New-York daily tribune., 1843-02-27

Onondaga, and Niagara counties. It's discovery
had great effect in aiding the construction of the
canal. Il should be observed, that this lime, if
not properly prepared, or if too long exposed to
the air, loses all its hydraulic properties and Prof
BECK thought that the safest way to insure its ex-
ccllence would be TO have it quarried under the
superintendence Of agents of ths state
Mineral Springs are also abundant in the State,
springs of which the water contains nitrogen sui
phurlc or other gases, or solution Of common
salt. The geographical distribution of these var-
Gus kinds of springs is worthy Of attention. Springs
in which gas is found occur mainly in the West
ern part of the State. In Chautauque County by
drogen springs abound, and the water of Lake Erie
near that shere is often seen to be agitated with
the bubbles containing this gas which rise to the
surface. In Fredenia, Wesl6eld, and Van Buren
springs are found which yield gas that burns
with white light. As to the these springs
different opinions have been entertained. They
cannot here, as in other countries, be connected
with beds OF coal; and the fact that in the rocks
are often found openings containing petroleum
makes it probable that the gas in these springs re-
suits from the decomposition of this liquid. Nitro
gen is found less abundantly; in the Lebanon
springs, however, it rises through water at tenn
perature Of 730 Of Fahrenheit. SO at Hoosick,
Chateaugeay and other places.
Sulphur springs abound in every part of the
State; and Prof. BECK said he was inclined to
attribute them to some general and deeply seated
cause The line of the Western canal contains
many Of them, as at Avon, Sharon, Sc There is
no part of the world in which acdulous springs are
more abundant than in this State. Those a, Sara
toga especially we'll known, and are unsur-
passed by any in America, and perhaps in the
world. The existence Of these springs affords
evidence that there exists below the surface the
Earth large reservoir Of this gas. Whether they
to be referred to volcanic action not, it is
clear that they can be accounted for by no cause
operating near the surface.
But of all these mineral springs, the brine or
salt springs the most useful. To show the
amount of salt consumed it will be sufficient to
state that, in the manufacture Of bread alone there
are used annually 35 to 40 900 bushels Of salt in
this single cily-while throughout the United
States for the same purpose, more than two mil
lions of bushels are consumed And yet this is
only one of its The term Urine is applied to
those springs, containing large amount of salt,
in which there is not enough of curbonic acid gas
to make them acidulous. They are not found east
ofhe line which divides the Counties of Oswego
and Cayuga. They abound particularly in Onon-
daga. They were discovered there about SO years
ago, when that section, so Popalous, was
wilderness. The manufacture of suit has brought |
large revenue to the State and wealth to the in
habi,ants. The supply is absolutely inexhaustble: >:
the proportion of salt varying from l3 to II per
cent. The modes of separating it arc by boiling,
by evaporation without boiling, and by very slow
evaporation by exposure to the sun and air. Inc
purest salt is procured by the last method In the
others, unless great is used, it becomes min
eled with other ingredients. It's certainly mat
ter of surprise that when the very purest and best
quality of salt may thus be made at hone the salt
for the Army and Navy should be procured abroad.
In l84l there were manufactured In. this State
three millions of bushels. The springs probably
have their origin in immense beds of fossil salt be-
meath the surface, of which, some have been dis
covered in Virginia. The region in which the
salt is SO abundant is admirably adapted to otAer
arts, to the manufacture of soda ash, oil Of vii.o
and bleaching powder.
Besides these which have been mentioned, other
minerals abound in the State, such brick clay,
porcelain clays, quartz, black lead various barytes,
ochres, &C. Few countries, indeed, more
richly supplied with mineral wealth; and even
now the sum total Of the mineral resources annu-
ally developed does not fall short Of ten millions
of dollars.