112 
ECONOMICAL MINERALOGY. 
turers ; for, on account of this waste, the expense of supplying the brine is greatly increased. 
The great waste of brine rendered evident by the above statement, was in part owing to the 
distance to which it was carried. Thus the salt-works at Liverpool were formerly supplied 
with brine from the Salina wells, conducted through wooden tubes; and those at Syracuse 
were also, in part at least, supplied from the same source. Since the sinking of the wells at 
Liverpool, and the numerous new ones at Salina and Syracuse, the difficulty has been in some 
degree obviated; but there is still a great loss of brine, arising from the faulty construction 
and management of the reservoirs by which the individual works are furnished with brine ; 
and the additional expense which is now incurred in consequence of this waste, should be 
taken into the calculation in any suggestions which may be offered to improve this manufac¬ 
ture. 
As the success of the manufacture of salt depends upon the strength of the brine, price of 
fuel, etc., a few facts upon these points may not be uninteresting; especially as it is feared 
by many persons that the abundant supply of coal found near some of the salt springs in other 
States will have an unfavorable effect upon our works. 
The following table will exhibit the relative strength of the' different brines from which salt 
is manufactured in the United States : 
At Nantucket, 350 gallons sea water* give a bushel of salt. 
Boon’s Lick, Missouri, .. 450 gallons brine, give a bushel of salt. 
Conemaugh, Pennsylvania,. 
... 300 
ditto 
ditto. 
Shawneetown, Illinois,. 
... 280 
ditto 
ditto. 
Jackson, Ohio, . 
... 213 
ditto 
ditto. 
Lockhart’s, Mississippi,. 
... 180 
ditto 
ditto. 
Shawneetown, Second Saline,. 
... 123 
ditto 
ditto. 
St. Catharines, Upper Canada,_ 
.. 120 
ditto 
ditto. 
Zanesville, Ohio,.. 
... 95 
ditto 
ditto. 
Kenhawa, Virginia,........ 
75 
ditto ’ 
ditto. 
Grand River, Arkansas,. 
... 80 
ditto 
ditto. 
Illinois River, ditto, . 
... 80 
ditto 
ditto. 
Montezuma, N. Y. (old wells,)_ 
70 
ditto 
ditto. 
Grand Rapids, Michigan, . 
ditto. 
Muskingum, Ohio,. 
50 
ditto 
ditto. 
Montezuma, N. Y. (new well,) .... 
50 
ditto 
ditto. 
Onondaga, N. Y. (old wells,). 
... 40 to 45 ditto 
ditto. 
Onondaga, N. Y. (new wells at Syracuse,) 30 to 35 ditto 
ditto. 
* Of the sea water at New-York, about three hundred gallons would give a 
bushel of salt. 
The following are the results of an 
examination of a portion of water taken from the East river, at very high tide :—Specific gravity at 60° F., 1.02038. 1000 grains 
contained 26.80 grs. of dry saline matter, viz: Carbonate of lime, 1.22; carbonate of magnesia, 0.50; sulphate of lime, 0.80; 
sulphate of magnesia, 1.72; chloride of magnesium, 2.26; chloride of sodium, 20.30 ; organic matter, traces.—I could not detect 
the presence of either iron or iodine in this water. 
