604 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



entered into it. Petroleum, or rock oil, is becoming an article of great 

 commercial value, and is assuming a world-wide importance. The geologi- 

 cal part of this subject has been fully and ably treated by Dr. Stevens, 

 while Prof Everett has given us its chemical relations, and the different 

 processes for refining the oil, and Mr. Pratt, and others, described the 

 mechanical appliances for obtaining it. The oil is now largely exported, and 

 I may say Europe is depending on us for its supply. It gives rise to mil- 

 lions of profit, and marks an era in the history of our country. It is a 

 subject of which very little is known to European chemists, and every 

 fact connected with it is of great importance, and to get all the light pos- 

 sible on this subject we have continued it for several evenings. 



Mr. Page. — I have found that the Canada oil, which was brought to this 

 market some two j'ears ago, had a great quantity of sulphur in it, and we 

 did not know what to do with it; the smell was so intolerable we were 

 complained of, and in some cases we had to throw it away. It was stored 

 at AVilliamsburgh, and the ferry master at James' slip, in this city, said 

 he could smell it there. 



The Canada oil is, perhaps, the most full of sulphur of any in the world. 

 The odor can be smelled for over half a mile, but it can be taken out 

 entirely. I have seen some that the least odor could not be detected in it, 

 and this same before being purified, if in a bottle in this room, and the 

 cork taken out, no one could remain in it. 



The Chairman. — Can you tell how this odor was removed, as that would 

 be the most important part of the subject ? 



Mr. Page. — The gentleman who did this is in this city, and he promised 

 to be present and explain it this evening. I do not feel at liberty to 

 describe it myself. 



Mr. Grieves. — Coal oil has alwaj^s the same odor; but no two specimens 

 of petroleum from different wells, even when very near each other, have 

 been found to be alike in odor. 



Mr. Page. — Canada oil is the best burning oil that can be found. Its 

 density is about 45. It will give a light equal to coal oil, and more 

 resembles coal oil than any other I am acquainted with. It creeps up the 

 wick and burns very beautifully, similar to sperm oil. 



Prof. Everett. — It is pretty well settled now that the best way to treat 

 the oil is to use sulphuric acid and soda. This mode is generally adopted. 

 As camphor contains a large amount of oxygen, it may be for that reason 

 it appears to be a good deodorizer. Canada oils are more uniform, and, 

 therefore, in distillation, give always near the same result. The difficulty 

 with all other oil is the varying qualities of each well, no two being alike 

 either in distillation or odor. 



Dr. Stevens. — In the United States there arc some forty-four different 

 beds of coal, but there are no two of these beds precisely similar; and if 

 we take the same kinds of coal, but found in isolated basins, sometimes 

 one hundred miles apart, we will find the difference so great that engi- 

 neers, firemen, and others accustomed to burn coal, can tell where the coal 

 comes from by its peculiar burning. One kind of coal will not make a gas 

 of good quality, while another will. One is sure to burn up the iron of the 

 grate, and the other melt in the fire and become a mas of cinder; and 



