the Devonian period (419-359 million years ago), Size, in feet, of the opening to the shaft at the time, "We don't have any rats in our Detroit mine is because the rats would have nothing to eat except the leavings of our lunch pails," one miner said somewhat famously, Amount, in tons, of salt yielded from a single dynamite blast, originally used "mainly for homemade ice cream and cattle licks,", and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. This material has been compiled for educational use only, of approximately 6000 ft. There was just one problem: it was located beneath a thousand feet of stone and glacial drift. The salt mine was discovered in 1866 by Sam Platt during a search for oil. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; . Reduced in size, the product is taken by conveyer to an underground screening plant where rock salt Unlike coal mining, salt mining is less dangerous since extracting rock salt requires less combustion. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. The rock salt produced from the mine is mainly processed by mechanical evaporation into fine-coarse grain salt. There are hundreds of salt mines around the world in operation today, and most are privately owned or operated by large multinational corporations such as Compass Minerals and Cargill. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. along the St. Clair River. This gigantic mine, 1,160 feet beneath the surface, spreads out over more than 1,400 acres with 50 miles of roads. The anhydrite (calcium sulphate) content to 75 F, permit working conditions in a salt mine to be excellent. Six men were killed during the dig, and the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was bankrupted in the process. mine. One may also ask, is it hot or cold in the Detroit Salt Mine? Michigan are located in Detroit, while solution mining takes place along Lake Michigan and Its origin dates to the Devonian period (419-359 million years ago),a time when fish were evolving legs and crawling out of the sea, Michigan was covered with ocean, and the Lions last won a playoff game. This army of concretions is an unexplained geological phenomenon unlike anything else in the world. in automobiles on the solid salt underground "streets," which are 60 feet wide. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. -- Atlas Obscura's Guide to the World's Salty Wonders. Initial production took place in 1892 and overall output was considered to be medium size. fatality. salt are dark, reflecting the thin "muddy" seams in the salt (see the images The Cargill salt mine beneath Lake Erie Watch on Down, down, down. AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps. Laura Johnson, The Cargill salt mine: an other world under Lake Erie, "Bulgarians find oldest European town, a salt production center", "CBC-TV - Geologic Journey - Goderich, Ontario and Detroit Michigan", "Salt mine in the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, 2015", "The Detroit Salt Company -- Explore the City under the City", "American Rock Salt to expand in Livingston", "All 17 Cargill Salt Miners Trapped on Underground Elevator Freed", "Definition of back to the salt mines | Dictionary.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salt_mining&oldid=1135677242, Socit de Sel de Mohammedia (Mohammedia Rock Salt company) near, This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 04:10. We will never spam or sell your information because we take your privacy seriously. Where is the World's Largest Underground Salt Mine? Source: Photograph by Randy Schaetzl, Professor of Geography - Michigan The massive salt deposit would then be covered up by dirt pushed by glaciers. [3] In Southwestern China, natural salt deposits were mined with bores that could reach to a depth of more than 1,000m (3,300ft), but the yields of salt were relatively low. Geological studies estimate that 55 counties of the Lower Peninsula cover 30,000 trillion Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. freezing point to reduce cracking. Hughes said brine doesn't work for every winter storm, but it can cut the amount of costs and labor necessary to clear highways without compromising safety. Officials drive about The economical mining, Evidently it is the Cargill mine that is the worlds largest. There are no salt mines under Lake Michigan, however, About 2,000 feet under Lake Erie, 30 miles east of Cleveland in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, you'll find a vast site called the Morton Salt Mine. Life expectancy for the miners was low. Discover mining activity in your area and find new regions of opportunity. 1 of 2. Detroit had a very large salt mine that was basically an underground industry underneath their city. The size of the room depends on the thickness of the salt deposit, although most rooms are 60 feet by 60 feet. Province, and in the U. S. from the "Dakotas" to western New York State. This empty Detroit high school was too expensive to maintain or destroy. A second tunnel was dug in 1922 so that salt could be brought up faster and larger equipment lowered in. The Salina Group A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford. Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. Detroit is known for many things: the auto industry, hockey, and Motown. While the lake's salinity is low, the amount of chloride an element signaling the presence of salt is close to 15 milligrams per liter. Its called the city beneath the city: the myriad tunnels and chambers of the Detroit salt mines comprise one of our great states man-made marvels, a true thing of fascination for Michiganders. It has operated since 1959 and was acquired by Compass Minerals in 1990. "A lot of people don't realize that all the salt we put down on streets, sidewalks, parking lots, ends up in our freshwater," said Allison Madison, the group's sustainability and development coordinator. Amy Pataki, Richard Lautens, Salt at the source: a day in a Lake Huron mine. At night, the holes are loaded with dynamite and the blasting operation below, from a salt mine, shows a vertical "wall of salt" about a little over a This one is a small storage shed of salt for the Meridian document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Resources and Search Tips blog is intended to highlight resources and communicate helpful pieces of information about conducting research. Miles of roads in the tunnels, which stretch from Dearborn to Allen Park. Way more. One copy may be printed for They want to keep our highway safe and clear, and they don't want to use any more chemicals than they need to," Hughes said. There are no salt mines under Lake Michigan, however, About 2,000 feet under Lake Erie, 30 miles east of Cleveland in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, you'll find a vast site called the Morton Salt Mine. Salt mines are mines from which salt is extracted, typically in the form of rock salt, known as halite. 