The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-02
Nevada Salt Mountains.

That Wonderful region known as Ne
vada seems to be exhaustless in mineral
maryels. In its gold and silver and
sulphur and soda there is nothing like it
upon all the round world. And now
comes a revelation of its mountains OF
salt of a character 30 astounding as to
almost startle belief. The account comes,
however, from a perfectly trustworthy
| source, and is given by correspondent
of the San Francisco Chronicle, who had
personally travelled over the region of
Southwestern Nevada, along Virgin
River, and had himself inspected these
wonderful saline deposits, Of which he
makes mention as follows:
One mile above the ferry the Virgin
| River comes in from the north, and on
and near it is, perhaps, the most Won
derful and extensive salt formation on
the continent. Tue formation is in fact
one OF
| MOUNTAINS OF SALT, .
hard rock salt which is blasted and
quarried out Like quarries Of granite and
marble. Commencing six miles up the
| Virgin River, these mountains oil salt
extend for thirty or more miles up the
| Virgin and Muddy Rivers. There are
openings now made from six to twenty
miles up the Virgin River at different
places. From six to twelve miles up these
lopenipgs uncover species OF dark gray
salt, 81 per cent. pure, presenting to the
casual observer the appearance OF COM
mon coarse gray granite. These OPEN
: ings are all on the east side Of the Vir-
gin River, from one-iourth to one-half
| Io tc ka mint txy
} miles up the river, and on its Yves tern
side, is mountain OF pure white
crystallized salt, white as the
driven snow and transparent
} almost as glass. 1t Is at once pleas
J ing and interesting spectacle to see the
great masses OF crystal-like salt as
thrown out by three or lour-foot blast.
These pure and beautiful BLOCKS resem-
BILE somewhat blocks Of tue purest ice
, when prepared for the ice-house. On
placing mass six inches thick over a
column Of the Chronicle the line print
could be read easily. The
, FORMATION OF THE SALT DEPOSIT
is no doubt very ancient, dating back In
years beyond computation. Long since
ihe deposit was made the great upheav-
= ais and earthquake era have occurred,
which have cnanged the whole appear.
ance OF the country for great distances
, around. These salt bluffs or mountains
can be identified for long distance by
the peculiar color of the surface, which
is of reddish or orange color. Under
meath this formation, as well as in it, is
peculiar kind OF micaceous sediment
ary granite. found sufficient evidence
to warrant the assumption that veins O.
!, valuable mica will yet be discov
cred in OF near the salt formation. The
whole country is deserving of thorough
: Investigation by both the miner, pros
pector and the student Another VERY
Interesting natural curiosity visited anC
4 examined here is natural salt well,
l mile northwest of the Jerry. 1t is on
: mesa, which extends up and down thu
IrIyer on its northern bank. This mesa
4 is DRIFT formation formed OF small peb
? bles and powders mixed with earthly
matter. The well isa
N LARGE CIRCULAR OPENING
in the mesa, some three hundred feet Ii
circumIerence, with abrupt descent Il
: the surface Of The well, which is fifty fee
, below the surface. Tue water is exceed
. lingly salty, far more 30 than any sal
spring, and has been sounded to deptl
OF one hundred and thirty-nine feet. /
i is splendid natural salt bath, in which
the bather floats almost as buoyantly al
cork upon pool OF water. From ,
careful examination Of all the surround
| ings, l feel confident that this interest
A | ing salt well is all that is left of a ono,
great salt lake, which, in the lapse o
time, has been filed in by the drill
formation, only leaving the presen
> opening as an evidence OF Its former ex
, istence.