East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-02-01
Kanawha Valley Salt Works:

| hanaWna Valley odit Worhs.
-..Bq rue valley of the kanawha in
/ which the Salines situated lies IN the lower
coal measures The river mcanders through
alluval bottom Of half q mile TO n milo in width
and this is bounded on either side by hills which
rise TO the height Of three to eight hundred feet
above the level Of the river These hills are
composed Of successive beds of porous sandstone
sandy shale and seams Of coal having all gen.
tie dip to the northwest. The distance along tho
river whore salt springs are known to occur, or
where salt wells have been bored, is about ten or
twelve miles. The width of the bottom auvial
belt does not appear to affect the production or
value of the brines, though tho greater number
| OF wells are on the north side, where the bottom
is narrow, and those the side where il is broader
are for the most part near the margin of the
river,
The first discoveries Of salt water were in
springs or ticks upon the surface, and from these
was obtained the salt used by the earlier settlers
| They were, indeed known TO the Aborigines who
inhabited the country before its settlement by the
whites In the earlier attempts in the manufac-
ture of salt, the wells were sunk no lower than
! the solid rock the depth Of alluvium being from
twenty to thirty feet subsequently borings were
carried into the rock and finally TO the depth Of
| fifteen hundred feet or more. IL has been found,
however, by experience, that the strength of the
water does not increase in descending below 700
or 800 feet but that below this oarburetied hydro
creases in quantity. The evolution Of this gas
| from some Of the wells was early turned to ac-
count in eyaporatng the water by its combustion,
and many wells were bored TO greater depth sole
y to obtain larger supply of the gas At the
present time, however. IL is regarded as Of little
consequence, and its use almost discontinued
The deeper boring required and the liability Of
accidents to the tubes, attendant upon it's evolu-
ton beneath the kettles, cause it to be regarded
as Of no absolute value.
The borings Of these wells reveal TO some ex-
tent the character Of the strata beneath the sur
face, and which would be doubtless better studied
in their outcrops farther east
/. Alluvia. formation Of variable thickness
z Hard black slate, mixed with thin seams OF
coal and coaly matter, 200 to 300 feet
g. Described rs a hard blue rock, sometimes
mixed with sandstone, and sometimes sandstone
with layers OF hard rock this extends to four or
five hundred feet from the surface.
q. Sandstone usually frnble, white on being
drawn out, but becoming red ON exposure to tho
atmosphere. This rock is variable in thickness,
and often found extending from five 10 eight hun
dred feet from the surface.
8. hard, f!nty rock tho particles fine and
sharp like flint, thirty TO sixty feet thick. This
rock, in some of the wells, is one hundred to one
hundred and fifty feet thick.
g.. soft, tough, shaly rock, often called
sonpstone." and is named the I" long running
rock" from its containing little slick, and the
n
This rock commences nj about the depth of 900
feet n little deeper at the lower part Of the
sanes, from the dip IN that direction, The
deepest borings have not passed through this rock,
although some of the borngs have penetrated IL
at least six hundred feet.
The brines never increase In strength or guam.
tty after entering this rock and 1t may be con-
sidered ms the impervious floor Of the saline nc
cumulation.
All the evidence which we have goes TO prove
Tery conclusyely the absence of beds Of rock salt
in the neighb6rhood. The origin OF the brines is
therefore to be sought in some other source. Tho
porous sandstone strata forming the coal meas
ures, many Of which were deposited in shallow
ocean waters, undoubtedly retained, rs all marine
sedimentary rocks do, a portion of chloride Of
sodium The percoation Of surface water through
all The supe,,- cumbent beds, has carried down
this saline matter in solution to tho poins whore II
has formed an impervious stratum, where II
mains, saturating tho porous snndstones and ILL
ing the assures Of the surrounding beds. We
cannot doubt but the source Of these brines Is In
these carboniferous beds, and that il is widely
disseminated in them, and only separated by the
slow process Of solution by the percolating waters
from above.
MODE OF MANUFACTURE.
The brine from the pumps is carried into en-
pacious cistern, located above the level of the
from one directly into the other. The boiler
which is used in concentrating tho brine is made
IN three sections each 80 feet long, S feet wide,
and feet deep, which Is equal to one boiler Of
SO feet long. These sections connected by
large open pipes, below the level of the brine 80
that the communication between them Is free
When necessary, either one Of them may be shut
off, and cleaned or repaired while the others are
kept in operation. The bottom Of the boiler is
made of concave cast iron plates or shallow pans
each feet long and feet wide, cast with proper
fangos and grooves, so that eleven Of them may
be bolted and cemented together for the bottom
Of n single section. The sides and top Of the
boiler are made Of thick planks, bolted to the
bottom, and keyed tightly together. The fire Is
made under the end oil the first section. and the
fame and heated mir passes under the sections in
succession, TO the chimney ut the opposite end
The brine is boiled till it approaches saturation.
Near the boiler arranged several open
wooden watts, or settling cisterns, each 100 feet
long feet wide, and feet deep. Running
lengthwise through each Of these Is vertical
partition, extending from one end almost TO the
other. These cisterns are filed about 10 inches
deep, and are heated by steam from the boiler
This steam is carried in copper pipes which pass
the length Of the cistern each side Of the par
titon, and just beneath the surface Of the water
These pipes are from TO inches in diameter
The settling cisterns. of which0 here were four In
the work described, are arranged 50 that the brine
succession. If well managed, the brine will be
brought TO saturation In the last cistern and will
have deposited all lite oxide of iron. Following
the settling cstcrns Is series Of others, granting
cisferns. These Of the same shape and sire
with the first and in them the salt Is deposited -
They are heated by steam pipes like the others
The saturated brine is drawn into the first Of
them, where n considerable crop Of crystals Is
deposited IL Is then drawn by n syphon into the
second, and another crop Of crystals Is deposited,
and 50 on 10 the last one, where but very light
crop Is obtained, aud where all the bittern col
fccts.
The general plan Of the works at Ksnawha, is
more easily adapted to the Kanawha brines than
TO those Of Onondaga, on account Of their being
much weaker, and from their not contain ng any
sulphate Of lime, which saves their boilers from
incrustaton or blocking, The brincs contain .
much larger portion Of oxide Of iron than ours
do, but this does not mako n scale In the boiling
brine il collects into little hard pellets like gravel
stones and In the settling csterns II Is deposited
as soft, muddy sediment. 1t Is remarkable
that this oxide Of iron, both in lite wet and its
dry state, " attracted by the magnet.
The analysis shows that the ksnawha brine
contains go per cent Of solid matter, Of which
four-flths are salt Allowing, then, that every
hundred pounds Of brine contain IA por cent. Of
sait calculation shows that to produce n bushel,
90 pounds, 625 pounds Of water must be eyspora-
ted. The average yield Of salt being 80 pounds
for rs pounds Of coal burned. 1t follows that each
pound Of coal in burning cvaporates 6.3 pounds
Of water. This IL the full value Of the coal ac-
cording 70 Johnson's experiments; and yet am
assured by those who have visited the works that
there is great waste Of fuel, tho fame after
passing the whole length OF The boiler, frequently
streaming out at the top Of tho chimney