Luther — Economic Geology of Onondaga County. 



257 



the natural situation. The wells, having a surface elevation of from 720 feet 

 to 909 feet A. T., are from 319 to 508 feet above the Erie canal, 401 feet 

 A. T., w hich is, approximately, the elevation of the works. 



About two miles southwest from the wells is Crooked lake, the only one 

 of the Tully lakes that has a northern outlet; this has an elevation of 1,193 

 feet A, T., or 284 feet higher than the mouth of the highest well. A dam and 

 gateway were built at the foot of the lake to regulate the discharge, and a 

 conduit of twelve-inch cast iron water-pipe was laid, through which the water 

 flows to the wells, where it reaches the salt bed through three-inch iron pipes, 

 placed inside of the six-inch well casings and, dissolving as much salt as it can 

 carry, becomes saturated brine. The pressure in the three-inch pipe forces 

 the brine up through the space between the two pipes to the surface, where 

 it overflows and is conducted to the twelve-inch cast-iron brine pipe, through 

 which it flows by gravity to the reservoir at Solvay. 



Mr. F. R. Hazard, Treasurer of the Solvay Process Co., has kindly fur 

 nished the following description of the Solvay process of manufacturing soda- 

 ash or carbonate of soda : 



"In considering the ammonia-soda process, it is convenient to start from 

 two different raw r materials, and to follow them through the several opera- 

 tions until they actually come together. For this purpose we consider salt 

 and limestone. 



" Starting first, then, with salt. This is found in the condition of rock 

 salt at Tully, and is reached by boring wells in the familiar manner. Fresh 

 water is introduced into the wells, where it dissolves the salt, and is forced to 

 the surface in the form of a saturated brine. The brine is then forced from 

 Tully to the works at Solvay, and enters the storage reservoir. From the 

 reservoir it is drawn as required into the works. On entering the works, the 

 brine first meets the waste gases from all of the operations, and is used to 

 wash them free of the last traces of ammonia. The ammoniated brine is then 

 allowed to settle a sufficient length of time for the deposition of the impurities 

 thrown out of solution by this preliminary process. 



" Turning now to the limestone. This is quarried from the ledges at the 

 Split Rock quarries, and is broken to suitable sizes and transported in the 

 overhead cable tramway system, and finally delivered at the top of the lime- 

 kilns at the works. With the proper proportion of coke, the limestone is fed 

 continuously into the top of the kilns. When burned, it produces ordinary 

 quicklime, which is drawn from the bottom of the kilns. This is then placed 

 in proper vessels, where it is slaked with water, and stirreo! up into a milk of 

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