216 GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS. 



At the old " Nigger Works," on sec. 27, T. 9, R. 8, the saline spring, 

 as before mentioned, issues out from near the junction of the Chester 

 sandstone and limestone, marking only 4° of Baume — a diminution in 

 strength that may be accounted for on the hypothesis above stated, 

 from the fact that several springs still less brackish break out a few- 

 feet higher up the bank, the latter tending to show the liability of the 

 brine to mis with fresh water as it approaches nearer to the surface. 

 The main spring emits a distinct odor of sulphuretted hydrogen, and it 

 may possess important therapeutic properties. 



Around these brine springs fragments of Indian pottery are found in 

 great plenty, some of which are ornamented with bands of vertical 

 lines arranged with considerable taste. To judge by the curvature of 

 some of these fragments, the vessels to which they belonged were not 

 less than four or five feet in diameter, a size truly astonishing, made, as 

 they appear to have been, of common clay and fragments of fresh- 

 water shells. From the large size of these pots it is natural to iufer 

 that they were used as evaporating pans by a pre-historic race of salt 

 manufacturers. The rapid destruction of iron evaporating pans, 

 together with their cost, is a heavy tax to the modern salt-maker ; 

 therefore, if a more durable and less expensive pan could be formed of 

 some kind of clay, it would prove a large saving in the cost of produc- 

 tion of salt; and it would be strange indeed should we be able to hit 

 upon a valuable idea from the lost arts of the Mound-builders. 



Messrs. Temple & Castles re-commenced the manufacture of salt at 

 the " Saline " about the year 1856, from the brine of their new well, 

 which was analyzed for them by Prof. Geo. Cook, of New York. 



I was kindly permitted to take a copy of this analysis for publication : 



"Specific gravity, 1.047. 100 parts of brine contains 7.2 percent, of dry matter. 

 The brine contains in 100 parts : The resulting salt contains in 100 parts : 



Chloride of sodium (common salt) 6.2431 86 77 



Chloride of calcium .3996 5 55 



Chloride of nia£cnesium 2124 2.95 



Sulphate of lime 3443 4.79 



7.1999 97.06 



"Water 92.8000 



99 9999 

 Traces of bromide of sodium, chloride of potassium, iodide of sodium, and chloride of iron." 



The " Saline " brine is of the same strength as the Kanawha, and 

 requires seventy-five gallons to make a bushel (fifty pounds) of salt. 

 I have no analysis of the latter brine for comparison, but I have been 

 informed that it contains more chloride of calcium and less sulphate of 

 lime. The sulphate of lime in the " Saline " brine is a source of much 

 annoyance, and large sums of money were expended by Messrs. Temple 

 & Castles before their efforts to get rid of it were crowned with success. 

 They are now, however, manufacturing an article of salt that ranks 

 equal to the Kanawha in purity and antiseptic properties. 



