The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-08
ASPHALTUM Is
PROVING GOOD
IN OKLAHOMA
Company at Comanche PlOw-
ing 1t Up With Mules.
COMPOSITION is CURIOUS
Herring One of Its ChiefCom
ponent Elements.

| Guthrle, y. T., Oct some time ago
the Eagle contained an article on The
asphaltum deposits in the vicinity OF
Comanche. which attracted great atten-
ton at the time and was Investigated
! by prominent geological scientists al over
/ the United States. The deposit bed is
now being worked with every prospect OF
success and the operations brought out
Sn interesting article in the Kansas City
Star Of yesterday which says. In the
/ Indian territory. where all sorts OF things
are done that We're never heard of else
where, they are blowing asphalt Eish-
teen miles southeast of Comanche. il the
Chickasaw country, SIX strapping Mis-
souri, mules are hitched TO a big break
ing plow every day and long furrors Of
asphalt are turned 1t Is the same kind
| Of 4 piow the farmers use who break
ground in the black jack country AMI
the asphalt is the kind got by blasting
OF the Island OF Trinidad.
/ One Prof. William c. Day has sue
ceeded in producing an asphalt resemb-
/ ling gisonite by the distilation OF a mix
/ ture OF herring and pine sawdust. A
cistillation of herring nor any other fish
/ will produce asphalt. Neither will dis
| tillation OF pine sawdust produce the ideal
/ Taving. The two must be combined and
hence the scientists have concluded that
at some period Of the worlds history
an indefinite trillion pounds OF fish got
mixed up in an indefinite billion pounds
/ of pine knots and made it possible TO
pave city streets with a material which
would reduce the urban death rate
/ a company with capital stock Of S400.-
600 has been organized 10 exploit the as
/ phalt bed near Comanche.. 1t has erected
a plant that cost $4,000 and will have it
/ in operation the first week in October.
/ 1t has been noticed that all the asphalt
beds in the United States are located in
/ basins. Just why this is so nobody
| seems 10 know. What is known as the
/ Trinidad asphalt lake. of the Venezuela
coast, contains ia acres. and there is d
/ rim around the deposit just as clearly
/ defined as the rim of tin cup. So there
/ is in the asphalt bed near Comanche.
1 The mules are plowing asphalt in the
/ center Of a deposit one-third larger than
the asphalt deposits on Trinidad Wells
| have been dug to the depth of 100 feet
Strata OF asphalt OF varying thicknesses
have been encountered 10 whatever depth
the wells have been sunk. The supply is
apparently inexhaustible. Men OF means
have become convinced there are mil
lions OF dollars to be made and are either
going to make it or lose fortune in their
experiment. Every possible scientific test
has been made and every practical test
except the laying OF extensive paving.
Among the municipal stockholders in the
Z l.
counter to the Barber Asphalt Paving
company. are c. ". Brown, cashier Of
the Bank of Comanche: Stephen Brown.
cashier Of the Bank OF Rush Springs:
Dennis Flynn. Of Guthrie. delegate from
Oklahoma; DR.. A. G. Brownup. OF Utica.
y. Y Mr.. ]. c. Robb. Of Kingnsher. ex-
Senator o. G. Young, Of Kansas City:
Cahrles W. Billingsley. president OF the
Capital National bank of Guthrie. and
c. d. Junson. cashier OF the Noble
County Bank. of Perry. o. T.
All the patents on the machinery now
used in the manufacture of asphalt are
controlled by the trust. When the new
company came 10 erect its plant II had 10
kuiId machinery Of its own. II has the
Only asphalt obtainable anywhere which
is refined solely with the use OF water.
The machinery is simple and the cost 4
production comparatively small The
frst stratum OF asphalt is found at an
average depth OF seven feet below the
surface Where the first test Is being
made il was only necessary TO strip the
earth for a depth of four feet 10 find
stratum OF asphalt seven feet thick The
refining process is one Of distmstion
The asphalt bed is plowed with a heavy
breaking plow. Everywhere else Il must
te blasted.
Scrapers are employed to convey crude
asphalt 70 the refinery. II IS dumped
into machine which grinds # almost
10 a powder and hoistsd by means of
chain buckets to an immense tank whici.
has the highest elevation Of any n the
tanks used in the process. The first tank
into which the crushed asphalt IS put
is nineteen feet long and four feet vide
and six feet deep. Within the tank IS a
revolving screen three feet in diameter.
The crushed asphalt is erptied into this
screen. The tank is filed with water
heated 20 temperature OF 20 degrees
The screen rcvolycs IN one direction
while a fan-knife revolvex within Il IN
the opposite direction. This agitation
separates the asphalt from the send
The oil rises 20 the top ard flows into q
lower tank and the sand is carried With
out the refinery. The second tank. by q
system of evaporation. carries or tire
lighter oils. Tire lower tank. which
turns out the finished product ran Be
heated 70 any Temperature desired
Refined asphalt g. worth 81 ten The
cost q production ty the process now n
rse II the plant - fhe Tar Springs
Asphalt company. which has leased The
Indian territory bed near CoTa nchs ard
erected It's reauiag plant Is t.a pr ton
delivered AZ the ragroaf
The cost of production Per ton s. thus
estimated
Cost of niniag --.-..--....-.,.....-- = 81
FUEL wood ....--..-...-. 81
Roysity n Chicssssw Ssfioa .-.... 90
Labor ----.-------.-.- ---..-,--.----.. .1
Trsas8ortstion 70 railroad .-........ ss
Barrels .---.--.---......----.- -........... ~
Tie asphalt hsd = directly ~ sh- Gre
q a projected branch - fhs - Lrelr
3 san Franoisce rslrnad utsrh hss
already heea bgnt 70 within sxtesr r-les
q ths piaat- Eatn tae ~ lrasd ls eou-
pisted orly the Trane5 preface n43 -
ss.p7ed
ASshs.i = eziy ssvra r. sagtsi-~ use