Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-04-04
oRlGoN'S "BEEswAx" DEPOSITS.
Scientists Still at Variance in Their
Views of What tire Substance Is

Scientists Still at Variance in Their
Views of What the Substance is.
Perhaps no solution of the question
whether the substance which the curious
have been collecting during many years
at locality on the coast of Oregon near
the mouth of the Nehalem river is bees
wax, or the material known as OZOcerte,
will ever be possible. One would think
it should be possible; yet high authorities
still differ about it. DIR. Y. &. Kinney of
Astoria, Ore, recurring to the subject,
says he Is sure it is OZOcerite, since he
has had several analyses made, all lead
ing to this result. But Prof. Diler of
the United States geological survey, who
made examination Of the locality and the
wax some years ago, was by no means
sure what 1t was; yet his conclusion was
that whether il was beeSWaX or ezocer-
lite, it was not a product OF the locality.
but had been transported from some
other place. Careful examination of the
marks upon such pieces as he could find
or was permitted to examine failed to
convince him that any reliance could he
placed on the assumption that they were
trademarks. This conclusion would be d:
strong point against the hecSwaX theory.
Ozoccrite is Il mixture OF paratiie exist
ing in bituminous sandstoncS. 1t IS
therefore mineral product. Nothing. at
first thought, would appear easier than
10 distinguish beeSwaX from mineral
wax; yet it is not always easy. and Prof
Diller says that if weli-Seiected ozncelite
be placed before bees they viii use it for
their honeycombS. This. however. might
prove nothing, for the bees. in the alb
sence of other material. might use this
natural parattin. or anything they could
get that would answer their purpose.
What is mainly curious or strange
about this deposit is the apparent impos-
si5iity Of reaching sure conclusion
whether the material is heeswaN or oz0-
ceTite. The consistency and melting point
of the two substances are about the
same. The odor, which is very weak.
If not wholly absent, gives no sure indi-
cation. While DIR. Kinney is So positive il
is ozocerit2, Prof. Stokes Of the United
States geological survey after careful test
reached the conclusion that it is beeswax.
Here is his statement: The substance :
sharply distinguished from ozoccrite ana
other paraifins by It's easy decomposition
by warm, strong sulphuric acid and by
being Saponited by boiling with alcoholic
potash. giving soaps which dissolve in
hot watcr. ana from which acideS throw
down iuSouble fatty acids. la view of
this BEHAVIOR the material is evidently
wax, and not ozocerjte," Who shall de-
eide when doctors so widely diSa gree?
But But there is another enigma about
it. There are two coal fields in the Ne
halem country, but Prof. Diller assures
us that nothing Whatever occurs in con-
nection with the coal in either field thaf
resembles this wax, so it could not have
been derived from the coal measures of
that locality; and. moreover, the deposit
is SO placed as 20 make il very certain
thar it was not derived from the adjacent
land. but was transported in a body by
the sea and dumped in its present p0>.-
tion So that even if il be oZocerite. the
conclusion is that it was brought from
elsewhere. The subject is an interesting
one from the mysteries it involves Port.
land Oregonian.