Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-14
BITUMEN AND BREA.
Large Ledges Out on West
Seventh Street.
Bituminous Rock Equal to the
Best San Luis Obispo.
Every Lot Owner Can Afford to Have
His Street Paved.
No More Muddy or Dusty Streets-Brea
Nearly Equal to Best Coal
ON the Market To-
morrow.

Only four squares beyond the western
terminus of the Seventh-str cable
road, one of the largest fuel mines in
California is being developed. The fuel
is composed of common earths impreg-
mated with very heavy grade of petro-
Ieum. 1t is locally known as brea, and
has been used as fuel by the people OF
Los Angeles for over one hundred years.
1t is not quite as heavy as coal, but
makes much hotter fire. There are
two kinds, the black and brown. The
black is much more soft and oily than
the brown brea, but does not burn quite
as we'll. The black burns well only in
large furnaces, but the brown brea
burns finely in ranges or stoves, and
nearly as we'll as the best coal. 1t
makes hot, steady fire, and is Just the
thing with which to bake or roast.
At the brea mine, at the west end of
Seventh street, there are fully 800, 900
tons OF the brea, of which one-third is
the brown brea. Hitherto, the nearest
supply of this natural fuel has been the
Hancock ranch, six miles west of the
city. For years the Eagle and Capitol
Touring mills burned brea in their fur
naces. Latterly they discarded it for
crude petroleum, which cost more, but
is easier handled. The Pearl-street ice
factory has burned brea for many years,
as also have several other factories.
Mary others would do 30, but the sup
ply has been limited. Tomorrow the
company owning the brea mine on Sew
enth street will begin putting brea on
market at prices go far below the price
of coal that it will make it an object for
every factory in the city to burn the
cheaper fuel.
Reference was made in the HERALD
the other day to a discovery of a
ledge of bituminous rock in the
Seventh street mine last week.
Development work has opened this
ledge $50 feet in length by 30 feet in
length. Several experts visited the
ledge yesterday, and pronounced it fully
equal to the best bituminous rock of San
Luis Obispo or Santa Cruz. This means
great deal for Los Angeles city. Here
is supply of the best paving material
in the world at the very gates of the city.
From this ledge, only partly uncovered
as yet, can be taken enough rock to pave
every street in the city, at no more cost
than mining and hauling few squares
into town. There is no longer any ex-
cuse for Los Angeles. to have muddy
streets in the winter or dusty streets in
the summer. Here is ledge that will
enable the owner of every city lot to
have good street at cost go low that
paved streets will be the rule, and un.
paved streets the exception in the City
of the Angels.
Work in the brea mine is steadily pro-
crossing from day to day. The oil stream
| has been flowing steadily since last Sat
urday. The vein of asphalt remains
about the same some two feet in width.
Visitors to the mine will be cordially
welcomed and given ample opportunity
to inspect the bituminous rock and brea
deposits. Several large blasts will be
touched off this afternoon. If any are
skeptical as to the above statements
they can acquire an abiding faith in the
development of the natural resources OF
Los Angeles by visit to the mine. 1t
is one of the curiosities OF the city, and
is only four squares-a short walk-west
of the terminus of the Seventh-street
cable road, just over the hill beyond
Westlake park.