Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1886 — A Curious Geological Formation. [ARTICLE]

A Curious Geological Formation.

To the eastward of the Upper Sink of the Carson River, in the valley in -which is situated the S anils Springs salt marsh, is a curious formation, covering. a large area of ground. Here, after passing through from two to five feet of sand and clay, rock is reached. This rock is full of rents and fissures, through which rise steam and* hot water. Above these crevices are -in places small pools of water, which are said-to rise and fall as regularly as the ocean tide with the change of the moon. On the surface of the marsh are seen small ridges and hillocks. By digging into them an opening is always found. The ridge on the surface shows the exact extent and shape of the rent in the rock below. ■ln this curious region springs of cold drink’ng water are found in proximity to such as are hot, and. highly charged with boracic acid and other mineral substances. In this valley there are about two thousand acres that can be profitably worked for borax, as is shown by the work already done there. When one incrustation of the mineral is removed another soon forms. At Sand Springs, in the same valley, salt is the principal product. In the early days much salt was packed to Virginia City on the backs of camels. It was found to be a good article for use in the mills, but when railroads were built supplies from other places could be more cheaply obtained. —Galveston News.