216 BITUMEN, ASPHALTUM, PETROLEUM, ETC. 



finery, producing from crude 59 per cent, of illuminating oil of 130° fire 



Petroleum is found also in Asia Minor, Persia, Hindostan, Japan, and 

 some portions of South America. 



In New Zealand petroleum is obtained from Waipawa, Poverty Bay, 

 Province of Auckland on the west coast, and Waipu, east coast. It escapes 

 through cracks in trachyte breccia at Sugar Loaf Point, Taranaki. Wells 

 have been bored several hundred feet deep but no steady supply obtained. 

 Oil from this place was on exhibition at Philadelphia in the New Zealand 

 section. The distilled oil has a specific gravity of 0.874 to 0.941. It is there- 

 fore not adapted for kerosene, which has a specific gravity of 0.810 to 0.820. 

 The crude oil, of specific gravity .872 of 58° Fahrenheit, yields when dis- 

 tilled fine lamp oil 11.2 per cent., specific gravity .82. Inferior oil 37.75 j^er 

 cent., specific gracity .858. Lubricating, 25.69 per cent. Paraffin 16 per 

 cent. Bituminous residue 9.36. 



OIL IN WESTERN MISSOURI. 



Bitumen occurs in Western Missouri from Eay to Newton county, a dis- 

 tance of 175 miles north and south, and over a width of 25 to 35 miles, the 

 rocks of the southern half being much saturated with it. From Bates county 

 -southwardly and extending westwardly into Kansas, tar springs are fre- 

 quent. Although the rocks are often quite black with tar, and drops are 

 seen oozing out and pools of liquid bitumen are sometimes found, still the 

 quantity does not seem to be concentrated in sufficient quantities at any 

 place to pay for the working. Its mere presence has occasioned the sink- 

 ing of several deep wells, with no profitable results. There exists no posi- 

 tive anticlinals nor sinclinals in this district as there are in Pennsylvania, 

 hence there is no room for basins for collecting the oil. Its greatest vertical 

 -extent in Missouri is 600 feet, it averages about 300 and lies chiefiy in the 

 lower coal measures, although extending nearly to the top of the middle 

 measures. It is also found in the Lower Carboniferous limestones. 



The bituminous sandstones very nearly resemble those exhibited at the 

 Centennial from Werwohlen, Brunswick, Gi-ermany. An analysis of free 

 bitumen from Oronogo, Jasper county, gave bitumen 95.75 per cent., ash 

 (pale yellow) 4.25 per cent. Bitumen mixed with sand from. Barton county, 

 Mo., gave bitumen 44.74, ash 55.26. 



In 1872 a boring was made near the Union depot, Kansas Cit}^, to a depth 

 over 700 feet. Bitumen was found, and it is said that it rose to the surface 

 from 180 feet depth and also from 291 feet. The geological horizon of the 

 bitumen was evidently in beds of the thick shaly sandstone depositesof the 

 Middle Coal measures, and undoiibtedly of the same horizon as the bitumi- 

 nous sandstone of the Sander's well of Pay county. This latter well was 

 bored 802 feet in search of petroleum, and proved to be a poor investment, 

 as also did the well of about the same depth north of Eichmond. 



*R. W. Raymond, in Ehg. andMin. Journal, January, 1877. 