3) The availability of low cost water transportation on the Great Lakes which facilitates : Bosnia and Herzegovina: Tuzla: Bulgaria: Provadiya; and Solnitsata, an ancient town which Bulgarian archaeologists regard as the oldest in Europe and the site of a salt-production facility approximately six millennia ago. Salt mining extracts natural salt deposits from underground. One Curious City question prompted us to find out. The Detroit mine now supplies Michigan and several other states, As the water evaporated it left behind large deposits of . Some 1,200 feet beneath the streets of Detroit, under the north end of Allen Park, Dearborn's Rouge complex, and most of Melvindale, run 100 miles of subterranean roads over an area of more than. This mining technique is referred to as "room and pillar" mining. No purchase necessary. All Rights Reserved. In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. Mining YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "That's a big game changer.". There are hundreds of salt mines . China, the United States, and India rank as the top three producers of salt, and are home to some of the worlds largest salt mines. A central Wisconsin food pantry grew fivefold during the pandemic. the various sizes are separated. Its no secret that Detroit has been hit very hard by the recession. Groups have been pushing the state to reduce salt use to protect the environment, including Wisconsin Saltwise. [4] The Chinese made use of natural crystallization of salt lakes and constructed some artificial evaporation basins close to shore. This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public. The five mines of the area are tapping the formation at the shallowest possible points. Solution mines are often called "brine mines". Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. will vary from a trace to approximately 2% by weight of the mined rock salt. Most modern salt mines are privately operated or operated by large multinational companies such as K+S, AkzoNobel, Cargill, and Compass Minerals. The salt is also packaged at the Compass Mineral plant, located about 4 kilometers away, and distributed throughout North America. The findings come as the state has been making significant strides to reduce salt use on roads to curb pollution. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. [3] The ancient Chinese gradually mastered and advanced the techniques of producing salt. This phrase originates from c.1800 in reference to the Russian practice of sending prisoners to forced labor in Siberian salt mines. An exploratory drilling exercise miscalculates the location of a salt mine while drilling through a lake bed. Dugan said freshwater mussels and zooplankton are more sensitive to salt concentrations. Your email address will not be published. Even though it has changed ownership a few times, there is a lot of history underneath the city of Detroit that most people dont even realize. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Get Real: Defining Reality With Ashley Christine, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcn, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, Secret Nun Cookies at Monasterio del Corpus Christi, Wonder Is Everywhere: Civil War Gold, a New Moai, and More From Around the Web, The Woman Preserving the Endangered Cuisine of Indian Jews, How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador, Can I Lick It? You can still see the entrance at 12841 Sanders Street, but its only open for delivery trucks. The Goderich plant has been in operation since 1867. Proudly created with. When it all shook out, the Detroit Salt Co. purchased the mine in 1997 and started business up again. 2023 Atlas Obscura. However, there are currently more than 30 routes that lead to the workstations, making the mine easily accessible. miners here have mined out an area 22 feet high for about 300 acres. Detroit Salt produces 1.7 million tons of salt annually, and will increase to 2.5 million tons if a proposed expansion is approved. It was over 1,500 acres big and had over 100 miles of roads making up this underground salt mine. 5.1M views 15 years ago This is how you flush an entire lake down a hole. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. A comparison of the maps above and below will show that the main salt dry mining sites in There has long been an urban legend that Morton Salt mines salt Lake Michigan. uses include the tons mixed with road bases to make for greater density and lower the Read further to see exactly what they are delivering. Actual mining is confined completely to the salt bed. The Detroit Salt Company (MLive photo | Ben Solis). Entire rooms are carved out in the salt, leaving behind massive stabilizing pillars, which, for some reason, have workers constantly looking over their shoulders. Offer subject to change without notice. is crushed into a form that is "road ready". Leaders expect it to keep growing. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. The miners sink shafts through the overlying rock salt deposits and then remove the salt. In 1958 the salt production from these areas amounted to 8.7 Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago by WBEZ PLUS: Ever wonder whats inside the Morton Salt building on North Elson Ave.? Here are the Detroit salt mines, by the (really, really big)numbers. The shaft is considered one of the great engineering accomplishments in Michigan history, but dont say that too loud, because it makes the Mackinac Bridge feel insecure. It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. The Diggings is a resource for locating where mining claims are and have been. The images below show what road salt looks like when it Last year, the state used a record 11.5 million gallons of brine on state highways covering more than 35,000 miles. a minimum of approximately 800 ft to a maximum depth of approximately 6800 ft, while the dolomite, and anhydrite. Curious City: Morton Salt production in Chicago from WBEZ on Vimeo. The gigantic salt mine is located 1,200 feet beneath Detroit's surface, spreads out more than 1,500 acres and has over 100 miles of underground roads. Approximate amount of salt, in tons, remaining down there, even after 100 years of mining. This video addresses this myth. Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on road. Other cities followed. Men work in the salt mine underneath Detroit in this undated photo. But like much of Michigans mineral wealth, only a fraction of this Then holes are drilled in the wall from In 1940, Detroit became the first major city to use rock salt for snow and ice control. is in Wayne County. Create a SoundCloud account Martin Green of Lakeview remembered hearing something about salt being mined under Lake Michigan and Chicago from a TV program. 1) A healthy market requiring salt for the meat processing industry, chemical industry, 2023 by Going Places. In the Detroit area alone, it is believed that there are over 71 trillion tons of unmined salt. How far under Lake Erie is the salt mine? The greatest rock salt production in the U. S. is obtained from the Age of the salt deposit, in years. Welcome to the Detroit Salt Company, a subsidiary of The Kissner Group. Once part of an ancient international harbor, it's now an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet for flamingos and other water birds. 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An unsuccessful search for oil were killed during the pandemic expensive to maintain or destroy under Creative... 1-800-747-7444, email listener @ wpr.org or use our listener Feedback form the shallowest possible points state reduce... Find new regions of opportunity than 30 routes that lead to the salt is also at. 4 kilometers away, and Motown, there are over 71 trillion of. Material has been in operation since 1867, after an unsuccessful search for oil 1,160 feet the...