The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-02-10

LOUISIANA LEADS IN SULPHUR
Herman Frasch's Genius Made this
State the Greatest Sulphur Pro-
duoer in the World.

IN an address beforeS the New
York section OF the Society Of Chem
ical Industry, Prof. g. F. Chandler of
Columbia University, past president
Of the society, described the many
notable achievements of a prominent
inventor, to whom the sixth impress
sion Of the Perlin geld medal was
presented in recognition of his vaIu-
able work in applied chemistry. From
slis address The Chief takes. pleas
ure in reproducing the following ex-
tracts:
Herman Frasch was born in Gail
dorf, in Wuertemberg, in 1852 In
1858 he took up the practice of phar-
macy, came to America, and was
placed in charge of the laboratory of
Professor Maisch at the Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy. He found,
however, that industrial chemistry in
terested him much more than phar-
maceutical chemistry, and in 1874 he
established laboratory of his own.
Here began the studies and invest-
cations which resulted in some of
the most important achievements
ever accomplished in Industrial chem
istry. = # Y
On the 23rd of, October, 1890, Mr.,
Frasch applied for patent for an
epoch-marking improvement in the
sulphur industry. It had long been
hnoWn that there was a large de-
post of native sulphur in Calcasieu
parish, Louisiana, alta depth of 1000
feet below the surface, but all at
tempts to get at the deposit and
Dflng the sulphur to the surface had
tailed completely, on account of the
layers of quicksandab above the deposit.
Mr.. Frasch evolved the idea of melt
ing the sulphur in place by means of
supeTheated water forced down a bor.
ing and forcing the melted sulphur
to the surface through an inner tube.
During the period beginning October
%, 1890, to February 6, 1905, Frasch
has applied for ten patents for his
Inventions of apparatus and pro-
cesses for accomplishing this result.
His efforts have been entirely
successful. The Union Sulphur Com
pany was organized, he secured con-
troll Of the sulphur deposit, set up
the batteries OF boilers, bored the
wells, built the railroad to carry the
sulphur to the saboard and the
docks at Sabine Pass for the ships
which deliver the sulphur to the
stAoTts accessible from he various
sdenlfcaI works aTefgs tie ulphur Is
used.
There are seven batteries OF boil
ers, each Of which runs we'll A
single well delivers about 45O tons
Of sulphur per day. In a two months
lest six wells delivered $4,000 tons
Of sulphur, proving the capacity of
the works to exceed the entire con-
SUMPTION OF the world
The sulphur is pumped into. bins
constructed Of planks, about fifty
feet high, where it congeals and
forms a block of from $4,000 to 150,-
900 tons, over 50 per cent pure sui
phur. The planks are subsequently,
removed, the huge block is broken
Up by blasting, and the sulphur is
loaded directly into the cars by a
scooping derrick which picks up two
tons at a time.
The effect Of this work on the
imports Of sulphur into the United
States is very far-reaGhing, as will
be seen in the following figures,
showing imports and exports of sui
phur into and from the United
States:
Imports. Exports.
1903 188 1888 tons None
1907. ...... 20,399 tons $4,000 tons
cat present the Louisiana deposit
supplies this country with sulphur,
;rI,+ 1ar Mt: io. tn
European countries. Fortunately, the
coniany is owned by a few broad
minded and large-hearted men, who
could not be induced to bring starva-
ton and ruin upon the 100000 work
men who are engaged in mining sui
phur in Sicily,
NINETY per cent of The stock Of
the Union Sulphur Co., is owned by
Herman FTasch, H, Mex. Twombly,
the estates Of Abram II. Hewitt and
Edward Cooper, and L. H, Severance.
I have presented to you very briefly
the great achievements of Mr.. Frasch
in the field of applied chemistry,
but quite fully enough to satisfy you
that your committee is fully justified
i'll placing Mr.. Frasch by The side of
f5lf Henry Fefhin DIS one ot otii Sleett
est industrial chemists and chemical
| engineers.
ut gives me great pleasure, as the
representative of the Society of
| Chemical Industry and the affiliated
chemical and eleetro-chemical socie-
| ties, to place in your hands, Mr..
Frasch, this beautiful token Of the ap,
/ prectaticn and affection Of your fel-
! W-cheGaists.'