B. Silliman on Petroleum from California. 341 
Apr, XLIL—Evamination of Petroleum from California; by 
; B. SILLIMAN, 
_ Tue specimen of petroleum here described came from a natu- 
tal well or spring on the Simi estate in Santa Barbara county, 
California. 1t issues from rocks of the Tertiary Age. The dis- 
charge from this spring is sufficient to flow nearly two miles down 
the dry bed of the ravine in which it occurs. 
“Itis of a dark brown color, dichroic, thin and mobile as water, 
and of a faint naphtha odor, quite without offensive smell. 
athin tube it has a yellowish brown color by transmitted light, 
and obviously owes its dark color to its holding in solution a por- 
tion of the asphaltum with which it is associated. 
Its density is 0°861 at 15° C. or about 34°30° B. It burns, in 
its crude state, in a double current lamp, without smoke, with 
quite a bright flame and strong light for a few moments. fter 
eight or ten minutes the wick commences to coal, and after about 
teen minutes it smokes and finally dies out. 
1000 c.c. of the crude substance were subjected to fractional 
distillation in a tubulated retort to which was adapted a thermom- 
eter and condenser. A condensible vapor appeared at 60° C., the 
liquid simmered at 90° and boiled at 123°. 
Of the 1000 c.c. of crade oil there were distilled from glass 
up to the boiling point of 
Mercury, - - - - - - 500¢¢ 
Iniron, - - “ - - - 496 “ 
Loss and coke, Cee ee ye, ae 
1000, .“ 
_ This method of practical distillation gives, as is well known, 
Very unsatisfactory results, as compared with the method of 
Warren,’ As the experiment was, however, very carefully con- 
ted by Mr. Peter Collier, of the Sheffield Laboratory, under 
my directions, it furnishes a good illustration of the differences 
arising solely out of an imperfect method of analysis, when prac- 
ticed on the same raw material. I therefore append the results 
in detail, 
The temperatures were noted by a mercurial thermometer the 
bulb of which was continually in the boiling liquid. 
20 cc, had distilled at 158° C. | 260 cc. had distilled at 234° C. 
404 «& “ ‘170 “ $22 r 4260." 
mo“ « “ “977 eee nd 266.“ 
M40“ « “ «:100 .@ 1608.4:. & # wi 280:..% 
160 * «& “ & oot) © 4.450". ™ 4 kt” ¢ Pies 
200 “ = & a “ 913 * 485 * * re * 399 « 
240 * “ «w 993 “ | 500 “ “ “ “ 379 « 
this vol., p. 327. 
AX Jour. Sc1.—Szconp Suries, Vou. XXXIX, No. 117.—May, 1665, 
44 
