OCR Text |
Show Utah Minkkal Wax. The groat deposit of mineral wax, or native pirrlTfiiuQ, lately discovered in Southern South-ern Utah, says the Scien'ific American, is described by Professor J. E. Clayton oi Suit Like City as occupying an area of sixty miles long by twenty lett thick. It contains more or less clay in seams and layers, but ibis is 'readily eliminated by melting. It is quite black in the mass, but the sections sec-tions are translucent. The quantity is said to be enormous; so great, indeed, in-deed, that it ci'-ncot be controlled by any individual or company, but must prove a source of wealth to whole communities. Professor Henry Wurtz pronounces the mineral to be zietris-kiaite, zietris-kiaite, and snys that it diflers from paraffine by being insoluble in ether, and otherwise. ProfcBSjr J. J. Newberry New-berry finds the specimens brought by him from Utah to be true ozokerite, and Bimilar in all respects, except color, to that from Galioia a true paraffine melting at 60 C, and being be-ing soluble in ether. As to the origin and geological relations of this remarkable re-markable bed of paraffine which, so far as known, is without parallel in quantity in tho world, and as much of a "wonder" as our baainB ot petroleum Professor Newberrv can not speak with any confidence until he has visited the locality where it occurs, as be hopes to do in a few weeks. He suspects, however, that it will ba found tc be an evolved production, pro-duction, the distillation of beds of cretaceous lignite, and the residue of a petroleum unusually rich in paraf- fiue- : |