﻿FOURTH 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  I9O7 
  35 
  

  

  The 
  oil 
  is 
  tested 
  with 
  sulfuric 
  acid 
  and 
  caustic 
  soda 
  and 
  is 
  then 
  

   ready 
  for 
  the 
  second 
  distillation, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  fractionated 
  into 
  

   light 
  and 
  heavy 
  oils, 
  the 
  latter 
  containing 
  solid 
  paraffin. 
  The 
  light 
  

   oils 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  making 
  four 
  grades 
  of 
  burning 
  oils. 
  The 
  paraffin 
  

   is 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  heavy 
  oil 
  by 
  cooling 
  below 
  32 
  F. 
  and 
  straining 
  

   out 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  filter 
  presses. 
  The 
  paraffin 
  is 
  then 
  subjected 
  to 
  

   further 
  treatment 
  producing 
  paraffin 
  wax. 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  Scotch 
  shale 
  industry 
  is 
  up- 
  

   ward 
  of 
  £2,000,000 
  annually, 
  and 
  is 
  rapidly 
  increasing. 
  The 
  results 
  

   derived 
  from 
  the 
  analyses 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  shales 
  are 
  too 
  

   incomplete 
  to 
  afford 
  adequate 
  basis 
  of 
  comparison 
  as 
  the 
  method 
  

   of 
  distillation 
  employed 
  seems 
  not 
  that 
  best 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  problem. 
  

   The 
  indicated 
  proportions 
  of 
  fixed 
  carbon 
  and 
  volatile 
  hydrocarbons 
  

   are 
  apparently 
  less 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  Scotch 
  shales, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  certain 
  

   that 
  a 
  more 
  exact 
  treatment 
  with 
  care 
  to 
  prevent 
  volatilization 
  of 
  

   the 
  hydrocarbons 
  would 
  not 
  give 
  a 
  different 
  result. 
  At 
  all 
  events 
  

   the 
  results 
  obtained 
  are 
  sufficiently 
  encouraging 
  to 
  justify 
  further 
  

   pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  inquiry. 
  

  

  SEISMOLOGICAL 
  STATION 
  

  

  The 
  seismological 
  station 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  has 
  rendered 
  

   efficient 
  service 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  Except 
  for 
  occasional 
  stop- 
  

   pages 
  of 
  short 
  duration 
  — 
  '■ 
  usually 
  less 
  than 
  an 
  hour 
  each 
  — 
  due 
  to 
  

   the 
  necessity 
  of 
  making 
  readjustments 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  operative 
  continuously 
  since 
  March 
  10, 
  1906, 
  when 
  the 
  instru- 
  

   ments 
  were 
  first 
  installed. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  objects 
  of 
  the 
  records 
  is 
  to 
  secure 
  information 
  

   relative 
  to 
  the 
  character 
  and 
  frequency 
  of 
  earth 
  tremors 
  in 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Albany, 
  which 
  are 
  set 
  up 
  by 
  distant 
  shocks. 
  This 
  line 
  

   of 
  investigation 
  has 
  never 
  before 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  anywhere 
  within 
  

   a 
  radius 
  of 
  several 
  hundred 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  station. 
  The 
  results 
  

   thus 
  far 
  obtained 
  have 
  shown 
  the 
  locality 
  to 
  be 
  well 
  adapted 
  for 
  

   receiving 
  records 
  and 
  have 
  already 
  thrown 
  considerable 
  light 
  on 
  

   the 
  subject. 
  With 
  the 
  present 
  equipment 
  the 
  larger 
  earthquakes 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  world 
  are 
  registered 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  minutes 
  of 
  their 
  

   occurrence. 
  It 
  is 
  hoped 
  also 
  that 
  the 
  observations 
  may 
  afford 
  in- 
  

   formation 
  as 
  to 
  possible 
  earth 
  movements 
  of 
  local 
  nature. 
  These 
  

   have 
  not 
  been 
  detected 
  as 
  yet, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  considered 
  more 
  than 
  

   probable 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  slow 
  oscillations 
  going 
  on 
  within 
  the 
  neigh- 
  

   boring 
  region 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  time 
  will 
  manifest 
  cumulative 
  

   effects 
  of 
  sensible 
  magnitude. 
  The 
  observations 
  must 
  be 
  continued 
  

  

  