The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-04-05
Historical and Scientific Facts About
Petroleum, or Coal Oil.

Petroleum is mo- of constant compost
ton, but is Il variable mixture of num-
crous liquid hydro carbons, as benzole,
naphtha, kcrosolcne, &C., with parafline,
naphthalne aud asphaltum, solid hydro
cartoons. 1t is of a very dark green
color, and in density varies from a thin
fluid, lighter than water, to a thick
viscous liquid, heavier than water. The
lighter qualities yield the larger proper
ton of burning oil.
The evidence Of the most ancient
occurrence Of petroleum is among the
ruins of Niucvah, whose existence dates
back more than two thousand years
before the Christian era. In the con-
struction of this city, an asphal ic
mortar was extensively employed, the
asphaltum being OBJ aimed by the evapor-
alton of petroleum.
4 later mention is found in the
accounts of Babylon, whose walls we're
cemented with asphaltum, which was
poured, in melted stac, between the
blocks of stone, and an iudestructible
mortar thus secured. This asphaltum
was procured from the fountains of Is,
which were about one hundred and
twenty miles above Babylon, on the
Euphra es. Together wi II saline and
sulphurous water, it issued from rock
and was conduc ed into large pits. The
oily matter was then skinned off and
solidited by atmospheric evaporation. -
These springs, from the abundance of
their products, attracted the attention
of Alexander, Trajan and Julian, and
even at the present time, asphal;um,
procured from them, is sold in the
neighboring village of Hits.
From time inmemoral asphaltum has
been found on the shores of the Dead
Sea, and this is one of the most remark
able localities for it. This sea, as is
well known, is of supposed volcanic
origin and is the probable site of the
ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Its surface is thirteen hundred feet
below the surface of the ocean, and il
has been tathomcd to the dep h of two
thousand feet. In several places no
bottom has been reached, and, owing to
internal convultlous, the depth changes
from time to time. The water is very
dense, holding in solution twenty-five
per cent of solid matter, of
which seven per cent is salt. The
bituminous substance is up-thrown from
below and toward the centre of the sea
it is found in liquid state, like petrol
cum; but it is probably solidifed by
evaporation, as it appears upon the
shores in hard compact masses. The
explanation of this phenomenon is that a
connection between the sea and some
internal volcano exists, whence this sub
stance is elected.
In the vicinity of the Caspian, the
Bakoo springs have yielded large guam
titles of oil, and are widely celebrated
Some of the Pnrsian wells have furnished
fifteen hundred barrels day. and
throughout this region this material,
under the name of Naphtha, is very gen
orally burnt for its light.
At Rangoon, in Burmah, petroleum
has been obtained for many years, and
at this time there are over five hundred
wells, which annually afford four hun
drcd thousand hogsheads. The oil
occurs in straa of blue clay; wells
aboui sixty feet deep are dug, into which
the petroleum. oozes. This is sometimes
used in its natural state, but more fire.
quently it is first purified by dis
tilla.ion with steam. The raw mater
ial is also mixed with earth and used as
fuel.
In Europe there arc few abundant
springs. On one of the Ionian Islands
there is an oil fountain which has flowed
for over two thousand years; and the
oracular fires of ancient Greece haze
been attributed to similar sources. Oil
springs also occur in Bavaria, in the
Grand Duchy Of Modena, at Ncufchatel,
at Clermont and Gabian in France, and
near Amiano in Italy. Petroleum pro-
cured from the last-named locality is
used for lighting the city of Genoa but
elsewhere in Europe it is not employed,
to any extcut, as an illumina or.
On this side of the ocean, there is an
enormous quantity of this substance
Upon the island of Trinidad, one of the
West Indies, at distance of three
fourths of mile from the sea, is lake
Of asphaltum three miles in circumfer-
ence. Near the banks the asphaltum is
hard and cold, but as you approach the
center the sofincss and the temperature
increase, until finally 1t is liquid and
boiling. From the bubbling mass pro-
cecds strong, sulphurlous odor, which
is perceptible at dis ance of ten miles.
Between the banks of the lake and the
shore of the island is an elevated tract of
land, covered with hardened asphaltum,
upon which vegetation fourishes. The
explanation put forward in connection
with the Dead Sea, is equally applicable
in this case.
Upon others of the West Indies,
petroleum has been obtained, as we'll as
at several places in Central and South
America j but it is in the northern por-
ton of this continent that the abundant
reservoirs of this substance are located
and it seems truly wonderful that their
extent and richness should not have
been discovered at an earlier period
For many years the Seneca Indians
collected petroleum and, under the name
of Seneca oil, sold it as remedy for
rheumatic complaints. At numerous
places in the Middle States. IL was found