Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1855-06-23
Rock Oil3 an iIlanilat0r.

4
g that Professor Silliman has been maxim,
experiments upon Rock oil,-whichi
!, found in inexhaustable quantities thro'
|. oat our Western Virginia hills. ant
/ especially in the valley ofthe Littl,
i Kanawha riyerand its tributaries, Ii
order,o attestits adaptednessfor for barp
! ling in lamps as antillnminator. Th,
4 result his researches has been en-
'|tirely satisfactory, having proved it Y
,|besuperior any known oil or burning
lIfuid, ID giving light; While at the same
.ltimn 'ifrp,M ~ iiissdr la.i;;ps ssfics
will ltspl to renderit of great value;
\ The following is the statement made
Ibyt the transcript:
BY means Of distillation he obtained
I from the crude material, as taken from
1.-The surface Of the water about 80 Oper
cent ofthe whole product, in aseries Of
sIoilshaying valuable properties, though
not all equally fitted forailluminalion
anlllubrication. BY the original gdistii:
alton, about50 per cent ofthe raw ma
terial ssobtained in the form ofa thin,
Hight colored oil, Of :afaint bituminous
.Eodorsand ola density Of fabout 750. slts
value as an iluminator was tested with
1.-THE following results:
/ 4. The oils burned to the best adj
vantage in the common cumphene lamp
with d glass cone to direct theScurrent
Iof air, as with an unprotected wick it
smokes badly. + 4,
2. When burned for twelve hours
the uniformity ofthe light was greater
than that cf'tamphene, and neither the;
wicks nor the tubes were crusted.
8. Tested by the photometer, or aP-
patatus for the measurement Of light
the rock oil proved, ID o rigid compar-
ison with other Illuminating agents, su-
Iperiorto them all in Intensity Of light
aud economy ofcensumption. The ar
iticle which most nearly approached it /
was camphene, which, with more than
double the consumption Of fluid, proda.
iced a degree pfabout one;ffth greater.
As luBricatos, the rock oil is pro-
A,ornced by Professor Silliman to pos.
i isss the Advantage ofremaining fluid at
b. Temperature Of l5 degrees below zero
m Abeiug entirely free from any corro-l
i. Aduality, and ofnot becoming gum
of Acid or rancid, by exposure to the |
: q sFs ,15s 155ssiisF props ..s
~ gulaS Nuisance which will add toits
J, !, impois ice as natural product Of the
y SOL, pfessor sillimanis now engage
e e ea.n ofipteressing sxperlne97
ls upon llAelue as material for prodIal- |
eng gasAd upon the product ot she
IF last distlS Non. asa substance which,
g IN the form Affparaffine, resembles fper-
y maceti, and ION which excellent can;
( diesmay beSade. ItisexpectedithatI
ii dEths arranged A,s for distilling the rock
= = oil will be cdsle,ed by next fall, and
! ! the article solst moderate price.-
7 With sperm oil 1.-TWO dollars and q half
: |a gallon, candA at a proportionate
price, and the s,losive burning auid
only tobeused al spe risk ofone's life,
a new illuminator,Ahich shall combine
|, Ithe advantages of . cIapness, safety aud.
. brilliancy Of light, Nnnot fall to come
a|into extensive use.
The article goes to tell ~ 9
{ company has been fsmed. y'9 ";I1ssa psss
!. Bought a hundred aero Of u, on 'sl,aaa lana
and that yield Of Eve AuIae "a @ ga'lons
!, s,lPsr day is being obtaig 4's''''o'n ~
spresent. 4 ~ !, n.
.,,aa Ihis I 0l', Is ws s,,Spushous the
/ SsIIs. iSIau ~ ~ rsESittle Kanave River.
S',ss y :, = places it rises to se surface
.e ,ss water from the bed dthe river,
|, and is collected by skimmineinto barr
s|rels, For several years past various
',lihdiyidnals have been engagedpt Cali
!; fornia, in Writ county. near Hah'sriy.
: er, i'd gathering it from a vein asand;iI
an account ofwhich was given 14ei|
tVeus sometime since, and Win is
: probably the same process as thaem.
;lployedIbythe company spoken of athel
y i1ransesipt. We also know Of at hstl
j lone place, where deep we'll has Nail
Esunk, fr4n tie top of wh;sh, The oil v
-lurally esudes, being forced IN by y |
tipowerofthe gus which rises with Y:
The new: use to which this s9inery
Hon will nov be put as q burning auis
Twill probably increase the demand fol
Mt; and W.T. see no reason, ifsuch ade
1 1 Iuand shoull exist, why the procuring
X dit should not be made business oi
N Inheritance Ii This section. OF one
otfSshhg we are absolutely certain (: that
J. Men is oil llensugh on the Kanawha riy
" 81 aIpe TOLL Illuminate the whole cSuhtrs
Z !. foy may years Park. Nsgs.
j. TbseNs on an average, about OH
Oh pund ofpotasli 10 every one
,e hundred tpdsi iof soil, and about one
h-Eeighllf afy Spuna of phosphoric acid
~ Eand ous slxtapthp pf pound ofsulphur
ic acid: 1 fnof ps and the tops BE con
tinuafly rsdcW fiom the soil, it viii
!. soon exhaust potash; If the whea
,s and straw are relpyed,it WILSON ex
X \ haustthe phosPhA pflime ifcorn ant
/ the stalks. i will vi exhaust the sui
a lnhnric acid. UnlS Sshere is a rotation