The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-10-19
WAR HAS CREATED
Big new INDUSTRY
United States Makes Remarka-
hie Strides in Manufacture
of Chemicals.
FREED FROM FOREIGN YOKE
Production of Nearly Enough Coal Tar
Dyes to Meet Domestic Demand
Big Feature of Develop
ment.

"No branch OF American industry has
ever presented such a marvellous rate
of expansion as has that Of chemical
technology during the past two years,
says DR.. Thomas H. Norton, one of
Uncle Sans special commercial agents,
who has been devoting a large part
of his time to the study of this new
development of American industry. In
cluded in this industry is the manu-
facture of coal-tar dyes, for which the
United States depended almost entire
ly upon European manufacturers until
the war cut off the supply.
The national exposition of chemical
industries. held recently in New York, "
says Doctor Norton, showed the won
derful strides that had been made in
this field during the past two years.
The degree to which this nation
was dependent upon foreign sources
for the greater part of its chemicals,
drugs and dyes was revealed to us in
II bruSque, uncomfortable manner as
the rapid succession of embargoes con
sequent upon the great European con
tiict suddenly threatened Il multitude
Of manufacturing activities, dependent
upon regular supplies of certain chem
icala, with dislocation or paralysis"
says Doctor Norton.
Wonderful Progress Shown.
The exposition recently held was
a ho - Ahnu.ipt, in a
vivid, picturesque way the wonderful
progress and adaptation characteristic
of these past few months how Ameri-
can enterprise, skill, science and cap
ital have united 10 lay broad ana deep
the foundations of comprehensive
and Self-contained national chemical in
duStry. While the genius and energy of
European chemists have been cOncen-
trated upon means and methods Of de
Stroying life and annihilating armed
power American chemists have been
equally active in synthetic, conStruc-
tive fields. swiftly evolving, one after
another, various branches of industrial
effort destined to cmanCipate MS from
foreign COlnlnefcldI YOKE.
Among the many interesting fca-
lures illustrative Of this evolution
were such exhibits as the following a:
The barium industry. now utilizing To
the fullest extent the boundless do
nestle deposits of baryteS the con
tact Sulphuric acid process, now I'M
surpassed in volume and perfection
of method; chemical glassware and
porcelain, equal 10 the finest products
Of Germany; bleaching powder of the
highest grade, of which, two years
ago, but onc-Quarter of the country'S
needs was of domestic origin; the
numerous sodium compounds, such as
the ferrocyanidc and the chl0rate now
effectively and satisfactorily replac-
ing the corresponding potassium salts,
formerly imported i'm such quantities
a large group of medicinal chemicals
hitherto secured exclusively from
across the Atlantic. etc.
There We're instructive exhibits
showing how American ingenuity is
seeking to solve the nitrogen problem,
and free us from further dependence
upon Chile's swiftly vanishing stock of
nitrate.
The most striking feature of the
exposition was found IN its revelation
of the astonishing rapdity with which
an American coal-tar chemical indus
try is being created. Formerly most
of the coal-tar, benzOl and ammonia,
liberated by our by-product coke ov-
ems. was allowed to 90 to waste. Now
it Is all recovered.
Growth Almost MushroomIike.
There has been an almost mush-
roomlike growth of the industries pro-
du,inp 1VpStuffS ,XplOSiNpS Dhoto