The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-12-02
SYRACUSE sALT-woRKs.
Interesting Description of How the Salt r.
Obtained and Purified.


Interesting Description of How the Salt lS
Obtained and Purified.
1t will no doubt be q surprise 10 many
persons to learn that, although the
waters of Lake Onondaga are fresh, it
is from the bed of this picturesque sheet
of water that the Syracuse, N. Y, Salt
works obtain the material which they
successfully manipulate in the manufac-
ture of enormous volumes of salts of
all grades, from the coarse salt in which
pork is packed, to the four-like pro-
duct with which we fill the pretty re-
ceptacle on our breakfast tables. Al
though, as has been said, the water of
Lake Onondaga would yield no atom of
salt, boil it never so long, it has been
discovered that by boring to a depth of
about two hundred feet below the bed of
the lake, very richly salt-impregnated
water is obtained. The water from
subterranean salt sea, is pumped p-by
powerful machinery, and is stored-in
enormous reservoirs, from which it is
drawn off into smaller reseryoi con-
nected with the different Syracuse salt
works.
A trip through any one of these salt
works is full of interest The water is
moderately heated in its passage from
the reservoirs into the enormous kettles
which constitute the basis of the salt
works. and from which. when they are in
full blast, a dense steam continually
arises, making it impossible for the work.
ing men to remain longer than few mo-
ments at time in their vicinity. These
kettles are arranged in double rows.
every seventy kettles constituting what
is called ''block." They are support
ed upon archways of brick, and at the
end of each of these archways is fur
| mace, from which current of hot air
is driven through under the kettles by
means of powerful steam-fans.
The average yield of each kettle at 3
| single boiling is between three and four
| bushels of salt, the required time of
boil ng being about five hours. When a
kettle is freshly filled, an iron plate
with long upright handle is lowered
nearly to the bottom. The salt in form
ing passes under this plate, which, how
purit;es in the water.
| After boiling, the salt is removed
from the kettles by means of long
/ AduulCo cuOfClo, dna III 10 u WCllu oiS uu
to see tho workmen moving dimly
about in this atmosphere of rising
steam, with their long shovels in hand,
salt-encrusted from head to foot. One
man is supposed to attend to a .'block, "
and the work, though not injurious to
health, is extremely laborious. From
the boiling-kettles the salt passes
into the hoppers, and then to wash
ing-machines, which thoroughly cleanse
it. After rece wing this washing it is
loaded into a large heated, revolving
| drum, in which it is perfectly dried. 1t
is then in condition to be sent to the
mills, where it is of course ground to
any required degree of fineness. Every
particle of salt leaving the works is
carefully weighed by a weighcr in the
employ of the United States Govern
ment for the Government levies a tax,
in the shape of certain percentage Of
the salt, upon every pound of salt taken
from the earth or the waters under the
earth at these Syracuse works.
In addit on to the methods just de.
scribed, there is also another, but
slower, form of obtaining salt in use a
Syracuse. viz, through evaporation by
exposure to the sun. The lowland'
running back from Lake Onondaga tt
the city are for many acres covered by
latge salt vats. from which the output il
annually enormous.-Harper's Weekly