The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-09-10

veloped. might make us Independent
of Germany, and also whether the
potash could be obtained to CONNER
cial advantage. That was the point
which capital earnestly discussed
with the chemists.
About a year after the war began
some of the men of science began
carefully to investigate the deposits
of alunite in Utah. They found upon
analysis that the alunite contain
ed nearly l per cent of potash but
it also contained 81 per cent of alu-
nina. This analysis at once raised
a serious problem for 1t is neces-
sary to get rid of the alumina be-
fore the potash can be secured to
commercial advantage. But there
Is now no market for alumina- The
manufacturer who are producing
aluminium sufficient for the needs of
the United States possess vast de-
posits of the metal. in fact all they
will need for years. Nevertheless
DR.. Frank X. Cameron, whose name
it is only necessary to mention in
order to identify him as a member
of the first rank of American chem
lists and who probably will take
part in the national exposition of
American chemists which is to be
held in this city in the later part
of September. has perfected several
processes which will make 1t pos
sible to extract the potash from the
alunite to commercial advantage.
Alunite is a unique mineral de-
post formerly regarded as practical
ly worthless. 1t is found only in
one of the high mountains of Utah
and IL runs in seams which range
in width from six to twenty-five
feet. Presumably the deposit ex-
tends to the bottom of the mountain
and If that be true there are mil
lions of tons OF the mineral there.
Some years after the close OF the
civil war some of the Virginia manu-
facturers were persuaded that they
saw an opportunity for the develop
ment of a neglected resource. That
is the valuable acid which is found
in the sumac plant. Sumac grows
abundantly upon the mountain sides
of Western Virginia. The enterpris-
ing men of Virginia employed color
ed men and women to break off the
branches and these were shipped
to rendering plant at Peters
burg. There the valuable property
in the leaves was extracted but It
was found necessary to send this eX-
tract to Germany in large amounts
for there alone could il be treat
ed so as to make it a CONNIE rcially
available product.
What the Virginia men did. begin
ming forty years ago. enterprising
men of North Carolina are now also
doing so that there may be recovered
the valuable potash properties that
are in the alunite deposits. For 1t is
North Carolina capital which has es-
tablished two large potash extracting
Plants. one at Raleigh and one at Nor
folk. Va. To these plants two thirds
of the way across the continent the
mineral after preliminary treatment in
Utah is transported. In these plants
II Is by special treatment made avail
able for fertilizing purposes. The pot
ash is a sulphate and 1t is especially
valuable for fcrtilizing fields in which
tobacco, citrus fruits, vegetables and
other crops are cultivated. There is
hope that from this formerly neglect
ed mineral of Utah also from kelp
and possibly very soon from the great
deposits in the Searls Lake region of
Southeastern California the United
States may be able to develop an in
dustry which will make us independ-
ent of Germany after the war is
ended.
Should this prove to be the case 1t
would furnish another illustration of
the strong disposition now prevailing
throughout the United States to take
advantage of our own resources, hith-
erto neglected, so that we may not be
compelled to rely upon other nations
for certain materials. Perhaps the
best example OF this is now furnished
by the manner in which American
capital and American science are per-
fecting methods which will make us
substantially independent of Germany
for dyestuffs. HOLLAND.