288 E. II Kraus — Celestite-JB earing Rocks. 



Markley well was kept by the driller, Mr. W. T. Hills. This 

 much, however, can be stated, that the cores from the upper 

 strata show that celestite was present in a disseminated condi- 

 tion, and thus the observations on the surface rocks, which were 

 referred to above, are confirmed. Since this is the case, it can be 

 readily seen that these leached rocks are no doubt the source 

 i of the large amounts of celestite 



which are to be found in some 

 of the lower strata. In this way 

 the very large deposit of celes- 

 tite, which is to be found in the 

 " Crystal " cave, may be readily 

 explained. 



In the paper* already referred 

 to, it was shown that the por- 

 ous character of celestite-bear- 

 ing rocks is due to the solution 

 of the celestite, brought about by the action of the circu- 

 lating waters, and figures are given showing that if sodium 

 chloride or the chloride of calcium or magnesium be present in 

 the water, the same becomes an excellent solvent for celestite. f 

 YirickJ says, that one part of celestite is soluble in but 457 

 parts of water containing 15 per cent, of sodium chloride in 

 solution. Hopper casts were found in several places on the 

 island, so that, without a doubt, conditions for obtaining a suit- 

 able solvent for celestite are also present in the Put-in-Bay 

 region as well as in Central New York. 



There is, however, another point concerning the solubility 

 of celestite which is worthy of consideration. It is sometimes 

 supposed that, because celestite resists to a very large extent 

 the action of the common acids, it is insoluble or only very 

 slightly soluble in water. A few figures will suffice to show 

 that such a view is erroneous. According to Fresenius,§ one 

 part of the celestite is soluble in 6,895 parts of cold water. 

 F. Kohlrausch and F. Rose|j found the solubility of celestite 

 to be one part in 10,101 parts of water at 15° C. Holle- 

 mannlf also obtained figures almost identical with these, 



* This Journal (4), xviii, 36, 1904. 



f Since the publication of said paper expressing the belief that the Ver- 

 micular limestones of Central New York owe their origin to the removal of 

 celestite — once disseminated throughout them — by percolating waters con- 

 taining sodium chloride in solution, I have found that in 1869 Bauermann 

 and Foster (Phil. Mag., 08, 1862) had expressed similar ideas concerning 

 the solution of celestite in nature. 



% Chemisches Centralblatt, 1862, 402 ; Comey, Dictionary of Chemical 

 Solubilities, 1895, 455. 



§ Ann. der Chemie, Bd. lix, 122. || Zeitschr. fur physikal. Chemie, xii, 

 162-166, 1893. 



«T Zeit. fur Physikal. Chemie, xii, 125-139, 1893. 



