Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-08-22
FOSSIL OCEANS.
Salt Sees Found Far Below the
Earthss Surface.


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fu.s. Geological Survey Press Bulletin.l
Among the many unsolved mysteries
concerning the interior Of Mother Earth
few are more fascinating than those
brought to light BY certain surprising ex-
periencss OF driiIers OF deep wells. Al
though many people are not aware OF the
fact, . large proportion Of the wells sunk
to depths below 1000 fest encounter large
bodies OF salt water, the dow OF which
may be 90 great that the driller remarks
that he has struck the Gulf Of Mexico or
some other immense body OF salt water
The salt water may even fiow up out OF
the mouth. OF the well, but more COM
monty II rises in the well to height OF
several hundred feet above the bottom,
and Its supply 10 10 great that only a
pump Of enormous capacity can keep the
well empty. Where does this salt water
come fromf II Ia often assumed that II
fills immense cavity or system Of crevices,
but in fact IL il generally contained in
some bed OF unusually porous rock, like
sandstone, IN which the pores, though
minute, have an aggregate volume or ca
pacity OF millions Of cubic feet.
But one question IL no sooner answered
than another one, more difIicult, arises,
and the question now IL, How did this
salt water get into the porous rock? Has
rain water soaked far down in the earth
aud found some bed OF rock salt which
It dissolved and thereby become salty;
or had the salt water some source far
within the earth, from which II has arisen
toward the surface; or Ii II the water OF
some ancient ocean that filled the pores
OF the sand and mud Of Its bed. which in
ages gone by became buried under sand
and mud that gradually accumulated on
the ocean bottomf The shells OF sea
animals found in limestones and other
hard rocks al the heart OF the continent
show clearly that the ocean, in some one
or several remote ages, covered q large
part OF the country, and IL appears ex-
tremeiy probable that the salt water
found in the deep wells il really fossil
SEA water entomoed in the sands and
muds Of former cons and now brought
to the surface by the drill, which in
innumcrabie places In this and other
countries is being sunk to depths of two,
three and four thousand. feet. and even
down to depths OF nearly 1880 feet. .
depth reached by very deep well which
Is stiil being drilled at a place . little
west of OF Pittsburgh.
This salt water seems to be found
especially in oil fields, but II has been
struck by the drill at many other places,
~, for example, near Leavenworth, kans.,
where enormous quantities OF salt water
are found at various depths below the
surface. Although no valuable pools OF
oil or gas have been found in that region
numerous beds OF coal underlie it. In one
boring four beds OF coal aggregating over
eight feet in thick ness and numerous thin
ner beds having an additional total thick
ness OF six feet were found. In that region
also many outcropping layers OF rock con-
tsin remains OF marine shells, and the en-
tire region was no doubt once covered by
the sea. Indeed, the geologist has been able
to dccipher IN the rocks numerous details
of the record Of the advance and retreat
OF the sea, and has been able to stahl,sh
the fac, that the region was submerged at
several different times.