Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-06-01
ORIGIN OF ASPHALT.
WHERE 1T IS OBTAINED AND
ITS COMMERCIAL USE.
Operations at Guanoco and rrinidad-
Some of the Noted Regions Whore
Different Grades of Asphalt Are Found
An Asphalt Mountain.


American corporations over the pos
session of an asphalt lake in Vene-
zuela has caused especial interest in
asphalt is mined and shipped to mar
ket- Asphalt, or asphaltum, is the
solid form If bitumen. Bitumen is a
generic term which is applied to a va
riety of substances, ranging from
natural gas, naphtha, petroleum and
mineral tar to asphalt The asphalts
of different localities vary greatly in
composition, as is shown by their
chemical reactions. Nearly all are
amorphous and have the general APP
pearance of pitch, melting at about
the temperature of boiling water. As
phalt, it is thought by scientists, has
resulted from the hardening of the
maltha and petroleum elements,
through oxygenation and evaporation.
One of the most interesting asphalt
| beds in the world is the pitch lake in
the state of Bermudez, Venezuela. This
valuable deposit was unknown to
American capitalists until 1888, when
| an American engineer, Ambrose How
ard Garner received a title to the prop
| erty from the Venezuelan government.
| This he sold to the New York and
Bermudez company, which is closely
allied to the so-called asphalt trust, OF
| which Gen. F. v. Greene is president
The several square miles which arc
| included in the concession obtained
have, in the last thirteen years. been
steadily improved. The company has
cleared the Maturin river to naviga-
ton, SO that deep sea craft from all
quarters of the globe can run in from
the Caribbean sea, past the British
possessions of Trinidad island, and in
| land to the docks of the company at
Guanoco The town of Guanoco is the
river terminus of the Bermudez COM
pany's railroad. Here are hundreds
| of native VeneZuelans, working under
| the eye of an American super1nten-
dent. The raw asphalt is brought from
| the lake, five miles distant, on fiat
cars, and shoveled into the holds OF
the vessels. At Guanoco this opera
ton is much simpler than at Trinidad,
where lighters are necessary because
OF the long shelving beach of the har-
bor The railroad follows an old In
| dian trail, which led from the river TO
the shores of the pitch lake. The sur
face of the lake is so hard that for
some distance from the shore it sup
ports the weight of a loaded train.
AS one looks over the surface of this
great deposit he at first sees nothing
of a striking or unusual nature. He
| views only a black plain, resembling
anthracite coal, or flint, upon which
| are groups of natives working with
picks and shovels. Closer examina-
/ ton. however, shows that portions OF
the surface are soft like tar, where the
asphalt is sticky and bubbling. AS
phalt is distinguishable from anthra-
cite not only by its form, but because
it is soluble in bisulphide of carbon
and benzo1e. These pitch pools resem-
BILE somewhat the hot springs of the
Yellowstone region They slowly cool
and become hardened after many
years. AS at Trinidad, they vary fs
depth. Some of them have never been
fully sounded, and are thought by the
natives to extend into the bowels OF
the earth. The asphalt which is mined
at Bermudez lake is more or less
hardened, and is obtained with some
difficulty, as it retains the suns heat
to trying degree. The Bermudez COM
pany, after years of experiment, has
succeeded in putting on the market as
phalt which will neither crack from
cold nor melt under the burning sun
About a decade ago vehicles were like
ly to cut into asphalt pavements in
the summer months. By chemical
: treatment this has been obviated In
all the newer pavements, even in hot
countries, where it fully resists the
suns heat, and at the same time re
tains its durability and elasticity. As
phalt is used largely in the manufac
ture of cementS 1t is mixed with 6
petroleum residue to render it plastic
and is then tempered with one-seventf
its weight of sand. 1t also forms on,
OF the most durable waterproof mater
ials known For roofing purposes Il
is mixed, while hot, with fine gravel
or is absorbed by thick rolls of felt pa
per. Asphalt is found in many coun
tries. In Vera Cruz, Mexico, near thu
village of Moloasan, is mountain
largely composed of asphalt The de
posits at Seyssei, France, and at Va
de Travers,s Switzerland, consist o
limestone impregnated with bitumi
nous matter, which, when heated
crumbles to a powder. After it ha
been pounded into molds and is coole,
1T resembles the original rock. Owe
1000 miles of the streets of Paris hav
been supplied from these two local.
ties=New York Tribune.