The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-29

WASHINGTON. June 29--It has
come 10 light through the War de-
partment that little act OF kindness
upon the part OF
No "Bubonic" the United states
In Colombia. has saved one OF
the South Ameri-
can republics perhaps hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars in foreign com
merce and It's citizens a great deal OF
mental anxiety.
Early in May word came from Bo-
gotta that bubonic plague had broken
out in one OF the seaports OF Colon
bia. and Immediately the sanitary
machinery OF the world was put into
motion to close all gates against that
republic. me Panama Canal kehe'
being SO close By, at once placed into
effect additional quarantine restric'
lions against Colombian ports, com
polling ships from these ports TO oo-
serve plague regulations.
The authorities OF Colombia were
not quite sure as 10 the disease that
had broken out. and appealed TO the
United states 10 send one OF its eX-
perts. The department at once in
structed Or. 5. 4 Darling. chief OF the
Canal Zone laboratory, 10 proceed 10
Cartagena. Columbia where there
we're number OF suspicious cases,
Or. Darling left the Canal Zone May
2S, and May 81 a wireless message
was received from the medical expert
Ito the effect that he had inspected the
cases OF the suspected disease at three
! different seaports and had found no
evidence OF the dread plague, but that
pneumonia had been found 10 be
the cause Of sickness in the cases he
had examined
In accordance with this information,
the. quarantine restrictions were re-
moved at the Canal Zone and word
Was sent to other countries that had
taken action AT the request Of Presi-
dent Restrepo. of Colombia. Or. Darl-
ing was permitted 10 remain in Colon
liza few days longer, in order that
the members of the board of hygiene
at Bogota might have an opportunity
10 confer with him.
Getting oil from a stone is one OF
the most recent accomplishments OF
the mineral ex-
Getting Oil perts of the United
From shale. states geological
survey. While the
lsnryey men are cautious and con-
| sentative as to their find, like all other
government scientists, they have ad-
rnitted enough to indicate that in the
bituminous shales OF Utah and Colo
lIado there is a large reserve supply
of oil that will soon become an i'm
portant commercial factor to the ma
ton.
The oil experts not only tramped
over the entire district to get an idea
OF the extent and thickness Of the
shales, but they also set up plant
right on the ground to determine the
amount OF oil and other distillation
products that should be obtained. Or.
David T. Day, the expert in charge OF
/ the petroleum investigations OF the
geological survey. has designed
portable still which was set up at vari-
Gus places accessible to the railroad,
where an abundant supply Of the best
shale could be procured. The basic
principle or the operation was TO heat
the shale thus yaporizing the volatile
| hydrocarbons and destructively distill-
\ Ing the other forms OF organic matter
! III the shale.
The amount OF oil obtained in the
various tests ranged from ten gallons
10 the ton OF shale to sixty-one gallons,
the average for all the tests being
thirty gallons. Some of the beds of
shale mined we're too thin to be profit.
ably exploited under present CONNER
cial conditions and II was determined
| to disregard the run OF oil from all
shale less than three feet thick. The
average from the thicker shale was
twenty-five and one-half gallons of oil
To- the ton of shale. In regard TO this
the investigators say:
"As this average will compare favor
ably with the yield of the Scotch oil
shale. It seems probable that the shale
of Utah and Colorado may at the low.
est estimate equal in value that OF the
wellkuown shale Of Scotland, from
which petroleum has been successful
~ manufactured for long time How
ever, the full extent OF the distribution
OF the shale and the amount OF petro.