﻿Report 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Geologist. 
  255 
  

  

  The 
  process 
  employed 
  in 
  breaking 
  down 
  the 
  salt 
  is 
  very 
  simple. 
  

   Rotary 
  anger 
  drills 
  one 
  and 
  one-half 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  driven 
  by 
  

   compressed 
  air, 
  drill 
  vertical 
  rows 
  of 
  four 
  holes 
  each 
  into 
  the 
  

   breast 
  at 
  each 
  side 
  and 
  about 
  one-third 
  of 
  the 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  

   sides; 
  the 
  two 
  middle 
  rows 
  at 
  such 
  an 
  angle 
  that 
  they 
  nearly 
  

   meet 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  holes, 
  which 
  are 
  nine 
  feet 
  in 
  depth. 
  

  

  One 
  and 
  one-half 
  sticks, 
  three- 
  fourths 
  of 
  a 
  pound 
  of 
  twenty 
  

   per 
  cent 
  dynamite 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  each 
  hole 
  and 
  

   exploded 
  by 
  electricity 
  from 
  a 
  battery 
  in 
  another 
  room, 
  many 
  

   tons 
  of 
  salt 
  being 
  thrown 
  out 
  by 
  each 
  blast. 
  

  

  The 
  fragments 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  grades 
  of 
  "lump" 
  salt 
  are 
  

   first 
  picked 
  out 
  and 
  loaded 
  into 
  cars, 
  hoisted 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  

   spread 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  platform 
  to 
  " 
  cure," 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  harden 
  so 
  

   that 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  handled 
  without 
  crumbling. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  "lumps" 
  the 
  remaining 
  salt 
  is 
  

   shoveled 
  into 
  cars 
  and 
  drawn 
  by 
  mules 
  to 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  

   and 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  cage. 
  This 
  cage, 
  which 
  is 
  suspended 
  from 
  a 
  cross 
  

   head 
  that 
  glides 
  between 
  the 
  guides 
  previously 
  described, 
  is 
  

   hoisted 
  with 
  its 
  load 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  breaker 
  building, 
  

   ninety 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  1,490 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  bottom, 
  in 
  

   less 
  than 
  fifty 
  seconds 
  as 
  an 
  average. 
  Here 
  the 
  salt 
  is 
  dumped 
  

   from 
  the 
  cars 
  and 
  passes 
  into 
  the 
  first 
  rolls 
  or 
  breaker 
  and 
  is 
  

   partially 
  crushed. 
  It 
  then 
  goes 
  down 
  an 
  incline 
  arranged 
  for 
  

   convenience 
  in 
  picking 
  out 
  fragments 
  of 
  slate 
  and 
  on 
  to 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  

   sieves, 
  where 
  the 
  smaller 
  crystals 
  are 
  sifted 
  out 
  and 
  graded, 
  the 
  

   coarser 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mass 
  passing 
  over 
  the 
  sieve 
  and 
  into 
  another 
  

   set 
  of 
  rolls 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  another 
  set 
  of 
  sieves 
  ; 
  and 
  

   this 
  process 
  is 
  again 
  repeated, 
  there 
  beingr 
  three 
  sets 
  of 
  rolls 
  and 
  

   sieves. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  sieves 
  each 
  grade 
  is 
  conveyed 
  or 
  spouted 
  into 
  large 
  

   bins, 
  so 
  situated 
  that 
  the 
  salt 
  may 
  be 
  drawn 
  through 
  spouts 
  

   directly 
  into 
  a 
  car, 
  or 
  the 
  stock 
  house, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  put 
  into 
  

   sacks 
  or 
  barrels. 
  

  

  Mineral 
  salt 
  prepared 
  for 
  market 
  is 
  graded 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  Large 
  lumps," 
  50 
  to 
  200 
  lbs. 
  in 
  weight, 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  

   States 
  for 
  " 
  cattle 
  licks." 
  

  

  " 
  Small 
  lumps," 
  5 
  to 
  50 
  lbs., 
  also 
  used 
  principally 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  

   States, 
  for 
  cattle. 
  

  

  " 
  2s 
  o. 
  4," 
  which 
  passes 
  through 
  a 
  sieve 
  having 
  apertures 
  £ 
  

   inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  over 
  one 
  with 
  f 
  inch 
  holes. 
  

  

  