Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-06

feet below the surface of the ground.
The layers are about 100 feet thick,
and the water in which the salt is dis
solved has first to be pumped into the
ground TO the salt deposit, before it
can be pumped back again In the form
Of brine.
| First a well is drilled to the top
of the deposit, and this Is cased with
pipe more than six inches in
diameter. Inside this pipe is Il smaller
one, with diameter of about four
inches, so that the space between the
big pipe and the small one is about
equal to the capacity of the small one.
! Water is pumped into the lnrger pipe,
( and while at the bottom, this is
soaked" with the rock salt, and enters
! the smaller pipe. The column of water
in the outside pipe and the column in
the inner pipe nearly balance, and
force the brine almost to the surface
of the ground again. Brine is heavier
that water alone, however, and some
added pressure is required 20 force
the returning column all the way TO
daylight.
After being brought to the surface
the processes through which brine
must pass in evaporation vary ac-
cording to the grade of salt that is
desired The finer grade, table, or
dairy salt, is made by vacuum pan"
system, by WHICH the brine is heated in
great receptacles, as big as large
room, from which as much of the air
has been drawn as possible, leaving al
most a perfect vacuum. The brine
! boils at much lower temperature in
the vacuum than it would in the open
air, and the salt crystallizes and falls
to the bottom Of the receptacle, from
which it is taken by very clever
'iNN"lol hl NDlNu NOtS uOl
destroy the vacuum. The grains of
salt thus obtained are fine, and of a
generally uniform size.
The other grade common salt, is
evaporated in great pans. also as big
as an ordinary room, though not, of
course, so deep. The evaporation of
all the salt is aided by heating the
water, and as all the heat is furnished
by steam, the Colonial Salt Co. has
a battery of IA big boilers, with an ag-
gregate horsepower of about $500.
The buildings cover much ground, and
are the objects Of great deal of
comment and wonder to passersby.
The working force at the plant, is,
however, comparatively small, The
main building is about 400 feet square,
and there are in addition, cooper
shop where 1000 barrels are made
every day; the boiler house, where the
enormous steam power is generated.
n pump house, and an electric light
plant.
The work Is almost entirely done by
machinery, and an average of about
l75 people are employed. Most OF
them are laborers, with the exception
of about 20 girls who sew the tons of
the salt sacks after they have been
filed. OF the 5000 barrels, which
comprise the daily output of the plant,
1000 barrels are dairy OF table salt,
the finer grade. This is the largest out
put in this grade OF salt made by any
single salt factory in this country.
Besides the barrelled salt, 10000
to 10000 sacks are also required every
"a hours.
Mr. John Severance, OF Cleveland, is
president of the company; Mr.. Elmer
Turner Is vice president and treasurer
and Mr. F. f. King is secretary.
There Is very little profit in salt"
said Mr.. King to reporter for the
Democrat recently, "and the selling
price at the factory is about 10 cents
per barrel. The price Is especially low |
just now, owing to overproduction, and
II is a very fashionable thing for salt
companies to make assignments. One |
of the reasons for our own ad.
vantage over some others is
the fact that we do by machinery near
ly all of the work usually done by hand,
and thus save much of the money
which other firms expend for labor.
Added to this is the fact that our off,
cials are men who have been In the salt
making business for years.
.Some of the nrincInlas aud iunnro,,o |