The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-23

In 1858 G. L. Drake began boring well on Oh
Creek. Pa. for the express purpose of obtaining
petroleum. He rdictled by his friends ana
neiphbors but persisted in his undertaking. and at
last abundantly repaid for his labor In August
1859. he found oil at depth OF ~ feet: Inc Wen
Welded him flow of 400 gallons day, which
Greater excitement could not have existed II a
gold-mine had been opened. Every one VINO mao
few dollars to invest rushed to Oif Creek ana
began erecting derricks with which TO drill wells
for oil.
Property became fabulously high. People who
owned poor farms which were considered worm Dus
few dollars per acre, READILY sold them for SooOoVO
81 600 600. As sometimes the case theformer
owner granted royalty on tho wells beside,
one man receiving the enormous sum OF sifOU
per day. Even ut these figures tiie enterprise
was remuneratiye to company. AS the wells
yieided large a flow of oil!f One the most
notable wells. the Noble well. yielded ina little
a year 500 900 barrels. y s;sf iie" esiFs
What with. the making Of millions by n few and
the failure OF many the excitement wore of. and
the oil business became steady trade All the
oil factories engaged in the manufacture sparat-
fine oil Immediately changed 10 petroleum refih-
cries and many were erected to supply
the demand. - tif - t'.'@.a ga,
Seventeen years after the FIRST oil WAS obtained
by Drake the daily yield in the United states was
$4,000 barrels of AZ gallons eaoh y - cIf' ~ sHif
In of the wells the oil flows from tiIero AS In
the case of an artesian well while in others 1t is neo'
essary TO pump IL out. The oil Is sometimes coll
veyed In underground iron pipes directly from the
well the s,illery, but is generally stored in n-
derground tanks covered with gravel, to insure
against fire or put in barrels glued TO m Ike them
tight or in tank harges Before the petrol
leum is refined it contains a large percent OF
explosive material. that IL necessitates every
precauion against fire in handling it.
In general the refining consists of three pro-
cesses. % fractional dis,iaiion, 81 agitation with
sui phuric acid, and ~ agitation with hydrate OF
soda or ammonia. In the fractional distiliation
the apparatus used is iron still. from which ex-
tends "A coil of iron pipe submerged in a tub of
cold water. The end Of which pipe protrndcs from
the tub and extends over n second tub, intended to
catch The drip. fire is started under the still and
as the liquid begins boil the gases first begin TO
escape. but these condense and drip into the
tub. The first oils obtained are OF very light,
gravity, and mixed with proper amount OF air
form explosives.
The stream is allowed run into the tab till IT.
reaches the gravity Of 65o 10 $50 b. Then it Is d-
verted to the kerosene tank where " continues
running until ii reaches a gravity OF about IS H.,
or until the color becomes yellow. The burning
oil is then removed and the drip directed tothe
paiaffine tank. where it runs Until nothing Is left
in the still but coke. ,a rrgf. = s.
The second process Is to separate the tarry mat
ter from the oil. About two per cent by measure
of sulphuric acid is placed in the tank with the
kerosene The compound is then, thoroughly
stirred. Anerward it is allowed to. stand, and a
dark, tarry matter rises to the top, which is re-
moved.
The last process Is to neutraze any acid which
may remain. The oil is aei;ated with water and
then witt, alkali. either causiic soda or ammonia.
Some reiners subject this to still another process,
TO remove all traces of benziue and gasoline.
The oil is taken from the paraffine tanks and
chilled, after which 1t is folded in cloths aud sub
iected to pressure remove the oil. This is clRr
fled by repeatedly melting it in naphtha and press
ing The oil obtained by this process In purified
with sui huric acid and allal and makes tuDri-}
cant. ..-..., .,,F.t. .sff. ~
This is general outline of the process of distil
laton, although different retners follow slightly
different modes of operation. After the petroleum
in the still has reached gravity of Esp to 500, b.,
the gases have all escaped and the remaining mass
is called crude naphths. This by further distila-
ton is separated a. into gasoline, the highest OIL
which is the common burning-ffuid OF our vapor
stoves: (2l into napftha for oi-clotbs. cleaning
purposes, etc; 49, benzne for paint and varnshesi
IA by cooling the condeusng coil with salt and
ice the very volatile oil rhgoiene " is obtained,
which is used angestheiic: 90 by using CON
densing pump, still more Volatile OIL called
ice machines. These, with the lubricating oils,
paraffine and kerosene, make eight distinct prod
uc,s obtained from petroleum.
The cbeapness of coal oil, freedom from smoke
while burning and briiiiancy OF light, has caused
it to take the place OF lamps which burned animal
and vegetable oils Its cheapness enables the poor
workman TO provide light by which he may pass
his long evenings in improvement of his mind in
reading and study; and where he finds II necessary
TO prolong his work into the evening hours, lie has
light by which he can pursue his occupation,
with perfect impunity to his eyes.-Mrs Dene
Giddngs, Hebron, Ill.
MAMMOTH oBELIsK.
DEAR c. c. AND GUARD FRIENDS: As our Editor
has requested that news OF interest pertaining to
the coming Worlds Fair lie sent for publication,
will give n short account of the largest stone
quarried in the world. t3
1t lies at present at Haughton Point. on the shore
of Lake Superior. in Bayfield, County. Numerous
plans for transporting it the Worlds Fair grounds
have been submitted but none of them entirely
feasible
This immense stone Is rs feet in length, TO feet
square at its base and four feet at the top. li
Frederic Prentice, of New York. was the origi-
nator of the idea of having mammoth brownstoHe
obelisk at the Fair. He is largely interested in the
Bayfield, County Quarries and or the LIST of August
last commenced the work of quarrying this i'm
mense stone with force OF nearly 30 men.
The work progressed night and day until Nov.
g. when the column was broken from its bed, where
il bad lain for innunerable years. But now comes
the question of Transporting ii to Chicago.
Thirty thousand dollars is the amount estimated
that il will cost which is lacking An Ashland
editor undertook to raise the sum by popular sub
scripton. but the amount received was insignif-
cant.
Four huge blocks OF sandstone. each n feet long
and two feet square, have been sent for corner
pillars for the Wisconsin mineraogist exhibit
John F. Cartnan. Qnartermaster Wisconsin Diyis.
ion. RathbuD, Wis. r "