Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-13


And his work which was brough
agency of another San Franciscan, &
ing to the reports of eminent oil ex
terest solely of its benefits to the 6
The Federal government has &C.
cept the proposition OF kormann
and his associates and will erect a
plant at once for the production Of
Sasoline under the newly discovered
process, a process, which the discoV-
erer says. is as simple as the present
method, requiring but little modifl-
q non of the system now in use. ...
SfYeHss presented to Secretary OF
the Interior Franklin K. Lane and TO
others close TO President Wilson.
The Secretary has directed the con-
struction of the government plant
which will produce the precious fluid.
Makes Use Of Crude Oil
Briefly, Kormann makes use by mis-
process of the product OF crude Oil
which now Is waste so far as the
manufacture Of gasoline in concerned.
His secret lies in the chemical
treatment of the various products OF
the crude oil, which now reach at
maximum output Of 6 per cent gaso-
line as against the production of 81
per cent of gasoline from every bar
rel of crude oil that is treated under
the process. :.
Kormann. who is a professional
chemist, has been working for several
wears on several phases OF gasoline
and oil chemistry. Some time ago ne
was induced to take up the problem
of gasoline on account of the apparent
shortage which was being freely dis
cussed in oil circles. The outbreak
OF the war led him, he said last night,
to 20 into the question of increasing
the, product.
From that he developed his process
which has now been approved by
leading experts Of the United States.
Kormann refused commercial OF.
fers for the secret. He was In touch
with the experts of Edward l.. Do
heny. the multi-millionaire oil man OF
sSouthern California. Then he was
brought into contact with Gavin Nc
Nab. on account of McNab's close
connection with the United States
government at Washington. McNab
placed the process before j. B. How
ell, former officer in the United States
Navy and chief engineer OF the Ma
tional Ice Company.
So favorable was that report that
McNab opened the way which led
Kormann to washington and to lay
the process before the Federal gov.
ernuant.
- il was distinctly understood
that McNab was to have nothing to
do with the proposition unless Kor-
mann should agree to turn over his
process to the government for the
duration of the war.
HE Patriotic Service
well, I'm Just that patriotic that
] will turn il over to the government,
replied Kormann, and that he did.
Hermann said last night that he had
the protection of the. general act which
has already passed the Senate so far
as the commercial use of the process
was concerned. But the government
will have it free Of all cost for that
period.
Kormann Explains
In a simple, modest way last night,
Kormann told something of the pro-
cess and the history Of his discovery.
He referred particularly to the great
importance to the nation of meeting
the gasoline shortage.
He said:
This process simply means the
perfection of a method Of making a
larger volume OF efficient motor
sBlrits. which may be used in every
way that gasoline now is used-for
sro,,sY,r,,.t afinYt for aeronlana work
for all of the innumerable purposes to
which gasoline is put
There will be extracted by this pro-
cess from every barrel of crude oil of
AZ gallons, .fifty-two per cent of gaso- {
line. 1t will utilize the waste now !
useless for gasoline not only with the ]
California crude oil but with Pennsyl- |
yania oil where the large kerosene
content is not available for motor fuel. !
Reeonverts Waste ILL.,. r. |
The process reconyerts this waste |
back into motor spirit, processed and !
treated chemically, so that the entire
body operates exactly as does gasoline, !
With great deal more efficiency than |
tha nfsent product.
process can be operated much !
more cheaply than the present method, |
and the ordinary plant now used can
easily be made adaptable to the new
method. /
II was at Gavin McNab's suggestion i
that | went to washington and there |
presented the matter to the govern. !
ment. | have rendered It to the gov. !
eminent as purely patriotic Offer
San Francisco Examiner.