The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-01-15
TRINIDAD'S PITCH LAKE
REV. MR.. MACBETH DESCRIBES TIE
GREATNATURAL WONDER.

Lecture Before st. PauIs Church Club
What Visit to the Lake ReveaIs-Meth-
ods oil obtaining the Asphalt-Interesting
faots In Regard to the Island.
"A Visit to the Pitch Lake of Trini-
oad was the subject of Rev. Henry
Maebeth's lecture before the st. Pauls
church club last evening, and those
VINO heard it had most enjoyable
treat, as the lecture is of more than
usual interest and excellence.
MI. Macbeth visited Trinidad two
years ago last June, making the jour
ney there on the America, vessel for
merly owned by the Trowbridges of
this city, which was lost last May
After describing the voyage from
Fort au Spain to La Brea, the harbor
of the island of Trinidad, the lecturer
proceeded as follows to describe the
great natural wonder of the island,
which has made it famous all over the
world:
1.-The island has population of about
1,400, all dependent upon the asphalt
business for their sustenance, and all
negroes, as the climate is so hot that
white men cannot live there.
The whole region seems to rest on a
foundation of asphalt, and even the
rocks are formed of the hardened pitch,
while what few pebbles and stones are
on the narrow beach are of the same
hardened pitch. In the first place the
word lake is misnomer. 1t is not a
lake of water with islands of pitch,
nor yet is it literally lake of pitch.
1T looks like a large area of dried
mud, chocolate colored, and on the
whole, perfectly level. 1t is crossed by
assures filled with water, the largest
having a width of four or five yards
and depth of from four to five feet.
The water in these dries up during the
dry season, and the assures close.
1.-The surface Of the so-called lake is
slightly yielding, and the asphalt is
soft in spots, especially near the CEN
ter Of the lake, yet one can walk on it
in any direction, and even loaded carts
cross, but if you remain standing any
length Of time footprints are made,
and you can see little drops Of water
and pitch oozing up from the prints,
and always at such places there is a
strong odor of sulphur.
'.You can take the soft pitch and
shape and handle it as you like, and
no trace of it will be left upon your
hands, which are protected by the oil
and earthly matter which the pitch con-
tains. There are several theories as to
the origin Of the lake. One is that it is
of volcanic origin, and that the pitch
corresponds to the lava of volcanoes,
but there is no evidence of volcanic
action in all the island. The modern
theory is that the pitch or asphalt has
the same origin as the coal beds in
other climates, and Is formed from
forests.
.'Pieces of wood when thrown into
the pitch are gradually changed into
pitch, and about the lake pieces of
wood may be seen in the various stages
of transformation. How the first for
nation of pitch was made no one can
explain.
1t is not known now nluch aspiidie
is in the lake. behring's made 10
depth of $50 feet have failed TO feach
the bottom, although that IS below LIE
level of the sea. 1t is about III acres
in extent.
owing to the great lateral pressure
the holes made by excavations are NIL
ed UP level with the rest IN a Snort
time.
Sir Walter Raleigh visited the IS
land and used the p1tcn 10 caulk ms
leaky vessels, but until used for f'aT-
ing streets no practical use could be
found for 1t.
1T is leased from the English gov
eminent by syndicate OF American
and English capitalists for a term OF
twenty-one years. The syndicate pays
the government $4,000 for the franchise
and $1.60 per ton for all asphalt remoV-
ed each year over 10000 tons,
THE output is about 100000 tons eacn
year, and between 700 and S0o men are
employed in the business. They are