The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-12-21
0iIdam-No. !.
iori espOud. ace of the Telegraph,

to his next days sermon, the belle at ne
mirror. or bordering over the latest novel at
the midnight chimes-do either of these
ever reflect upon the beautiful and cheap
light only equalled by gas which illurni-
/ mates their rooms? am inclined to think
they do not. All Of them, with the writer
included. know where and how the ''tallow
Dip is manufactured, but few have ever
had occasion 10 examine the subject in
question, while all readily admit that kero-
every household Should the oil wells fail
and the people be obliged to return to the
old resources, now almost forgotten, many
would regard it as a retrograde movement |
in civilization.
There are very many scientific men who |
/ regard petroleum in its crude state as an
elementary solution like that of water, and
that it was intended originally like that ele-
ment for the benefit and happiness of man
kind-that it is not confined to one partic-
ular country, but is found in various parts
of the earth. The other theory is, and
which seems the most plausible. that it is
prod uced by the distillation of coal from
volcanic heat and other chemical processes
going in subterranean cavities of the earth
for ages. 1t is only found, however, where
it crops out near the earth's surface in this
country, as in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ken
lucky. Ohio and California.
There is another feature not generally
understood--it is only found iu pecu liar
species Of rock and hence the true Name
pet, oitum, which translated from the two
latin words pet'os and otsum, means. oil If
rock or rock oil.
The rock in which oil is found is a species
of sand stone which s porous, u single Gu
bic foot is supposed to contain upwards of
gallon Of oil 1t is held in this rock in the
same mahner honey is retained i'll the comb
Very many labor under the belief
that tins discovery of petroleum
in our own country aud the refining it for
Illuminating purposes, is wholly new, only
dating back four or five years This is
great mistake The Americans are gencr
ally fast people, and it is hard 70" Yam
kee in particular to subscribe TO the doc
trine that there is nothing new Under the
sun " 1t has been known in all ages aud
in almost all countries 1t is true it was
reserved tpr the Americans to make more
: application of it for domestic Uses and in
mechanical arts
Among the early Greeks aud Romans it
was known under the name of ''bitumen .
At Zante among the Ionian Islands there is
, still flowing all oil spring which was visited
= by Herod,tus and described by him in his
works of travel written more than two
Thousand years ago. In many port ons Of
Sicily the ancient inhabitants burned petro.
, leum in their lamps Instead of fish oil
:. Genoa and Parma in the north of Italy have
i for nearly two hundred years lighted THEN
= streets with it AT Bakoo OH the shores OF
vast commerce of this article alone The
tract of country terminating there 10
!; some tw enty five miles in extent by one
half mile in width This section il entirely
E volcanic and the wells are only from fifteen
] to twenty feet in depth. From this place is
:, annually transported large quantities to all
parts of Persia, which is used not only for
!, illuminating purposes, but to supply the sa-
/ cred fires in their religious ceri monies.
But the most prolific wells are in the Bur
! man Empire. In that country the most
, famous wells are in the Rangoon district on
: the lrrawaddy. From here for centuries
the whole empire has been supplied. From
this district alone ii is computed that the
annual yield is upwards OF million of bar
rels. 1t is used by the natives not only to
burn in their lamps, but for medicinal pur-
poses and to grease timher to prevent the
, destructive operation of insects.
! Some of this oil has even been shipped to
Eng land and used in the manufacture of
what is known as parafine candles.
But III the Unlted States exist by far the
} largest wells and owing to our superior
knowledge OF refining and application to
various mechanical uses, there ID hardly
any waste of the oil from it's natural crude
state. In refining, large per celtage of
cou' sc. lis Kerosene and the balance Nsptha,
Benzoie. BeilzIne and other ingredients, all
OF value tor various purposes Of tue nap
tina great deal is sent to New York, where
it is used as a cheap fuel for warming small
!, roolIs burnt in sheet iron patent stoves -
Ihes. stoves are got up in ueat ornamental
sty ie and the expense OF armiug a small
sItt,ng ar bed room, for twenty four hours
mere trIti.
Of the oils found there are two kinds
known as iubrIcating ard Illuminating AS
It's maine Indicates the first Is used almost
entirely i'll lesseniug friction in machinery
1t is Hbunt the consistency of syrup and has
, a greenIsh color The value Of this at the
wells is about $25 per bbI The value of the
oth7r is from $500 to $500 per Dbl. &C
cording To the market. The value of this
too is varied according to its density-the
heavier being more valuable. This is de-
terhlued ny bVdrOmeter. Inc speClnc
gravity OF oil varies from rs . to IS the
latter being very light and Inc former very
heavy think the specific gravity OF the
oil Oh Pithoe Greek is nearly uniform and
about $50 by Baume's hydromter.
I ine abpve may be considered rather dry
and statistical by many, still it is in refer
ence TO one of the most important staples
that is exported from the United States to
Great Britain, to say nothing of its utili-
ty as a cheap aud pleasant light, at the fire
side of almost every American citizen.
81 V. F.
The following advertisement appears in