Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-02-08
THE BORAX LAKE AND sULPHER
BANKS IN NAPA VALLEY.
CALIFORNIA

Past, from Napa Valley, California
'B0rax LAX. is about one hundred miles
north of San Francisco. Properly speak
ing, it is a pond, being only one mile long
and half mile wide lit is situated on a
peninsula which juts into Clear lake, from
which it is separated by mountain 1t is,
in brief, a crater of an extinct volcano. or
al least presenting that appearance That
my readers may duly appreciate the ra-
rity OF the curiosity before him, | remind
him that probable no white man ever saw
| its like-there being no other of the kind
save in Thibet Before the discovery of
Borax lake in California, there were but
two sources of supply Of borax to meet the
demand Of the world-that of Thibet, and
that Of firm in Liverpool who manufac-
tured the article 10y a chemical process.
Iron coffer-dams. having chambers
about five feet square, are sunk in the lake
the water is bailed out of the dams, the
mud in them being pressed BY men stamp
ing on boards that cover it, and the concrete
mass taken ashore and dried in the sum- TIE
largest borax crystals being picked up du-
ring this operation. Crystals are found
from the size of a hen egg to that of pea.
The earth. which is strongly impregnated
with bOrate of SnAa-bi borate strictly
speaking--is subjected to lixiviation, and
the saturated water is slowly evaporated in
heated boilers until the octOhedral crystals
are formed ln the sediment are iodine 81
licic acid, silicate of lime, and alumina
the first is likely 10 prove valuable. At the
present time about four thousand pounds of
borax are obtained daily ten to fifteen
tons viii be the daily yield on the compile
ton Of the works The supply may be re-
garded as illimitable, aud sufficient for the
H.. i e Il. l.. l.
forming, and soon there will be no borax in
use in the arts and in medicine save that
which the Golden State will furnish.
"A hill about 900 feet high separates Bor-
AK lake from the sulpher banks There is
no human habitation in sight save the works
of the Borax company, but cattle are br0ws-
ing on the salt meadows adjacent to the
lake, and on its borders are swine feasting
on the larvae Of fly which is found on the
margins forming an organic belt a yard or
more wide, and foot in depth. The only
other inhabitants of those waters Is a leech.
1t is hardly necessary to add that the spe
eifo gravity Uf the lake fEudUro - s.-. t,0s5,,s
BILE that a man should be drowned IN its
healing waters-heahng the ulcers of ami
mails that are driven in for that purpose.
''The sulpher banks are on the margin OF
Clear lake an extensive deposlt-the de-
position being still in progress. Extensive
works for sublimating the element have
Just been completed. Suipher is poured
out from retorts in constant streams into
boxes holding POO pounds each,
afIording to the borax company, at trltilng
expense, a daily supply OF 100 such boxes,
if they see fit to draw on their birthstone
bank to that extent
"Here we have an insight into one sec
| ton Of natures laboratory. Would you
| learn how bi-carbonatc OF soda is formed in
| Borax lake ? Scoop out of this pool some
| of its water, which IS charged with carbonlc
| gas first duaff some OF the delectable flu
! id. and pour it into yonder pool OF boraic
| acid, pleasant palatable liquii, and mark
| the efferyeseense The brisk action now
| going on is due to the fact that boraic acid
! has a strong appetite for soda, while carbon
\ ic acid is ouly too ready to get rid of that
alkali, two portions Of boraic acid seize the
| forsaken soda and form borax, while dlgor-
| ced carbonic acid bubbles up as if rejoicing
| in it's emancipation. That IS what causes
the csmmotion iu the pool, and that Is pre-
cisely the operation which is taking place
| in Borax lake.
| Walk into one Of the trenches that have
| been dug in the bank of sulpher, and watch
the formation of beautiful circular crystals
| of sulphur from the condensation OF the
sitting yapors around you. These crystals
fill little crevices, wherein you viii discover
sinnabar and opal You are admonished
not to stoop, for the carcaSses of hares and
| pigeons indicate that streams OF carbonic
acid are flowing in this trench and indeed,
turn where you WILL you are well nigh over
| powered BY sensations as if naught but me
phitic yapors could be inhaled in this desc
late little bog The desoation IS, however,
circumscribed, for beyond the limited sui
phur area there is luxuriant vegetation,
from the beautiful campana, which marks
the spot where boracic acid mixes with wa
ters of Clear lake to the pine clad SUBMITS
of the mountains.
''The borax and sulphur works are the
property of one company, which has been
so fortunate rs to secure the services OF
Professor Oxly, an English chemist, to
whom is due the credit OF developing these
mineral resources of Clear lake. 1t is no,
unlikely that quicksilver will yet be found .
paying article in this neigiborhood. AL
ready California quicksilver has driven out
of the Chinese, Chilian Peruvian, Mexican
and our own markets the quicksilver o.
Spain, aud the indications are that lnnumer
able mines remain to be discovered.
'But for Chinese labor, neither boraz
nor sulphur could be obtained White la
borers could not be induced to undertake
the labor. However, as Cinnamon ge
what they consider good wages, the need
full supply is always on hand.