  that 
  geologists 
  are 
  far 
  from 
  being 
  in 
  agreement 
  

   concerning 
  them. 
  Certain 
  things 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  occurrence 
  and 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  Saratoga 
  carbonated 
  waters 
  have 
  been 
  definitely 
  

   ascertained 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  definitely 
  set 
  forth; 
  beyond 
  those 
  we 
  enter 
  

   the 
  realm 
  of 
  uncertainty 
  and 
  can 
  only 
  discuss 
  probabilities 
  or 
  

   possibilities. 
  

  

  Control 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Saratoga 
  region 
  has 
  recently 
  passed 
  

   into 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  giving 
  an 
  opportunity 
  

   for 
  definite 
  experimentation 
  on 
  a 
  considerable 
  water 
  supply 
  of 
  

   unusual 
  character, 
  which 
  has 
  perhaps 
  never 
  before 
  been 
  equalled., 
  

   and 
  from 
  which 
  definite 
  and 
  certain 
  information 
  of 
  much 
  general 
  

   interest 
  is 
  sure 
  to 
  come. 
  Prior 
  to 
  this 
  passing 
  of 
  control 
  there 
  

   had 
  been 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  some 
  15 
  years 
  duration 
  of 
  active 
  drilling 
  

   for 
  mineral 
  water 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  extracting 
  and 
  vending 
  the 
  

   contained 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  gas. 
  This 
  development 
  took 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  

   district 
  south 
  and 
  southwest 
  of 
  the 
  village, 
  mostly 
  within 
  a 
  dis- 
  

   tance 
  of 
  2 
  miles 
  from 
  it. 
  A 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  wells 
  were 
  

   drilled, 
  from 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  the 
  waters 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  pumped, 
  

   and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  so 
  withdrawn 
  annually 
  was 
  very 
  large. 
  

   Controversial 
  questions 
  arose 
  which 
  resulted 
  in 
  long 
  and 
  com- 
  

   plicated 
  litigation, 
  questions 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  waters, 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  the 
  supply, 
  and 
  underground 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  

   waters. 
  As 
  an 
  incidental 
  result 
  much 
  detailed 
  information 
  was 
  

   made 
  public, 
  

  

  