The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-10-16
Formation CT Petroleum.

Good words.
We know that coal has been pro.
duced by plant-life, so, when we ex-
tract petroleum from tive naturally
look to the organic matters as its
ultimate source. Nevertheless, pc
troleum occurs in many geological
formations where organic life has
only sparsely existed. Nor does
petroleum, when examined by the
microscope, exhibit the least traces
of organized structures. The range
of geological formations in which it
is found is considerable. Ia the
Caspian sea it is found in tertiary
sands, having comparatively mod
ern origin in geological sense. But
in Canada it occurs as low down as
the Silurian formation and in the
lower part of the Devonian, while in
Pennsylvania it is in the upper Sc
ries of the Devonian, below the
coal measures. An elementary
knowledge of geology shows that
these facts render it difficult to con
meet petroleum with pre-existing or
ganic debris. Ordinary rocks result
from the waste of pre-existing sys-
TENS, or are pushed by volcanic
energy from central depths. Nep-
tunists could not explain the forma-
tion of petroleum by aqueous ac-
tion, for it is so light that it would
float on the top of water and would
not be buried by deposit. Vulcan
lists of the old school would be
equally perplexed, because petrole-
um is SO volatile that heat would
convert it into vapor, and it would
be dissipated. Is, then, petroleum
cosmic? Perhaps the question is
not so absurd as it appears. Recent
observations on the tail of the great
comet, which adorned the heavens
not long since, showed that it con-
tanned hydrocarbons very similar to
petroleum. / do not mean u indi-
cate that the comet was a huge pc
troleum lamp rushing through
space; still, the detection of hydro
carbons in it is sifiniicant fact. It
lends considerable support to the
idea that petroleum is being contin-
ually formed anew in the deeper
parts of the earth. In all petrole-
um wells water is also found. In
the depths o the earth there is
probably large abundance of COM
pounds of the metal with carbon, for
we find them in. balastic and other
rocks. When the crust of the earth
becomes assured, water would reach
these at high temperature and be
decomposed, its oxygen passing
over to the metals, while the carbon
and hydrogen would unite to pro-
duce hydrocarbons, the most com
mon form of which is petroleum.
The gaseous hydrocarbons, formed
by the same action, are pent up in
these cavities, and when a boring is
made for well, force up the petrole-
um frequently as high as fountains.
Wells Of this substance are gener-
ally found at the base of mountain
ranges, as the Alleghanies in Amer
ica, or of the Caucasus in Russia.
These elevations indicate cavities,
assures, or crevasses below, and
into these, as into a receiver, the
hydrocarbons may have been dis
Tiled and become condensed. This
8 only a theory, but it is the one
which is the most satisfactory to
ny mind; and if it be trne, it is a
comforting one, for while we
ind forestsj::-- disappearing from
he earth, the coal being ex-
lausted without being formed
Ifresh, petroleum which as fuel
las about twice the value of
,oal, is being constantly formed
md deposited in nature reservoirs.