Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23


al other points on the Uintah reserva-
ton. In the San Rafel mountains, some
thirty miles from Castle Gate, jet Is
found. Jet Is q deep black In color and
has a high lustre. II receives a bril-
liant polish and Is set In tewelry. jet
has been known from the time OF Pliny,
and has been used by all civilized and
semi civilized peoples. In time the out
put OF this mineral will constitute
paying industry on large scale,
Mineralogists tell us that the best as
phaltum comes from the Dead Sea and
in the neighborhood of the Caspian.
remarkable locality occurs on the island
OF Trinidad, where there Is d lake Of
IL about a mile and half I'm circum-
ference. But now Utah IS coming to
the front in the production OF this
article II Is found at Thistle and on
the Uintah reservation also along the
Green and Grand rivers. and the
quantity is so great as TO Insure the
support Of the asphaltum industry for
years TO come Hundreds OF tons OF as
phaltum have been shipped already, but
II will take railroad 10 the large mine
producing II 10 make II a great and
profitable industry.
NATURAL GAS,
OF the simple hydrocarbons. our
natural gas comes first. Natural gas
varies in composition according 10 its
source. Our product which is obtained
through boring, Is chiefly pure marsh
gas, with some nitrogen, carbonic acid
and a little hydrogen. Our largest gas
wells in the United States are in Ohio
and Pennsylvania. Natural gas was
first used for lighting In Fredona, Erie
county, n. Y, where 1t is given out
from springs. AS early as 1872, Penn
sylvania and New York began TO use
this compound, and since then many
western States have put II TO use, after
discovery. The first use OF natural gas
for lighting and heating was in China.
In the petroleum region OF Bahu, on the
Caspian seas are eternal fires. regions
where this gas Is forming down in the
bowels Of the earth. SO Utah has
natural gas. II is found at almost any
point between Ogden and the shores OF
Salt Lake Some think our gas wells
have proved failure. But IL we judge
from what we have experienced al
ready the natural gas resource Will
prove a profitable investment for capi-
talists Think what a saving 1t would
be TO the citizens OF Salt Lake? With
gas of average composition 1000 cubic
feet have, theoretically, the heating
power Of about 544 pounds Of bitumn-
Gus coal and 5s.4 pounds of anthracite,
so that 1900 cubic feet Of gas are
equivalent TO 2.240 pounds, or a ton Of
coal. Says j. =. Lesley, 1T is safe TO
say that 10000 cubic feet of gas is equal
in heating power TO one ton Of coal"
quote these figures in order TO show the
great value that our gas wells have
for us. providing they are constant in
their flow. More gas wells are TO be
discovered no doubt, and II will mean
untold wealth and saving for Utah's
people.
PETROLEUM.
Does petroleum occur in Utah? The
members of the Chamber Of Commerce
have often been asked this question.
This hydrocarbon exists over con-
siderable area Of our State, II shows
up al scores OF points along the Grand
and Colorado rivers. II oozes from the
cliffs and assures. As yet very little
work has been done on the Utah pc
troleum fields. Petroleum is yet 10 be-
come a chief natural resource Of our
State, and when II does II will con-
stitute q large per cent Of our mineral
wealth. Petroleum is from the Greek,
"petrOs," and the Latin "oleum' oil,
and when found In the rocks II has been
formed through the decomposition OF
animal and vegetable substances. 1t
occurs In the rocks OF all ages from the
lower silurian to the most ancient.
Surely we have plenty Of II in Utah.
So much for the hydrocarbons Ma
ture has especially blessed US by plac-
ing within our reach such valuable re-
sources. They are yet undeveloped.
Capital and labor are yet TO put them
into all the markets Of the world.
THE GREAT SALT LAKE.
The most wonderful feature Of all this
beautiful State is our Salt Sea. For
many years IL has been question
among scientific men whether or not
It's waters could not be put TO some
practical use. Many elements and com
pounds were found in solution, and !
now, after thorough examination. we |
can call II the great bonanza of the |
west. wealth abounds here IL is |
said that there are l,505. i33, 600 900 cubic |
feet OF water. OF this 16 2.3 per cent is |
salt and sulphate Of soda. In other |
words, there are 250,s05.600,0OO cubic |
feet OF these solids. This salt is OF
purer quality" says DR., j. 7. Kings |
bury, than any other found, and |
there is enough to supply the world for |
4 century Down underneath the sandy |
bottom, there Is layer OF sodium sui |
Dhate ranging one foot TO three feet in |
thickness. II has been rcckoned that |
here are over thirty-one billion cubic |
ieet. This compound could easily be 4
hauled TO some factory near the lime l
stone ouarries OF the Wasatch, and |
With coal, In connection with the lime
stone. II could be converted into the
best sodium carbonate and bicarbonate
n the world Today, carbonate Of soda
s made according ID the lie Blanc pro-
,ess. Common salt is used and is con-
ierted by sulphuric acid into sulphatc /
II sodium and then decomnoslng the
iulphate by carbonate Of calcium and
'harcoal at q high temperature. so as
o yield carbonate Of sodium, The sui
,hate. first dried, Ia mixed with its own
weight OF ground limestone, and half
Is weight OF small coal ground and
lifted. and ths whole is heated in a
furnace, and after due
leatlng the carbonate OF sodium Is pro-
luced This is the chemical process,
When soda is artihcially made. Note,
low how nature has done almost all OF
he work for MS. There are millions Of
ons OF the sodium sulphate precipi-
ated In the winter on the shores and In
he bottom Of the lake. Near by are
oal and limestone, and all that would
,e needed II a reverberatoIy furnace.
nd the proper mixing OF the ingredi-
nts. Even by the artificial method or
e Blancs way OF making carbonate OF
oda, there are millions Of dollars made
nnually by somebody In the United
tates. Here in Utah a man would
ave TO understand little or no chemis-
ny in order to manufacture both the
ooking and the washing sodas. Figures
iill tell something. III sodium sulphate
fere worth $50 per ton II would net the
nvestor something like Sl5.OoO000. IL
Ommon salt sold for s. a ton II would
lean something near A5,Oo00O0 do
OF write these figures hephazardly. |
hey are facts Says one Of our noted
hemlsts: "The compounds and Gle
rents in solution In Great Salt Lake
An vet mean millions OF dollars for