62 SCIENCE 
SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 
THE ASPHALT INDUSTRY IN 1917 
THE war has stimulated activity in the do- 
mestic markets for asphaltic material derived 
from crude petroleum and for imported as- 
phalt, but the relative abundance and adapta- 
bility of those materials has lessened the de- 
mand for the native bitumens and for the 
various types of bituminous rock produced in 
this country, according to statistics just com- 
pleted under the supervision of J. D. North- 
rop, of the United States Geological Survey, 
Department of the Interior. 
The native bitumen, including maltha, gil- 
sonite, elaterite and grahamite, bituminous 
rock and ozokerite, marketed from mines and 
quarries in the United States in 1917 was 80,- 
904 short tons, a loss of 17,573 tons, or 18 per 
cent., compared with 1916. The market value 
of the output in 1917 was $735,924, a loss of 
$187,357, or 20 per cent., compared with 1916. 
The production of gilsonite, bituminous 
sandstone, bituminous (elaterite) shale, and 
ozokerite was increased considerably in 1917, 
but the gain credited to these varieties was in- 
sufficient to offset the loss in the production 
of elaterite, grahamite and bituminous lime- 
stone. 
The quantity of manufactured asphalt (in- 
eluding road oils and flux) produced in 1917 
from petroleum of domestic origin increased 
about 2 per cent. compared with 1916, and the 
quantity of corresponding material manufac- 
tured in this country from Mexican petroleum 
increased about 13 per cent., as a consequence 
of which the net gain over the production in 
1916 was nearly 7 per cent. : 
The total sales in 1917 of manufactured 
asphalt derived from domestic petroleum 
amounted to 701,809 short tons, valued at $7,- 
734,691. This total includes 327,142 tons, 
valued at $4,011,980, of solid and semisolid 
products used in the paving and roofing in- 
dustries, and 374,667 tons, valued at $3,722,711, 
of liquid products, including road oils, flux 
and asphaltic paints. 
California maintained its supremacy in the 
production of oil asphalt. Its output from 14 
petroleum refineries in 1917 aggregated 220,- 
[N. S. Vou. XLVIII. No. 1229 
294 tons, valued at $2,100,252, and included 
135,160 tons of solid and semisolid products, 
valued at $1,486,609, and 85,134 tons of liquid 
products, valued at $613,648. Refiners hand- 
ling oil from the Oklahoma-Kansas field pro- 
duced 206,223 tons of oil asphalt, valued at 
$1,957,493, including 73,410 tons of solid and 
semisolid products, valued at $747,651, and 
182,818 tons of liquid products, valued at 
$1,227,842. 
The total sales in 1917 of manufactured 
asphalt derived from Mexican petroleum 
amounted to 645,618 short tons, valued at 
$7,441,818, and included 338,485 tons of solid 
and semisolid products, valued at $4,657,152, 
and 307,128 tons of liquid products, valued at 
$2,784,661. 
The imports of native asphalt, oil asphalt, 
and bituminous rock for consumption in the 
United States in 1916 aggregated 187,886 short 
tons, valued at $993,115, a gain in quantity of 
40,173 tons, or 28 per cent., over 1916. The 
exports of unmanufactured asphalt in 1917 
amounted to 30,107 short tons, valued at $587,- 
256, a loss of 10,709 tons, or 35 per cent., com- 
pared with 1916. In addition asphalt prod- 
ucts to the value of $585,472, compared with 
$494,895 in 1916, were exported in 1917. 
TRAINING CAMPS FOR INSTRUCTORS TO PRE- 
PARE COLLEGE MEN FOR MILITARY 
SERVICE 
Tue War Department authorizes the follow- 
ing statement from the Adjutant General’s 
office. 
Training camps to fit men to act as assistant 
instructors in the new Students’ Training 
Corps will be held at Plattsburg, N. Y., Fort 
Sheridan and Presidio, Calif., from July 18 to 
September 16. Colleges have been invited to 
send a limited number of picked students and 
members of the faculties to these camps. 
The camps will be conducted with a view to 
teaching the attendants to give military in- 
struction to students, and it is believed that 
satisfactory results can be obtained from an 
intensive 60-day course. 
Further instructions relative to the new 
corps have just been issued. These are being 
sent to all colleges that have signified their 
