The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-29

ment OF the days business; then they
would arrive at the close of business
hours. Cincinnati does not ask any i'm
proyement on the present system.
THE first article for exhibition deliv-
cred on the grounds OF the PIttsburg
Industrial Exposition was the first
kerosene still ever used in the United
States for the refining of petroleum and
preparing it Tor illuminating purposes.
81 This is an object of considerable interest
as being connected with the great oil
excitement OF few years since. Up to
1860, although large quantities of kero-
Bene were manufactured from coal in
the United States and also In Europe,
The idea Of making it from the crude Pc
troleum which abounded in Pennsyl-
vania had not yet occurred to the Yam
kee mind, although James Young,
6cotchman, distilled kerosene from Pc
troleum in England in 1s47. In 1850
there were in Ohio alone no less than
twenty-five establishments engaged in
The manufacture of kerosene from coal,
but all Of which Immediately suspended
The manufacture In this manner upon
The successful advent of this little three
barrel still in 1860, the forerunner of the
great oil excitement which followed.
The first kerosene ever made from coal
was produced by Abraham Gesner, in
1914, from coal in Prince Edward Island.
Gesner was the first to give 1t the name
Of kerosene. Young introduced this
manufacture into England in 1S47, ex-
tracting an oil from the petroleum which
was found in coal mine in Derbyshire,
and when this was exhausted, distilling
the oil from Boghead camel coal. He
was quite successful, making, in 1854,
5000 gallons of kerosene week, which
sold for five shilIings a gallon, making
half a million dollars per year, much OF
which was clear profit. This re-
suit increased the coal.oil works
in England, while in the United
States the first coal-oil works were
erected in 1854, on Newtown creek Long
Island, by the Kerosene Oil Company,
working ufder the patent Of Mr.. Young,
who had also taken it out In the United
States. In 1856 the Breckenridge coal
oil works made kerosene from camel
coal, and the same was done in Perry
county, Ohio. The establishments along
the Atlantic coast produced 100000 bar
rels, while the total value of the kero-
sene thus produced was estimated to be
over two million dollars. Although the
value Of the oil springs did not seem to
be understood until about 1850, the fact
of their existence was known over two
centuries ago. AS early as 1929, a
franciscan missionary, Joseph de let
Roche d'Allion, who crossed the
Niagara river into what is now
New York State, wrote q letter, in
which be mentioned the oil springs, and
gave the Indian name OF the place,
which he explained to mean s'There is
plenty there" His letter was printed
in Sagard's "Histoire du Canada," in
1882, and subsequently in LeClerq. An
old book entitled ''rravels in North
America by Peter Kahn, which was
published over a hundred years ago, also
gives detailed account Of the springs
along Oil creek, and locates them def
nitely upon o map accompanying the
book. The Massachusetts Magazine of
17s0 also says: sIn the Northern part OF
Pennsylvania there is a creek called Oil
creek, which empties into the Allegheny
river. 1t issues from q spring, on the
top Of which floats an oil similar to that
called Barbados tar, and from which
one may gather several gallons day.
The troops sent to guard the western
posts halted at the same spring, collect
ed some OF the OIL; and bathed their
joints with it. This gave them great re.
Lief from the rheumatism with which
they were afflicted The exhibition OF
the little old three barrel still at the
Pittsburg Exposition win serve to
awaken many historical "reminiscences,
and remembrances OF the coal oil excite
ments in the Pennsylvania region, SO
productive OF fortunes aud misfortunes.