Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-06-28

A letter from Sink o Carson, Nevada, to
the San Francisco Bulletin, says:
Near Sand Springs is salt bel covert z
several hundred acres, and in Great Salt
Lake valley, so miles north, one Of much
larger dimensions. From the latter the
Washoe mills derived their supplies for a
number of years. They now obtain them
in part from San Francisco and in part
from bed lying 10 miles north east of
Wadsworth, and close to the railroad. Here
the depositcs are not so heavy as at Sand
Springs; but the advantages of railroad
transportation more than Offset the greater
facility with which the salt can be gather
ed at the latter place.
Two miles northeast Of Rag town, and
30 southeast Of this place, exists ne Of the
most remarkable deposits of the carbonate
of soda ever found in this or perhaps any
other country. Here in the midst of a dis
NAL sage heath, is circular valley about
one fourth of Il mile in circumference and
sunk forty or fifty feet below the surface OF
the plain that surrounds it. In ordinary
seasons this depression remains dry,
though covered at the present time with Il
foot or two of water. III bottom is II sol
id mass Of carbonate of soda, hard, white
and sufficiently pure to answer all the pur-
poses for which this commodity is usually
employed. This soda occurs in strata a.
bout foot thick. The deposit is worked
after the manner Of an open quarry, the
soda being broken out in blocks, and piled
up on the inner side of the basin, where
several hundred tons of IL lie corded up.
A huge excavation has been carried down
on the substance for about thirty feet with
out any sign of its approaching the bottom.
Sh ould ii hold in this direction Tor another
thirty or sixty feet, it ought t. bring COM
fort TO these interested in the sal@ratus
question, there being here enough of the
stuff to keep the world in Il state of eiIer-
vescence for a generation to come. The
owner of this deposit, having supplied the
millmen of Washoe and the soapmakors oil
Reno with soda, will hereafter ship this ar
ticle largely TO San Francisco, where ii can
be delivered at a &C st of not more than SIC
per ton, freight included.
A few hundred yards TO the northeast
of this soda quarry is lake about one and
a half miles in circumference, the water oil
which is supersaturated with salts of vari-
GUS kinds, n large percentage being boraX.
1t lies in an oval basin, $50 feet below the
surface of the plain, the banks shelving
down with as much symmetry as II msh-
Toned by art The water Of this lake is i'm
pregnated with soluble substances, mostly
| sI,..N
ders it almost ropy with slime, and SC
| dense that no person can float on IL with
out effort. Bathing in it, however, Is at
tended with unpleasant consequences, In,
water erodiug the flesh like fire III person
remains in II more than moment. Thi,
lake has no visible outlet or inlet, but, be
ing of great depth is probably fed by
springs seated far down in the bowels 0
| the earth.
A few years ago a scheme for the produc
ton of borax was attempted here by SOM
San Francisco parties, the plan being t.
pump up this water and carry it in sluice
upon an alklli pit lying quarter of mil
distant, there to be evaporated, when, /
was supposed, this valuable salt would b
left in the form of deposit behind. TIL
enterprise failed Of success, partly becaus
II was inherently defective, but chiefly be
cause extensive deposits of the borate
were soon after discovered in the oountr
adjacent. The buildings erected for hous
ing the machinery and workmen sl
stand on the shore of the lake, solitary an
tenantless, adding, If possible to the desc
late appearance of the place