Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-02

| the European war, the
| bureau Of mines Of the Department Of
| the Interior set to work to take stock
of the home supply of raw materials
and the possibilities of producing the
needed derivatives In this country. The
results of the study, made by Horace
c. Porter of the bureau, have just been
announced and show that there need be
no dearth of raw materials for most Of
the coal tar products, and that the
| problems are chiefly economic and
| commercial.
| There Is a possibility that the supply
| of raw materials may be increased still
| further from source other than coal
| tar. While one group of workers has
| been gathering data on the distillation
of coal tar, discoveries have been made
by Dr. Walter F. Rittman of the bu-
reau which lead to the belief that the
supply of raw materials may DO great
| ~ Increased from the petroleum resi-
| due left after gasoline has been ex-
| tracted by new method. Experiments
In this latter field are still in progress.
| however. and the exact commercial
status of the new distillation process
has not been definitely determined.
| The so-called "coal-tar products" are
obtained from two raw materials, the bu-
reau or mines shows. crude coal tar IT.
sell. and light oil or ''benzol" recover
ed from coal gas. Fully half the coal
| tar products used in America may be
made from benzol. it is estimated. The
value of the latter raw material is en-
| phasized by the fact that it contains
| TOT making dyes and refined prepara-
Mons. Coal tar, on the other hand, con-
tains over 65 per cent of pitch and 20
per cent OF other constituents not suit
! m alc Fo~ no
! or refined derivatives. Both raw ma
terlals are obtained by-products of
| coke and gas manufacture in by-prod-
| uct ovens and gas retorts.
| The undeVeloped condition of the
coal distillation industries in the United
states is shown by comparative figures
sathered by the bureau Of mines. In
| 1913 the respective outputs of bitumi-
this country and Germany were approx
| imately 475.0O0,O0O and 295,000, 900 tons.
That year the United States produced
about 15o,ooo.0o0 gallons Of coal tar and
100000 gallons of benzol. But Ger
many. with only GO per cent Of our out
put of coal. produced more than $780,
100000 gallons of coal tar and about
| 5o.ooo,o0o gallons of benzol. During
the same period Germany exported coal
tar dyestuffs worth more than $685.
100000. of which $10.0o0,0o0 worth
came to the United States. This was
practically the entire American con-
sumption.
One of the chief reasons for the poor
showing made by the United States in
the production of coal tar and benzol
is the extensive use Of old-style bee
hive ovens in the coking industry, in
stead of by-product ovens. which per-
nit the recovery OF liquid and volatile
constituents.
The bureau of mines estimates that
If all the coal cooked in the United
States in 1913-es,ooo,ooo tons--had
constituents the production OF coal tar
would have been over 500,000.000 gal
Ions and the production of benzol more
than 100.00o.000 gallons. This would
have meant an increase of over 230 per
cent in coal tar and over 1900 per cent
amounts recovered.
A more practical estimate II that the
raw material for the coal tar products
consumed in the United States, with the
tanned at home without either great
delay unreasonable outlay of cap
ital. The requirements are merely that
the recovery process be extended in
the benzol now wasted in many Of
them may be recovered. This added to
the coal tar and water gas tar normal
ly produced would, 1t is estimated, fur
nish the requisite materials.
An idea of the needs Of tho United
States for the various coal-tar products
may be gained from figures and esti-
mates prepared by the bureau of mines
In 1913. 1t is shown. this country con-
sumed its entire output of creosote oil
and benzol-about 100000 and $780,
900 gallons. respectively-as well as a
vast amount of it's heavy tars and
pitches Besides this. and in addition
to the imports from Germany already
nearly 1oO.o00.o0o gallons of creosote
oil. valued at about $4,000. 900; 1000. 900
pounds of "analine oil" and analine
salts, intermediate products: over s.
100000 pounds of carbolic acid hun
dreds of thousands of dollars worth Of
pounds of the various coal-tar deriva-
tives used in making explosives. The
only export of coal-tar products of any
Importance was about 100000 barrels of
pitch. Uses for this substance at home
| in the manufacture of road binders,
roofing papers and such products are
| constantly increasing. OF the imported
| materials. creosote oil Is about the only
necessitate the construction of addi-
, tional by-product cooking plants
The big problems to be encountered
in the attempt to esta blish the dye and
refined chemical industries in America
are commercial, the bureau Of mines
points out. The risk of financial loss in
entering a highly complex industry
where success depends largely on the
proiitdpio ulSpoSdl Oh all prOduCtS has
| kept capital out of the field SO far.
A brief for vaccination a. a protec-
tlon against smallpox Ia held by DR..
George W. Gay Of Bos-
Argument for ton. In a report on the
vo,,,.4,, health of school chill
"'oin"si'h' dren, recently prepared
for the United States bureau Of eduoa-
tion. DR.. Gay points to results OBJ
tained In Massachusetts,, ana expresses
| amaHement that in the tight Of such
| experience and that of many other
states and countries. any one should
doubt the wisdom and efficiency of vac
cinatlen.
Massachusetts has been practically
free of the dreadful scourss of
smallpox for forty years." says Dr.
Gays report He asserts that this Inn
munity Ia due directly and solely to
vaccination.
1.-The value of vaccination" continues
the report. has been inoontestably
demonstrated in all civilized countries
for more than a hundrod years. Time Is
wasted In arguments on this question
in we'll Informed circles. Vaccination
properly done and attended to 10 one
of the safest surgical operations known
| to the medical profession.
mo one claims that accidents never
occur after vaccination. as they occa-
| stonalIy do after the most trivial in
| iIrics. within eight years l have seen
| one death from the prick of pin and
| one arm amputated from the scratch of
| n.edle vet pins and needles have not