ASPHALTIC COAL, or ASPHAL'TITE. Solid forms of asphalt. originally derived from petroleum, which, through loss of their oil con tent, have assumed an appearance analogous to that of glance-coal. Asphaltic coal occurs usually in fissures, into which it has flowed while in a liquid or viscous condition. Such fissure deposits have been found in rocks of Devonian, Carboniferous, and Tertiary Age, and the contained material has received various names in different portions of the country. The chief uses of these asphaltic coals are as bases for varnishes, as insulators, and formerly, to a large extent, as gas-enrichers. The more im portant varieties, with the localities where mined, are: Albertite, Albert County, N. B.. Canada ; gilsonite and uintahite, in the Uinta Mountains of Utah; grahamite, originally from Wood County. W. Va., but subsequently found in Colorado, Texas. and Mexico; wurtzilite. in Utah.
An allied substance is ozocerite, or mineral wax, obtained in Galicia (Austria ) and in Utah. (See under special heads.) For descriptions of the various deposits and theories regarding the origin of the asphaltic coals. the reader is
referred to the following papers: Bailey and Ells. "Report on the Lower Carboniferous Belt of Albert and Westmoreland Counties, New Brunswick," in Geological Surrey of Canada, Report of Progress. 1876-77 (Montreal, 1878) ; Peckham, "The Probable Origin of Albertite and Allied Minerals." Anicrican Journal of Science, Second Series, Vol. XLVIII. (New Haven, 1869) ; Lesley, "On an Asphaltic Coal Vein in West Virginia," American Philosophical Society. Pro ceedings, 1865 (Philadelphia, 1865) ; Wurtz, "On Grahamite." American Journal of Science, Second Series, Vol. NMI; Blake, "Uintahite, Albertite, etc.," Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Vol. XVl1I. (New York, 15901; Eldridge, "The Uintahite (Gilsonite) Deposits of Utah." Screnteenth.fn dnrurl Report of the United Slates Geological Surrey, l'art I. (Washington, 1896) ; Taff, "An Albertite-like Asphalt in the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory," American Journal of Science, Vol. CL\'lII. (New Haven, 1899).