The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-27
S365,O12,666,
That is the Amount of Money in
the Great Salt Lake.
RICHER THAN THE C5MsTOCK LODE
ALI the Difficulties Of Treating this Salt Have
Been Met and Chemical Works
Are to be Built.

H. Hirsching, consulting chemist and
mining engineer, appeared before the real
estate exchange meeting last evening and
made public certain facts and discoveries
in regard to the chemical and commercial
values of the deposits of salt in the great
lake that are not only startling but be-
wildering in their possibilities.
"Our motto, "said he, should not be min
ing, but salt Talk about the Consolidated
Virginia mine; you have our Consolidated
Comstock at our doors. 1t is only cues
of time until our citizens will say, it is a
good salt day. or "a bad wet day. as the
weather is cloudy or clear.
Having lately heard so much about
starting up some enterprises, l have the
honor TO lay before your honorable mem
bers suggestion for your careful consid-
eration,' continued Prof. Hirsching.
ut is well known that chemical indus
tries In the western country are in their
infancy, and it certainly would be strange
II we were to remain blind to them when
there are such vast resources at hand
| awaiting transformation into valuable
chemical products, thus making our city a
great and rich manufacturing metropolis.
The soda industry is, according to my judg-
ment, the basis of great many other in
dustries, such as glass-making, the manu-
facture of soap, the extraction of silver
and gold from their ores, etc.
Richly laden with raw chemical mate
rails is the Great Salt Lake, with it's
many salts. truly believe these salts
ought to be refined and chemically treated
have In view one of these salts prepared
by nature which will cheaper the cost of
the production of soda and it's kindred
compounds materially over any other
known process Thousands of tons of this
salt are expelled in the cold winter season
and driven to the shores of the lake. About
six thousand tons have been gathered
during the winter of 'S7 and 'SS at a nomln-
| ally low price. An experimental plant has
been erected to convert this into soda ash,
caustic soda, sal soda and hyposuephite
of soda. The greatest difficulty en-
countered was the cheap expulsion
OF the water of crystalization in
this salt. After long and tedious
researches, a process was found and a
plant of fifteen tons capacity was con-
structed. The details of this process can
be explained and seen by going to the
chemical works at North Salt Lake. All
the difficulties of treating this salt have
been overcome and the practicability of the
process clearly demonstrated 1t requires
money to get possession of the works and
reconstruct the same. | am satisfied that
the investment of money in this enterprise
Will pay sure and large percentage, and
therefore suggest that we communicate
with the owners of the chemical works and
see II any arrangements can be made In
case they refuse to make proper conditions
L suggest that we build new works, and in
connection, glass works as we'll
Estimating that Great Salt Lake has an
average depth of ten feet, it contains $751;
800, 100000 cubic feet of water This would
give 81, $50, 100000 tons of salt. If in six
tons OF salt there are ~ of soda ash, it
would equal 662 tons; at 81 profit it would
give the enormous sum of 1856, 012, 666, $40.
"All that is needed is to erect chemical
works which produce the soda that is used
in the manufacture of soap and glass;
Prof. Hirsching stated that the cost of
plant to turn out twenty tons a day would
be SAC, 900, and that as soon as this could be
demonstrated there would be no trouble in
getting outside capital to increase the
works to capacity of 200 tons daily.
with soda ash you could manufacture
all the glass for this western country
A member asked for the explanation of
the failure of the old works
II am sorry to say" said Prof. Hirsch
ing, that at the beginning of my work 1
was only partially informed of the many
different salts contained in this water
There are sodium bromide, borax and
crystal water, altogether fifteen different
salts, of which no chemist living had a per.
feet knowledge.
s'There was jealousy in the old company,
and as soon as they thought they knew
something about it they thought they
could get along without a chemist. The
trouble got deeper and deeper, and as l was
getting no salary and was tired of the dis
senslons got out. Soda ash went up to
$50 per ton in New York, and | can produce
it here for less than 800 and if the works
are increased to a larger capacity at SIS
per ton. We can get $40 ton from the
glass works"
Judge Lynch explained little matter
about the formation that was interesting
in this connection. Sulphate of sodium and
crystal of salt are formed at different tenn
peratures. 1t only crystalizes below the
freezing point and is found at the poles and
floats over the surface and is blown to the
shore by the breezes and is found in de-
posits as it is on our own Great Salt lake.
Chloride of sodium, our table salt, is
formed at high temperature by evapora-
ton
The matter was referred to committee
of chemists consisting Of Messrs. Lynch,
Volckler, Bishop, Denman and Conkling.
The Gresseli chemical company, which
has $4,000, GOO invested in chemical works
at Cleveland, Cincinnati and Bradford, Pa,
is going to send its secretary to This city to
examine Prof. Hersching's process of re-
timing.