 Did you know that some of the main coagulants used to form salt used to be from ale, the white of an egg, or blood? And one of the primary froth flotation agents of salt was urine. Was it animal or human urine? Do you really want to know? But many people don't realize that it was the salt production all around Cheshire that led to the development of the major port city, Liverpool. That didn't stop them from mining the heck out of the area. It is estimated by the end of the 17th century, England was burning over 300,000 tons of coal each year just to produce salt. This overmining eventually led to large portions of land sinking into the earth. And by 1880 and Northwich alone, over 400 buildings had been destroyed due to overmining from salt. There was even a lake over 100 acres wide that was created from one sinkhole that disrupted both railroads and bridges. The sermons would even be held over these large gaping holes which preachers use as an illustration of what hell might look like.