The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-04-23
NEWPROCESS
F Or N A KIN {
Of GASOLINE
DOCTOR RlTTMAN, HYDRO CAR
BON CHEMIST OF BUREAU OF
MINES, RESIGNS HIS POSITION
DISCOVERED PROCESS.
(H. G.. James in the
Oil City DerriC X

Kansas City, April 22.-Dr. Walter
f. Rittman, hydro-carbon chemist ana
engineer for the bureau of mines of
the department of the interior, has
resigned. DR.. Rittman is the man
who discovered the much heralded
process of cracking distillates and res
iduum and producing therefrom ben
zol and toluol for the manufacture
of high explosives and larger quanti-
ties of gasoline than is now secured
by straight-run distilation. 1t has
been announced in the public press
that DR.. Rittman will engage in the
manufacture of gasoline in competi-
tion with refners and that he pro-
poses to reduce the price to the pub
lie 30 per cent There is no founda-
tion whatever for these statements.
DR.. Rittman has made no such claims
and has no purpose whatever of en-
tering in the manufacture of gasoline,
at least at the present time. The
oNOll tIluI ll' Will ItdNl lllc SdSOllIt
making enterprise of automobile man
ufacturers is groundless. In fact, up
to the present time, DR.. Rittman has
not completed the construction of or
operated a single plant for the manu-
facturers of gasoline. He has, how
ever amply proved his theory CON
nnrninu of Dr
Rittman went with the government
for the purpose of working out GER
tain conceived theories that benzol
and toluol for the manufacture of high
explosives, for which this country had
depended upon Germany before the
war, could be made from petroleum
products. He very soon proved his
theory and a plant was constructed
by the Aetna Explosives Co., at Pitts
bug, Pa. The first plant, although |
expensive in construction and entire
ly new in design, has proved a pro-
nounced success. Two or three other |
plants for the manufacture of benzol !
anu lOluOl Ntlt tItCItu WIFI SOllt- |
what changed design and were in full
operation within "a hours after COM |
pletion. Benzol at the present time |
is selling for about 90 cents and toll
uol for $4G0 a gallon. AS soon as
these plants were completed and the |
theory demonstrated beyond perad-
nr nv nd
the department dropped this phase
of the discovery and turned their at
tention to other matters. The gov
ernment offered the Rittman process
to the public to be used in the manu-
facture of gasoline, but oil men were
Neluctant to enter into what looked
to them like an expensive expert
ment. They admitted all that DR..
Rittman had done but were not salts
fled that gasoline could be made in
large quantities by continuous pro-
cess cheap enough to meet the situa-
ton. However, finally some eight or
ten refiners, scattered over the coun-
lIg, StCultu llCtlStS llOul IIlt SO'
ernment to experiment with the Ritz
man process. Oil men approached
/Dr. Rittman practically with a de-
mand that he guarantee his process.
DR.. Rittman took the stand that he
was not selling anything, that he sim
oily had a theory which he believed
nd bp OffpraI II with
out cost to the public and with no
guaranty whatever He finally grew
weary of the strife and decided to
accent the proffer of S1,500,0OO from
New York capitalists for the CON
struction of a plant at Philadelphia
for the manufacture of dyestufs, for
which this country has heretofore de-
pended upon Germany. Contracts
have already been let for the con-
struction of buildings, and it is eX-
pected the company within three or
four months will be engaged in this
enterprise. TT. Rittman chose the
manufacture of dyestuffs in prefer
ence to anything else by his process
for the reason that he feels this IN
dustry will be more stable than any
other branch of the petroleum busl-
ness. 1t is stated Dr. Rittman Will
own very fair percentage OF the
capital stock of the company, which
is turned over to him in exchange for