Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-05
LOCAL MATTERS,
[FFOm Last EVENINGS Edition.


[FrOm Last Evenings Edition.
: SAGINAW SALT WoRKs.ZThe increasin
interest that is being felt in the West, and i
, the East too, in the Saginaw Salt Works, in
, duees US to make extracts from the sagina7
Enterprise, for which paper we are indebte,
to the kindness of the party who recently
made q trip to Saginaw "in pursuit of SALT
Saginhw brine is stronger in saline proper
: ties than that of tie Onondaga Springs OIL
any other brine in the United States from
which salt is manufactured. 1t varies from
Is to IS degrees by the Salometer, 100 de-
grees being full saturatiOn--as much saline
matter as water viii hold in solution. Ofthe
rs or 80 degrees of saline matter, Something
over three-fOurths are chloride Of sodium, OF
common salt, and less than one-fourth other
Ingredients, known as impurities The brine
is kept standing in the vsts five or six days
before boiling, in order that these impurities
may settle, when a dark, reddish sediment
is deposited at the bottom, consisting of iron
and other impurities. There are usually two
or more eisterns, from which a block of ket-
ties is supplied, one Of them being filed and
left to settle, while another, previously flied
and settled, is being used. While the brine
is heating, after the kettles are filed, and
before boiling commences, a scum rises, and
is taken of; and fat pan placed at the bot
tom, with an upright handle in the center,
| catches another portion of sediment which
is drawn up and thrown out.
After kettle Of brine has boiled a short
time, the crystals of salt commence forming
on the top and fall to the bottom. When the
brine is boiled down about one half, the salt
IS dipped out and thrown into a basket for
drainage. The bitter water is thus drained
of, carrying with it the chloride Of caIeium
and other impurities. From the baskets the
salt is thrown into loose bins, where, after
draining for several days, it is packed in
barrels for market.
The expense Of boring wells and putting
down the tubing is from SI.5O to $500 per
foot 1t is usually done by men who make
1t business, and contract to sink wells at so
much foot, or at a certain price for the lob,
providing it does not exceed a certain depth
named.
" The salt wells, like other artesian wells,
are bored by drill, attached to one end Of
a balance beam, worked by steam The drill
is somewhat in the shape of an iron wedge.
\ q
down, but being drawn up by the machinery,
it falls by its own weight and the weight Of
rods attached, striking and chipping the rock
at every stroke. The operator in attendance
turns the rod around little each time, max
ing it strike in a different position. As the
drill progresses doTnWards more rods are at
tached.
The total cost of a salt well of say $50 |
feet depth, including tower and engine-house, |
boiler and engine for drilling, afterwards to |
be used for pumping) is ordinarily about |
s4,OOO. For a block Of so kettles, weight /
from 500 to $50 lbs, 3 cents per ID. y aver |
age $40 per kettle, or 81 900 in ali add /
81, 900 more for stone and brick Eerk for
arches, the building in which it is situated, |
with salt bins, reservoirs for brine, pump |
logs &c, and $500 more for c0ntingents, and /
We have total Of s., 600 for a complete salt /
works with ono block in running order But 1
one well will easily supply two blocks, and |
an additional block can be erected and the /
facilities for manufacturing doubled, at an
additional cost of two thousand to TWENTY i
i've hundred dollars more. So that complete |
works with tlro blocks in running order NAV
be estimated to cost from $4,000 to $1,000
9ns Tbs gfJu9g1 S} G9gTss does 49t ipePdhg94Seaf
tion and fancy.
Anywhere along the banks of the river, |
from its mouth thirty miles upwards, or on /
the Cass or Tittabawassee near the mouth, /
Salt locations may be chosen.
"Salt locations have been sold at all 4
prices, varying from SlOO to 81 900 per |
acre. Spectators, of course, have had a /
finger in the business, and have generally /
secured a large share of the first profits.
"The expense per barrel, Of manufacturing |
salt by the boiling process, and packing it /
for market, as figured up by the East Sagi- |
nav Company since November last-since
the rise in price of labor and fuel, is as fol-