THE MINERAL OILS OF AMERICA. 365 



England — Derbyshire 82 gallons per ton. 



Scotland — Boghead - - - - 120 „ ,, 



„ Lesniahagow - - - - 96 „ „ 



New Brunswick — Albert Coal - - 110 „ „ 



American — Pittsburg - - - - 49 „ ,, 



„ Kanawha 71 „ „ 



„ Falling Rock - - - 80 „ „ 



„ Cashtown 74 „ „ 



„ Breckenridge - - - - 100 „ „ 



„ Petroleum. Springs - — „ „ 



Alabama, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, TexaSj 

 Canada, and California produce from 60 to 95 per cent, of the illuminating 

 oil. The Breckenridge shows the most favourable among American coals; 

 yet the most satisfactory results are obtained from the Scotch Boghead 

 coal. These coals also yield oils of heavy gravity, and by some it is 

 claimed that they possess superior lubricating properties ; but this is a 

 point not yet satisfactorily established. Doubtless they are useful to some 

 extent as lubricators, mixed with animal oils ; but for such purposes their 

 value is but small. The heavy oils also contain a large percentage of 

 paramne, which is used extensively and successfully in the manufacture of 

 so-called paraffine candles, of fair quality, very little inferior to sperm, 

 The discovery of the great oil deposit of Pennsylvania has given a great 

 impetus to the production of these oils; and the certainty that these deposits 

 are of vast extent causes the prospective business in this class of oils to 

 loom up very largely. The first petroleum oil, known as " carbon oil," 

 was introduced into New York in 1857, and was obtained from a salt- well 

 at Tarentum, on the Alleghany River, Pennsylvania : it was introduced 

 to the public by a gentleman now connected with the Carbon Oil Company, 



The great demand which immediately followed its introduction, and 

 the remunerative prices obtained, stinrulated further search for these oils, 

 and led to the development of the great oil deposit, of which almost 

 fabulous accounts have from time to time appeared in the newspapers of 

 the day. The deposit is of great extent, and reaches in a direction nearly 

 north and south from Lake Eiie, through the States of New York, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida, and also 

 exists in abundance in Canada West. Its principal development in 

 Canada is in the township of Enniskillen, about twenty miles from Port 

 Sarnia. But, although existing in very great abundance in Canada, its 

 commercial value from that section is small, owing to the unconquerable 

 and offensive odour with which it is impregnated. We give below the 

 number of square miles of the great oil deposit, as far as yet determined, 

 although it doubtless extends over a much greater area : — 



Sq. miles. 



Alabama -------- 1,300 



Tennessee --------- 1,000 



Kentucky - 2,000 



Virginia -------- 1,800 



Ohio - - 1,500 



Pennsylvania ------- 2,500 



Florida - 500 = 10,600 



