Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-25
The wonderful Salt Mountains of
Nevada.

hevaOa
From the San Francisco Chronicle
One mile above the ferry the Virgin
river CONES in from the NORTH, aud on or
near it is, perhaps, the most wonderful
aud extensive salt formation on the con-
tinant. The formation is, in facG, one Of
mountains OF salt, hard rock salt, which
is blasted and guarded out like quarries
Of granite and marble. Commencing six
miles up the Virgin river, these noun
aims OF salt extend for thirty or more
up the Virgig and Muddy rivers, There
are openings 10Y made from six to TWEEN
ty miles up the Virgin river at different
places. From six to twelve miles up
these openings uncover a species Of dark
gray salt, nile,y-two per cent. pure, pre-
senting to the casual observer the ap-
pearance Of CON non, coarse, gray gram
tie. These openings are all on the east
side of the Virgin river, from one.fourth
to one-half mile from It's banks. At a
point twenty miles up the river, and on
the western side, is a mountain of pure
white crystalized salt, white as the driven
snow and transparent almost as glass.
1t is at once q pleasing aud interesting
spectacle to see the great masses of crys-
tal-like salt, as thrown out by q three or
four foot blast. These pure aud beauti-
full blocks resemble somewhat blocks Of
the purest ice when prepared for the ice
house. On placing a mass sixinches
thick over a eoldmn Of the Chronicle, the
6ne print could be read cas- ly. The
formation OF the salt deposit is no doubt
very ancient, dating back in years be-
yond computation. Long since the de-
post was made, the great upheavals and
earthquake era have occ0rIed, which
have changed the whole appearance Of
the country for great distances around.
These salt bluffs, or mountains, can be-
identified for a loBg distance by the pc
culisr color Of the surface, which is Of
reddish or orange color. Underneath
this formation, as we'll as in il, is a pc.
culiar kind of micaceous sedimenlary
granite. | found sufficient evidence to
warrant the assumption that veins of
valuable mica will yet be discovered in
or near the salt formation. The whole
country is deserving Of thorough investi.
CATION by both the miner, prospector and
the student.
Another very interesting natural carl,
: osity visited and examined here is Q
: natural salt we'll, a mile northwest Of the
ferrv. 1t is on a mesa which extends up
and down the river, on its Northern bank
|, This mesa is q drift formation, formed OF
. small pebbles and boulders mixed with
! earthly matter, The well is a large cir
cular opening 10 fbe mesa, some 300 feel
in circumferen 'th abrupt descent tc
! the surface of II, which is fifty feel
below the sur . The wateris exceed
: inglY salty, iac more so than any sal
: spring, and haa been sounded to q deptt
( of 1870 feet. 1t is a splendid natural sal
bath, in which the bather floats almos
as bouysntly as a cork upon a pool Q
water. From a careful examination O
all the surroundings, l feel confident tha
. this interesting salt well is all that is lei
of q once great salt lake, which, in til
lapse Of time, has been filled in by tn
drift formation, only leaving the preseu
! opening as an evidence Of its former e1
istence.