Evening star., 1901-03-05
FACTS ABOUT ASPHALT.
It's Origin, Where 1t is Obtained and
Its Commercial Use.

| From the New York Tribune
The dispute between two rival American
corporations over the possession OF an as
phalt lake in VeneZuela has caused es-
pecial interest In what an asphalt lake IS
like and how asphalt Is mined and shipped
to market. Asphalt, or asphaltum, Is the
solid form of bitHmen.i: Bitumen Is gen
eric term which Is applied to variety
Of substances, ranging from natural gas,
naphtha, petroleum and mineral tar to as
phalt The asphaits Of different localities
vary greatly in composition, as Is shown
by their chemical reactions. Nearly all are
amorphous and have the general appear
ance of pitch, melting at about the tenn
perature Of boiling water. Asphalt, 1t Is
thought by scientists, has resulted from the
hardening Of the nlaltha and petroleum ele-
mentS through oxygenation and evapora-
ton. ..-,. r. l3.-.
One Of the most interesting asphalt beds
in the world Is the pitch lake in the state
Of Bermudez. Venuezuela. This valuable
deposit was unknown to American capita
lists until 1883. when an American eng g.neer
Ambrose Howard Garner, received a title
to the property from the Venezuelan gov
ernment This he sold to the New York
and BermudeZ company, w.-.ch is closely
allied to the so-called asphalt trust, of
which General f. " Greene Is president.
The several square miles which are in
cluded in the concession obtained have, in
proved. The company has cleared the Ma
turin river to navigation so that deep sea
craft from all quarters of the globe can run
in from the Caribbean sea- past the British
possession of Trinidad Island, and inland
to the docks of the company Guanoco.
The town of Guanoco is the river termi-
nus of the RermudeZ company'S railroad.
Here are hundreds of native VeneZuelans,
working under the eye of American
superintendent. The raw asphalt is brought
from the lake, five mile distant flat
cars and shoveled into the holds of the
vessels. AT Guanoco this operation Is much
simpler than at Trinidad, where igh ers are
necessary because of the long, shelving
beach of the harbor. The railroad follows
old Indian trail. which led from the
river to the shores of the pitch lake. The
surface of the lake is so hard that for
some distance from the shore it supports
the weigh of loaded train. AS one looks
over the surface of this great deposit he at
first sees nothing of a striking unusual
nature. He views only black plain re-
sembling anthracite coal, or flint, upon
which are groups of natives working with
picks and shovels Closer examination
however, shows that portions of the surface
are soft like tar. where the asphalt is
sticky and bubbling. Asphalt is dstin-
guishable from anthracite not only by its
TO- ~. but because 1t is soluble In hisul-
phIde of carbon and benzole These pitch
pools resemble somewhat the hot springs
Of the Yellowstone region. They slowly
cool, and become hardened after many
j
Some Of them have never been fully sound
ed, and are thought by the natives to ex-
tend into the bowels of the earth
The asphalt which is mined at Bermudez
Lake is more or less hardened and is OBJ
tanned with some difficulty, as it retains the
suns heat to trying degree.
The BermudeZ company, after wears of
experiment has succeeded in putting on the
market asphalt which will neither crack
from cold nor melt under the burning sun
About a decade ago vehicles We're likely TO
cut into asphalt pavements In the summer
months. By chemical treatment this has
been obviated In all the newer payements
even In hot countries, where 1t fully resists
the suns heat and at the same time retains
LIS durability and elasticity.
Asphalt Is used largely in the manufac-
ture of cements. 1t Is mixed with a petro-
leum residue to render 1t plastic and is
then tempered with one-seyenth its weight
of sand. 1t also forms one of the moss
durable waterproof materials known For
roofing purposes 1t Is mixed while hot
with fine gravel or is absorbed by thick
rolls of felt paper.
Asphalt Is found in many countries In
Vera Cruz, Mexico near the village Of Mo-
loasan, is mountain largely composed of
asphalt. The deposits at Seyssel. France
and at Val de Travers. Swi; ;zerland consist
of iil-estone impregnared with bituminous
matter. which, when heated, crumbles 70 a
powder. -.er 1t has been pounded into
molds and Is cooled 1t resembles the orig.
inal rock Over one thousand miles of RE
streets Of fsParis have been supplied from
these two localities. p r