The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-06
NO ROCK SALT
UNDER WICHITA
But May Be Found a Few
Miles to the West
SAID PROF. HAW0RTH
G. w. Smith Was Selected
Secretary of Chamber of
Commerce.
SAID PROF. HAW0RTH

last night told the people Of Wichita
that there was no rock salt under thi:
city. but that they could find it in large
quantities a few miles west Of the city
possibly five miles. and not more than
fifteen miles.
The professor came to this city yes
terday and made thorough examination
Of the ground and conditions and ex-
amined the logs of the various wells that
have been drilled in and about this city
and last night made an address before
the Chamber Of Commerce
He had a chart prepared showing the
strata Of stone and salt, and coal deposits
as near as has been learned by drilling
wells throughout the state and it Is safe
TO say that he gave the people present
some very interesting data as to what
they are standing on. Mr.. Haworth has
spent ten years as professor Of mines
and mining in Kansas and has made
q yer ythorough examination Of the
geological formations over the state. He
has associated with him many students
at the university and also number Of
biologists Of known reputation, and he
has been in almost every nook and cor
ner of the state. He Is a pleasant
speaker and speaks with emphasis and
conviction.
In 1898 the state geology department
got out a small book on salt which was
considered very exhaustive" he said,
and have found out in Investigations
that there is salt to be found IN almost
every part of the state but in some parts
IN small quantities and Of very poor
quality
In our investigations We have found
that the salt beds extend east of Well
ington a few miles. Then if we draw
a line northward in a rather irregular
course we can approximately trace the
eastern edge Of the salt beds. At Well
ington the salt is found at a depth OF
go feet and the bed is about so feet thick
At Kingman the beds are more than 500
feet thick and this leads us to believe
that the beds become less in thickness as
we go east and under this impression
we have found that the bed probably
ceased few milS east of Wellington.
We have drawn thA line arbitrarily and
1t passed about ten lSiles west of Wich-
ita. and along the Istfle Arkansas River
into Harvey, MCPHERSON and Saline
counties and this as far as we know
salt is formed from the ocean. This
Is no theory out an absolue fact.
water evaporates and leaves the solid
matter which is precipitated to the bot
tom. The history Of the earth is a sort
of repetition. These salt beds of Kansas
was at one time a great inland sea, shut
of from all exit to the great ocean, and
IN n comparatively dry climate. At
this present time we find conditions of
almost the same nature. The Great Salt
Lake OF Utah. the Dead Sea, the Cas-
plan Sea, and a number of others may
be named where this condition can be
found. In the dry climates the water
evaporated very rapidly. making great
deposits. Then during a wet season. as
we find it now great volumes of water
was forced into the lakes and seas and
these also deposited quantities OF dirt,
Ehale. etc.
This is the way we find the salt beds
at the present time. At Lyons the beds
are about 400 feet thick. but in every
case We find that there is a layer of
salt from ten to twelve feet in thick
ness and then a layer of dirt not near
IS thick
working along these same lines we
md that at Wellington the salt is but
go feet under the ground. while at King
man. it is TOO feet below the surface
and IS 300 feet thick. This goes to show
that Wellington is near the eastern edge
OF this great lake and Kingman near
the center. The water being deeper near
Kingman. q greater amount of salt was
precipitated than at the edge.
Now We believe that this eastern edge
OF the lake was few miles west of
Wichita. You have drilled wells TO q
depth Of more than 1000 feet but have
found no rock salt. In no place in this
state has the salt been found al a greater
depth than 500 feet and 1 do not believe
there is any salt directly under wichita
About S miles west Of this city there was
well sunk to d depth of 100 feet, but
no rock salt was found. and this leads
as &c believe that you viii have 10 go
further away to find the mineral
Salt is very soluble and we find by
the wells in the eastern part OF the
state that there IS a layer Of strata of
rock, called the carboniferous limestone.
cropping ont near Galena and dipping
westward until at Caney il IS 800 feet
underground and that is as far as We
have found it. Above this we find lime
stone, sandstone and shale Of various
kinds, all OF the strata dipping 10 the
west and all OF the strata above the
carboniferous strata is pervious and the
rains soaking through these LAYERS have
followed down that impervious layer and
dissolve the salt and other minerals.
Some OF your citizens tell me that your
wells here have shown a strong fow Of
brine. and this condition I have found
IN other parts OF the state. This water
ts held under pressure and is gradually
forced out in springs and in arteSian
wells that we find in the eastern part
OF the state. Some Of the gas wells
drilled IN the east instead OF bringing nm
gas. have been found 10 produce strong
brine and this brine comes I'D To the
top OF the ground. I believe that this
comes from the great salt beds ~ the
west and the rain water soaking in dis
solves the salt and under pressure IS
forced out again and this / believe was
the case with your wells
The salt around she edges dissolve
IN time and the water eats farther and
and farther back into the lake Of sair
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