The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-11-21
POTASH DEVELOPMENTS IN NEVADA
ARE TOLD IN AMERICAN FERTILIZER

erected necessary buildings nea a
spring at the edge of the marsh.
C. H. Barnard of Goldfield, a min
ing man of wide experience, is the
company's general manager and
will have charge of the drilling op-
erations.
At the north end of the salt-in-
crusted lake bed DR. marsh, just at
it's edge and where the ground be-
gins to rise to the surrounding
hills, are two springs, separated
by only a short distance, n hot
and the other cold. The water
from these springs is a brine ear
secured from holes sunk in the salt
bed of the playa. At the western
edge of the marsh, near the old
camp of Silver Peak, are two SIM
liar springs, close together, one hot
and one cold. The water from all
Of these springs has yielded potash
in greater or less quantity and from
the hot spring at the north end NJ,
Barnard has taken samples of wat
err which have yielded as high as
6.3 per cent of the soluble salts.
This is regarded as the most import
and encouraging of the results yet
obtained here, as the temperature
of the water. in addition to it's min
eral properties indicates hat it
comes from a considerable depth
and the belief is encouraged that
deep boring in this lake bed will re-
suit in finding potash in a recov-
cradle form.
The government work has at
least served to establish the pres
ence of potash salts in these play
as, but the scope of this work has
been limited to such a degree that
it has had little value beyond prov
ing the existence of the salts, while
it has had no engative significance
whatever and leaves open the posi-
bility of developing the product up
on a commercial scale. In Rail-
road valley, in Nye county, a COM
pany put down several drill holes,
one to a depth of about LOO feet,
and exposed a vas area of gaylus-
site but no commercially valuable
potash hat could be recovered.
Some drilling has been done in
Death valley, the bottom of which
is over 800 feet below sea level.
One hole was sunk 1000 feet
through successive strata of sodium
chloride and sulphate, but with no
significant potash results. Govern
ment engineers are preparing for a
more extended search in the Black
Rock desert, in the northern part
of the State. Interest in the quest
for the covered salts, however, e n
tiers chiefly in the projected opera
tions of the Nevada Potash COM
pany at the Silver Peak marsh,
where the results have been more
encouraging than elsewhere and
where conditions are said to more
nearly approximate those Of the
Searle lake deposit in San Bernar-
dino county. California, across the
Nevada boundary.
The faith that is reposed in this
mai Oh 90 q oo'ASS VI "
ash has been stimulated by extern
sive and careful prospecting of the
surrounding hills and mountains as
this work has demonstrated the
widespread distribution Of igneous
rocks containing a high percentage
of potash, and the teachings.
throughout the centuries, must
have concentrated in some form at
this lowest point of the great drain
age basin. Drilling will begin at
once and results will be watched
with the keenest interest by min
ing men throughout this region.
Any indication of favorable results
in this work will without doubt be
sigualized by the starting of drill
holes at other points on the playa
as mining operators of this section
are generally impressed with the
Importance of developing CONNER
cial DOtaSh.