The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-01
Two Discoveries Which Will
Be OfGreatValue to Ameri-
can Industries
ONE is PRICELESS
AS MILITARY ASSET
1t Is Expected That Refners viii Be
Able to Increase Output of Gasoline
200 Per Cent-Bases for Dye Stuffs
and Explosives

200 Per Cent-Bases for Dye stuffs
and Explosives.
WASHINGTON, March /. - Two
discoveries, both Of vast importance
to American industries and one regard
ed also as q priceless military asset
were announced here yesterday by Sec
Iretary Lane of the interior department.
They are chemical processes, developed
after years of research by DR.. Walter
F. Rittman, chemical engineer OF the
bureau of mines. One is expected to
enable oil refiners to increase their out
! put of gasoline by 200 per cent; the
other makes possible the production
from crude petroleum OF toluOl and
| benZol, bases for dyes and high explo-
sives for which in the past the United
States and the rest of the world has
! depended almost exclusively upon Ger
many. Dr.. Dittman has applied for
M.tents upon his processes to prevent
the possibility Of any monopoly III their
use and will dedicate them to Ehe
! American people.
| These processes, said Secretary
Lane yesterday, care fraught with the
utmost importance. The Standard Oil
company has had a big advantage over
the independents III production of gas
Oline, having patented process obtain
ing three times the amount of gasoline
from a given quantity of petroleum
which the independents now obtain. In
dependent producers as a whole have
never been able even to approach these
results. Now the federal government,
Ill I,, Of
!poses to make free for the use of all a
their yields of gasoline fully 200 per
cent and perhaps more. DR.. Rittman
claims his process is safer, simpler and
more economical. These are economic
factors of great Importance.
"With a steadily increasing demand
fer gasoline for automobiles. motor
boats and engines, this fortunate dis
covery comes at the proper time. 1t i,
but two years ago that the automobile
industry, fearful the supply of gasoline
might not be adequate for its rapidly
= Expanding business, offered a 100000
prize for a substitute that would COS
less than gasoline. This new process
adds to the hope that. in spite of tn,
wonderful growth in the use of gaso
: line, there may not be any shortage il
: the future. | am led to believe it vii
: not only be of inestimable value to re
/ tners commanding but limited capita
n as well as those of wealth, but also t
the hundreds of thousands of users o
:, gasoline. When it is realized the case
: line industry each year yields 500
100000 TO $4,000, 900, the import
ance OF this discovery is seen.
: The second process discovered b
= DR.. Rittman may prove OF much NOR
' value than the first, in that it suggest
the establishment OF an industry /
which Germany hitherto has been prt
I emiuent-the dye induStrv-aud ais
promises indirectly a measure Of II;
\ tiomal safety of incalculable imror
ance. Among the necessary ingredient
4 OF high explosives, toluol and benz,
are in the first rank. Heretofore til
/ products have been mainly obtaine
in Germany and England from coal ia
Explosives manufacturers have had /
4 depend largely Oh these sources. tt
I federal government now proposes
! obtain toluol and benz0l from cruz
| petroleum. These products can be pr
! duced from practically any America
/ petroleum. The supply can be ma,
1 sufficient not only for the entire Amer
I can trade, but also for other purpose
4 and at 4 reasonable cost.
THE real comforting thing, howe
I er, is that in time of great nation
stress, if the nation is ever called upC
4 to defend itself, we will be able
- manufacture the most efficient al
= most powerful explosives known
II war. Were it not for this discover
I it is possible that in such an eme
gency we might be compelled to re
largely on greatly inferior explosive
I and this would spell national disastt
Il "Dr. Rittman concludes from his e
II periments that this process may becor
more economical than German method
u and it may result in eventually givil
a the United State a supremacy in t
II dyestuffs industry that has for sor
II time belonged to Germany 1t won
tend to prevent disturbance of t
ia great industries engaged in the man
II facturc of silks, cottons and woole
IL in such extraordinary times as we a