The Salt Well EarthCache
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This EarthCache is located on the east bank of the Conemaugh River in the Indiana County Borough of Saltsburg. It is a salt well typical of those used in this area during the early 1800's. Salt, also known as table salt or rock salt, is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of ionic salts. It is essential for animal life in small quantities, but is harmful to animals and plants in excess. Salt is one of the oldest and most widely used food seasonings and salting is an important method of food prservation. The taste of salt (saltiness) is one of the basic human tastes. A salt well, (or brine well), is used to mine salt from subterranean caverns or strata by the use of water as a solution to dissolve the salt deposits so that they can be extracted by pipe to an evaporation process that results in brine, (water-salt solution), or dry product for sale or use. In the nineteenth century salt wells were a significant source of income for the operator and the government. When the supply of salt was shut off during the War of 1812, the people of the Conemaugh Valley resorted to developing sources of salt for daily usage through salt wells, which eventually led to the naming of this town. The nearby Conemaugh Salt Works, the third largest salt producer in the United States at the time, produced salt from brine extracted from the salt-laden Pottsville Sandstone which lies below the surface at this location. In order to log this EarthCache, answer the following questions by making measurements with you GPS receiver and studying the plaque near the well 1. What is the ground elevation at the posted coordinates? 2. In the year 1830, how many bushels of salt were shipped by the Conemaugh Salt Works? 3. What type of drilling rig was used to reach the Pottsville Sandstone? 4. At what elevation above sea level does the Pottsville Sandstone lie? EarthCachers worth their salt will email their answers prior to logging. Failure to do so will result in deletion. Dave Lentz
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