Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-03
MOTORISTS SHOULD BUY
BEST GASOLINE FOR CARS
Quality in the Oil Is Very Essential
and Will Prove Cheapest
in the Long Run.
CHEAP FUEL GUMS VALVES
Difference in Grades OF Gasoline
Shows i'm Cars Same as Feeding
Horse Half Hay and Straw-GaSO-
line Must BE Homogeneous.

Now that gasoline, in addition to its
evcr-increasiui; uses for ordinary trans
portation, is playing such I'm important
of interest to hear something as TO it's
organic makeup and general charac-
teriStics. II is a peculiar fact that
even to-day no one knows whether
crude oil or petroleum is Of animal or
vegetable origin. In all probability 1T
is combination of both. and is the
result of Il decomposition Of prehistoric
animals and enormous forests which
covered the earth before mans appear
ancc. During irnumcrablc cracking
and cruptions due TO the cooling of the
carth's surface, il seems probable that
the animal and vegetable life were Gov
cred up by the earth, and then dccom-
posed into gases. which were suisse
uuently condensed as the earth cooled
! off.
Whether or not this is the true cX
PLANTATION of the origin Of petroleum no
ono knows. FOR il is absolutely impoS-
siblc to determine from the crude oil
itself Just what its nature is. There arc
distinct traces of both animal and vcSe-
table substances. but AS to which pre-
dominates scientists disagree" This
I crude oil which the earth is supplying
| i'll such tremendous quantities in this
! country, contains in itself all of the
| lightcSt gasoline. used for freezing
purposes, down TO coke. which is used
! for the manufactures OF Carholic acid
and other artificial gaseous waters. An
! interesting fact is that. per pound, there
are lust rs many heat units in the light
est gasolincS as there are in the hcavi-
est lubrcating oils. y gallon of the
! highest gasoline weighs about five
! pounds, the heaviest lubriCatng oil
about eight pounds: hence, in a gallon
OF heavy oil there are almost twice as
many units AS in a gallon OF the light
est gasoline. heat units being figured
on the pound basis.
Not Judged by Gravity.
In the manufacture of gasoline for
motor purposes. ii should hc this aim to
get "a product which volutilzcs quickly.
is free from excessive carbon (Which
tends 10 choke tho cylinders and one
free from heavy oils which are less
susceptible OF uniform and complete
combuSticn. :nc product shou!! have
all these qualities and yet contain as
many heat units il is possible to get
Gasoline. then. should not be Judged by
gravity. Gravity may, in some in
stances he an Indication of volatility.
but 1t is possible for high gravity
gasoline to contain the heavier oil pro-
ducts in it's mixture. and thus tail to
! furnish what is SO important: 4 large
quantity Of heat units.
Some motorists seem 10 think that
all gasoline is the same" snid a man
VINO Is AN authority on gasoline the
other day. 1t is hardly too much to
say there may he as much difference in
gasoline, or what passes as gasoline as
there is In cars. IT is mistake to
think that anything you may buy as
gas is good enough for your car" said
he. or course. a motor will run after
fashion on pretty nearly anything.
especially in warm weather. and a horse
will continue to jog along even If his
hay is half straw. You will notice the