River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-04-28
SALT FOR WHOLE WORLD.
Output Of the United States Amounts
to Twenty Million Barrels Year
Facts and Figures.

"The salt of the earth" has always
been plentiful as well as cheapIcom-
modify, and instances have been rare
when any mortal has been unable to pro-
cure a needed supply. 1t will probably
be news to many, says a trade paper, to
learn that Americas annual production
of salt now exceeds 10000, 900 barrels,
which is nearly four times as much as it
was 20 years ago. Of this total more
than 100000 barrels is table and dairy
salt and more than 100000 barrels
kcommon fine salt. The four states pro-
ducing the greatest bulk of American
salt are Michigan and New York, each
with more than 100000 barrels an
nua1ly, with Kansas and Ohio next in
line with 100000 and ,000,00 barrels,
respectively, followed by California,
Utah and West Virginia The output in
other states is comparatively small
For number of years the United
States has led the world in the produc-
ton of salt, comparatively recent figures
showing that we produced SO per cent.
of the worlds supply. Great Britain
came second, then Germany and France.
>
100000 short tons. Our imports come
chiefly from Great Britain, and what lit
tie we export goes across the great lakes
to Canada or from the harbor of San
Francisco to the islands or to South
America.
Wells with a diameter of six inches
are sunk down to the rock salt and are
lined with casing pipe Water is forced
down on pipe and comes up in a parallel
one, bearing the salt with it. The fore
ing of the water down the first pipe by
means of pumps is necessary because of
the weight and specific gravity of the
salt which is to be brought up in the
other Of course water only would seek
its own level.
Brine thus brought to the surface is
conducted by pipes to settling watts l2O
| feet long, Is feet wide and built OF wood.
When free from sediment the brine is
then led to vacuum pans, alright iron
kettles from which the air is withdrawn.
By means of a system of steam pipes
heat is also applied from within. In
the vacuum the brine boils and vaporizes
I at a temperature of 120 degrees. The
brine is made to circulate freely within
the vacuum pan. With the concentra-
ton of the brine the fine grain salt leaves
! the pan and is carried in its slushy form
to the bins, from which place, after
draining, it is conveyed to revolving
dryers, which are cylindrical in shape
and which subject the salt to hot air
blasts, the final process in producing
salt
In accordance with another method,
in another style of vat, 70 feet long, 20
feet wide and four feet deep, with open
top and heated by submerged steam
pipes, the salt crystallizes upon the sur
| face. after settling to the bottom. and is
gathered to one end and taken out by
the aid of modern machinery. The dry
ing process is the same as heretofore
described.
In other parts of the country other
processes are employed in the produce
ton of salt, such as the open air evapo-
rating plants, which provide for acres OF
sheds covering shallow watts. Salt is
secured from the ocean waters by open
air methods of evaporation and crystal
lization Again, as in Michigan, salt is
mined in many respects like so much
coal or other mineral and the impurities
! extracted.
Like so many other industries of this
day, there has been very marked evolu-
ton in the production of salt. The per
cent. of impurities in the best grades is
too small to be worthy of mention, in
many instances being less than one-half
per cent. To reach this stage of perfec-
ton has required tireless effort, and
now, in point of purity, as well as in
amount of production, the United States
leads. It's purity and it's cheapness in
this country make salt very common
upon the American table and we use it
freely. In some countries it is SO eX-
pensive in proportion to what it is here
that it may almost be classed among the
luxuries of the table.
In this country, too great quantities
of the coarser grades of salt are used
by the fishing interests in curing fish.
For packing purposes salt is in a great
many instances almost Indispensable.
Salt is also used in large quantities in
the manufacture of soda ash and other
things of this nature
The Retort CrushinC