The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-26

it is denaturiZed, or rendered unnt Tor
use as a beverage by treating it with
some suitable denaturant, is of the
/ highest Importance to this country,
| owing to the effect it will have on so
many different industries. While the
number of plants for the manufacture
of alcohol will undoubtedly be greatly
| increased, it's benefit in other forms
| Of industry is of far more moment.
| It is needless to more than refer to
| the raw material from which alcohol
can be produced at such a small ex-
pense that it can be utilized in place
of refined petroleum and other liquids
| to a greater advantage. AS corn is
| one of the principal materials, brief
reference to the quantity of spirits
which can be secured from this grain
may be given. Tests which have been
| made at distilling plants in Illinois
| show that from one buShel of corn no
| less than five gallons of proof alcohol
can be distilled. This means a liquid
which is from 80 to 50 per cent. pure
and from 1S5 to 100 degrees proof-a
standard which allows it to be utilized
| III nearly every DIOullCl III "tIECII II
| is required as an ingredient. and which
| shows it to be superior to gasoline
and kerosene as a fuel and as an il
| luminant. Estimating the cost of a
| bushel of corn at AZ cents the entire
| expense of a gallon of this alcohol is
but 1918 cents, for with the modern
equipment of a distil1ing plant the cost
of mechanical treatment is actually
less than two cents per gallon. Ac-
cording to recent statistics compiled
by the government, crude wood alcohol
costs no less than 40 cents per gallon
to manufacture. AS Iow-grade molasS-
es from sugar cane is another base for
the spirit, reliable data have been OBJ
tanned as to the percentage which a
given quantity of it will yield The
Cuban distillerieS extract a gallon of
alcohol (Which is 80 per cent. ABSOLUTELY
from two gallons of the moIasses-mo-
lasses of quality which is brought
to this county and sold at three cents
gallon The average expense of
manufacture, based on this price for
the raw material, is less than 10 cents.
The difference between the molasses
and corn spirit is that the former has
an odor which is somewhat disagree
able, but it can be utilized as effec-
lively as the other for all purposes ex-
cept in preparation of liquors and
medicines. The low cost of the mo-
lasses alcohol is of much significance
as this base is similar to the waste
product obtained in the manufacture
of sugar from beets. Consequently, it
should be an additional incentive in
the expansion of the beet-sugar in
dustry, while an opportunity is offer
Cd 10 1,ra oil 81 o;olI
in Louisiana and Hawaii
AS is well known, potatoes and fruit
are two other inexhaustibles sources of
supply in this country. The impor-
tance of the potato as an alcohol
producer can be appreciated when it is
known that 20 per cent of it's substance
represents alcohol and that an acre
of potatoes yielding 300 bushels will
supply over $50 gallons. At present
the aggregate American potato har-
vest exceeds 200, 1000 900 bushels, grown
practically in every part of the Unit
ed States. Overripe fruit, which is
now largely waste product in the
various orchard districts, can be
utilized in the same manner.
AS ethyl alcohol can be employed to
greater advantage than the methyl
spirit in nearly every branch of manu-
facture in which alcohol is an essential,
some of the products in which it will
be utilized extensively may be men
toned. They are as follows:
Aniline colors and dyes: hats (stiff
silk, and straw: electrical apparatus;
transparent soap; furniture; picture
holdings; burial caskets; cabinet
work; passenger cars; pianos: organs;
whips; toys; rattan goods; lead pen
ellis: brushes; wagons; boots and
shoes; smokeless powder; illuminate of
mercury; brass beds; gas and electric
light fixtures; various kinds of metal
hardware; incandescent mantles
Photographic materials; celluloid and
other like compounds; sulphuric ether
and organic chemicals.
Nearly every one of these represents
material extensively used in this coun-
try as Wei as in Europe. The manu-
facture of aniline dyes however, has
been greatly handicapped for the rea-
son that Germany, permitting the use
of tax-free alcohol. has become the
great center of the industry as the
spirit is one of the main essentials. At
present only 200 barrels of grain alco-
hol are used yearly for this purpose in
the United States. In the making of
hats about one-half gallon of ethyl or
methyl spirit is needed to every half
dozen. which will give an idea of the
extent it is used in this industry. It's
value in finishing woodwork, such as
furniture and pianos, lies In the fact
that it is the best solvent for shellac
and IS Indispensable as an ingredient
in the preparation Of fine varnishes and
polishes. II is an interesting fact that
solutions of shellac and alcohol enter
largely into the manufacture of hats.
and are used also as a lacquer for
the coating of polished metalwork In
modern explosives alcohol is required
in such quantities in the preparation
of Eliminates and smokeIess powders.
that here again some of the European
nations have had the advantage of us,
since they have been enabled to Sc
cure supplies of ammunition at much
smaller cost. Tax-free alcohol is there
fore Of vital Importance to the country
from a military point of view Most
of our Eliminates. for example. are