PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Provision for drawing in fresh fractions without loss of vacuum mav be 

 made by sealing on a second tube to the neck of the flask a little lower 

 than the exit tube for the escaping vapors. Then, as in the ordinary 

 application of the Hempel principle, the cooling space in the neck of the 

 flask may be increased by filling it with broken glass. This requires a 

 long-necked flask, and the beads may be supported on a piece of glass 

 rod resting on the bottom of the flask, the upper end flattened so as 

 nearly to till the neck of the flask as a support to the broken glass. The 

 chief hindrance to the use of beads is the condensation of liquids with high 

 boiling points in the neck of the flask, due to the cooling effect of the 

 outside air. The 111 ;ck of the flask must, therefore, be packed an inch or 

 more thick with asbestos. With this arrangement, and with a flat perfo- 

 rated ring burner for heating, the distillation may be conducted with a 

 fairly rapid fractional separation, without decomposition even of the 

 constituents that distil above 350 , 50 mm. 



This examination of California oil was undertaken with the intention 

 of ascertaining the series of hydrocarbons which constitute the main body 



the crude oil, as well as the principal members of the series, as shown 

 by percentage composition and molecular weights. 



Tic first specimen of crude oil was received through the kindness of 

 Mr. C. A. Black, chemist in an oil company in Ventura County. The 

 ind Bpecimen came from a well of the Coalinga < HI Company in Fresno, 

 through the secretary of the company. Mr. Henderson llayward. These 

 two specimens will be referred to respectively as Ventura oil and Fresno 

 oil. Another specimen was received from the Puente Hills in Los An- 

 geles County, through the kindness of the Puente Oil Company at China 

 This oil will be referred to as Puente oil. Four other specimens were 

 received from the Torrey wells and the "Los Angeles" wells in the 

 Sespe district (Scott's Hill) in Ventura County, through the kind: 

 Of the Onion Oil Company at Santa Paula. These samples will be 

 designated respectively a> Adams' Canon. Bardsdale, Scott's Hill, and 

 Torrey oils. 



Another specimen is of especial interest, since it came from a well 

 sunk beneath the Pacific Ocean at bigh tide. It was sent by Mr. .'. B. 

 Treadwell from a well at StTmmerland, Santa Barbara Count v. at a 

 point where the oil strata outcropped on a north and Boutfa line at t he 

 top of an elevation, and again d< scending on the south side, disappeared 

 under the ocean. The well was driven to a depth of -\~> feet, just 

 within the shore line at high tide, where it reached the bottom of the 

 oil -and. This oil will be referred to as Santa Barbara oil. 



