The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-03-03
Gasoline Cost TO
Be Reduced Half
Stuff That Makes Wheels Go Round
May Retail at Five or Six Cents
Per Gallon
ENGINEER MAKES DISCOVERY
Materials For Dyes Are Also Pro-
duced by Bureau of Mines Professor,
Making U. S. Independent

Making u. S. Independent
While the world on the other side
of the waters is at war, America has
accomplished peace victory which
will be incalculable benefit to the peo-
pie of the United States. This victory
has been accomplished by an earnest
chemist working with little hope of
reward, but whose accomplishment
warrants him with any decoration The
United States might have to give to
signalize a great achievement.
Marks Two Victories
The author of the discovery, or of
the discoveries, for two victories
mark the accomplishment, is DR.. Wal
ter F. Rittman, chemical engineer of
the bureau of mines, whose work was
done at Columbia University, New
York, where the laboratory facilities
were turned over to the Federal Gov
eminent by President Nicholas Muir
ray Butler.
Will Reduce Gasoline Cost
The two discoveries so important
to the commercial and national well
fare of this country, were announced
Monday by Secretary of the Interior
Lane.
The second discovery makes the
United States absolutely independent
of the rest of the world in regard to
important materials necessary for the
dye industry, and for the manufacture
of high explosives used in warfare
and in engineering operations.
The first Of these processes makes
it possible to increase the output of
gasoline from petroleum 200 per cent
or more. 1t is estimated the indepen-
dent refners alone produce 100000
barrels of gasoline in year, and it
is estimated the independents alone,
with the new process and without adj
ditional expenses, will be able to pro-
duce 36,O0OOO0 barrels, greater than
the total production today from all
sources.
The second discovery or process In
cludes the manufacture from crude
petroleum of what is chemically
known as toluol and benzol, both OF
which have heretofore been obtained
from coal tar. Germany has spec
ialized in the past beyond all other
countries in by-products from coal.
The United States have, accordingly
been dependent on that country as
regards the products of toluoi and
benzol. which are the important bases
for the production of dye-stuffs and
high explosives, more especially
smokeless powder.
Patents for American People
Doctor Rittman, the hero of these
two great accomplishments, has made
an application on behalf of the Fed.
eral Government for a patent or
these processes to prevent any mono
poly in their use, and the patents are
to be dedicated to the whole Ameri
can people.
"These processes" said Secretary
Lane yesterday, "are fraught with
the utmost Importance to the people
of this country. For some time thu
Standard Oil Company, through thu
great amount Of money at it's com
mand, through it's employment of ex
pert chemists, and through its ex
tensive organization, has had big
advantage over the Independents II
the production of gasoline, this com
pany having a patented process thai
obtains for it as much as three time!
the amount of gasoline from giver
quantity of petroleum as the indie
pendents now obtain. There are twt
or three other large corporations tha
have an efficient process for the manu-
facture of gasoline, but the independ
ents as whole have never been able
even to approach the results obtained
by the Standard Oil Company. Nov
the Federal Government, through thu
efforts of Doctor Rittman, propose!
to make free for the use of all of thu
people Of this country who wish it
a process that is confidently expected
to increase their yields of gasoline
! from crude petroleum fully 200 PEI
cent and perhaps more, such results
! having repeatedly been obtained il
the laboratory Minneapolis Tribune