The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-12-31
MAGIC WAND or
THE CHEMIST

ssss SusSuuuV
Sir William Ramsey, the English
chemist for several months has been
visiting in the United States and has
made many observations Of the prob
able needs of the people here with.
In the next few years.
He believes that the food Of q ma
ton Is its greatest asset, and there
fore he considers that the work Of
the synthetic chemist In aiding ag.
riculture is most important. While
the soil Of the different states at
present is very fertile, the time will
come, he says, when 1t must look
to the chemists for aid, as has been
found in European counties
Keynote Of Modern Chemistry
"The work Of the modern synthe-
tic chemist now involves the saving
OF untold millions and millions of
dollars to the present and future
generations" said Sir william.
mot only is 1t surprisingly aiding
agriculture, but wonderful progress
has been made quietly in Industrial
lines and many synthetic products
of enormous commercial value and
usefulness in reducing the cost Of
the safe are already on the market,
while others are to be placed there
soon.
"Syntheticism is the keynote Of
modern chemistry. In the past chem
istry was analytical; today it is syn
thetical, meaning the production of
natural products by chemical means
AT the dawn of the twentieth CEN
fury the world was facing a serious
problem that threatened the exis-
tence of mankind in the years to
come. The nitrate beds, from which
came the worlds supply Of that fer
tilizer SO necessary to plant life,
were steadily becoming exhausted.
Scientists calculated that the natur-
al supply would last only a few
years. When that supply was gone
the world would be without food I'M
less means were found for obtaining
an unlimited supply of nitrate.
Supply Of Nitrogen inexhaustible
Scientists hav, long known that
four-fifths Of the air is composed Of
nitrogen. Every square yard of land
We find is covered with seven tons
of nitrogen.
THE nitrogen in the air over
square mile, if converted into nitrate
would be worth 1876 million dollars
and would supply the world with fer
tlizer for years to come.
The production Of nitrate from
the air has made tremendous strides
in the last five years. This work at
present is carried on almost exclu-
sively in Norway, Birkeland and
Eyde, the chemists who evolved the
process, have made the production
OF synthetical nitrate the most mar
yelous new industry in Norway in
10 years.
THE main process consists of bur-
ming the air, for which purpose great
flaming electric arcs are used. The
nitrous gases are then chemically
treated until two products are given
nitrate of lime and nitrate OF soda.
"The Norwegian factories are able
at present to produce annually, &C.
cording to DR.. Eyde's estimate, go
900 tons Of nitrate of lime and TO-
900 tons OF nitrate Of soda. Recent
iy the factories have been producing
nitrate OF ammonia at the rate OF
10000 tons a year. Thirty million
dollars of French capital is invested
in the industry. The factories since
their first operation have Increased
their number OF workmen from 2 to
1.34O and the horse power from 20
to 100000.
Ammonia Produced by Synthesis
Until about three years ago the
chemists were in despair at the pros
meet of producing ammonia from Its