History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY. 425
The two brines, as the depths of the wells will show, are from
the upper salt-bearing sand rock, and are quite characteristic of
this formation, as shown by the large percentage of gypsum and
low percentage of chlorides.
Swift & Lockwood's well, Saginaw City. Depth of well, 860
feet. Brine, 86 ~ salinometer:
Sulphate of lime (gypsum)............................ 0.0983
Chloride of calcium............................... 2.6430
" magnesium.............................................. 1.0685
sodium (salt).................................... 17.5103
Saline mtter...................................................... 21.3201
W ater........................................................... 78.6799
100.0000
East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Company, East Saginaw.
Depth of well, 806 feet. Salinometer, 80 ~:
Sulphate of lime (gypsum)........................................... 0.1516
Chloride of calcium................................................... 2.2665
" m agnesium....................................... 0.9629
" sodium (salt)............................................. 16.8636
Saline m atter..................................................... 20.2446
W ater..................................................... 79.7554
100.0000
These three specimens of brine, as the depth of the wells will
show, are from the lower salt-bearing sand rock, called the Napoleon sandstone by Winchell. The analysis shows a decrease in the
percentage of gypsum, an increased percentage of the earth chlorides, and increased quantity of salt.
These are the representative brines of the Saginaw river, and are
those which are mostly worked for their salt.
The analyses of these brines show a marked increase in the earthy
chlorides, and are without doubt from a lower saliferous horizon,
located in the Devonian strata, and consequently intermediate between the Onondaga formation and the Michigan salt group-this
same formation having been struck at Caseville, Huron county, at
the depth of 1,750 feet, and at Blackmar's mills, 13 miles east of
East Saginaw, at the depth of 1,675 feet. The new wells going
down at Oscoda, Mich., are without doubt in this formation also.
The tollowing analyses of Michigan brines, made by IH. C. HIahn,
Ph. D., will show the chemical composition of other brines not included in the above list:
Oneida Salt Company, Crow Island, Zilwaukee. Specific gravity
of brine, 1.1864:
Sodic chloride (salt)......... 19.304 Ferrous carbonate........... 0.0054
Calcic chloride............... 2.623 " chloride............... 0.0032
Magnesic chloride.............. 1.343 Magnesic bromide............ trace
Calcic sulphate (gypsum)...... 0.080 Carbonic acid............... "
" carbonate.............. trace W ater......................76.269
Magnesic carbonate.......... "
99.6276