The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-05-13
The Story of Rock-Salt.

Salt under ground! 1t seems a
strange thing, at first, to find salt
amongst the rocks, deep down in the
earth. What does rock-salt tell us?
1t reveals to us a place where once a
sea existed; the water has since flow
ed away, leaving some salt behind.
We know that ordinary salt exposed
to the air soon gets damp, and then
becomes quite fluid, but rock-salt
away from air and sun keeps firm
for ages. Rock-salt is found in va
rious layers of the earth's crust.
Some of the spaces of underground
water are called "seas," but in fact,
large as they were, they often did
not resemble the "seas" we have now
because they were much shallower.
A few were fairly deep, however.
Then, again, these ancient seas were
sometimes so salt that no animal
could live in them, and only a few
plants. Such seas, in fact, were most
ly dead" and this accounts for the
masses of salt deposited along their
bottoms. But we find also signs of
rough water in the numerous peb-
bles of the layer where the salt is
found amongst hard red gravel and
brown quartz.
Germany once had tolerably deep
sea, not very salt, and the bottom
surface of it shows coral reefs. There
are signs in 1t of great fishes armed
with strong teeth, enabling them to
crush the shel1-fish upon which they
fed. These swarmed below the sea
in thousands. North England and
the Midlands have the Keuper beds,
where the 'seas' were always very
shallow, and where we can trace the
marks of rain-drop filtering and sun
cracks. The rock-salt is often in a
layer one hundred feet thick. It is
supposed that one part of these seas
was separated from another part by
bar of sand, over which the waves
toppled only now and then. In the
cutoff sea, evaporation went on
through the ages, and of course a de.
posite of salt was formed, while the
occasional overflow from outside re-
placed the water which had evaporat-
ed. But really this is not known fol
certain. It is only clear rock-salt
and contains the minerals we find in
our present sea-water, bromine
iodine, and magnesia.
Generally, this salt is not mixed
with fragments of a different sub
stance, but is in columns of rough
crystals. Now and then there is
found layer of rock-salt, with one
Of mari and shells under it, succeed.
ed by rock-salt again, showing that
for time change, had taken place
Rock-salt sometimes melts a little
under the earth, and If that happens
the rocks about 1t sink, and in that
way hollows have been formed.
| Upon the land near these shallow
salt seas lived some singular ami
mails, unlike those of our earth in the
later centuries of its history. There
were remarkable reptiles belongings
to the frog or Batrachian family. One
of the species was the size of small
OK, with peculiar complicated teeth
and feet which left prints on the
earth so exactly like the impression.
of the human hand, that geologist.
gave it Latin name meaning 'tht
beast with the hand" Another
strange creature was sort of lizard
with horny bill, and feet resembling
those Of the duck; 1t had somewha
the appearance of a turtle, it is sup
posed. Then there were some warm
blooded animals about the size of
rat. which had pouches in theil
cheeks, and preyed upon small in
sects.-Chatterbox.