The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-02-19
This Chemistry Professor
Has His Mind on the Kaiser

Professor H. X. Henson lost trip
20 Europe when the kaiser invaded
Belgium, and now he's getting even.
Professor Henson H. among those
laying FOR the war lord. As present
head OF tho University of Washing
ton chemistry department. he IN
working overtime In an effort To- help
defeat militarir-n. lie spends many
hours In research work for tho gov.
eminent.
When the Germans frat ran
amuck. he was In New York. with
his travelling bag all packed. ready
TO board tho Lusitania.
lie was to have sailed August 4.
1914. to do research work in several
European countries for this govern
ment His mission principally was
to study tho by.product- Of wood
dintiilation IN tho Balkan states. Ger.
many, Norway. Sweden and Enc.
land Tho first stop was to have
been In Hun. England
Went 10 Work Her.
When Germany started 10 fight
ing. the department at Washington
told mo Go work In this country. with
hopes that II would blow over In n
couple OF months" said Professor
Benson. In telling how he was left on
the dock In New York. The two
months aren't up yet.
TIN here 10 help defeat tho kai.
ser. Chemistry il playing vital
part IN this war. and We chemists are
getting In every lick we can"
Or Benson In member of the
state council Of defense an associate
In research. He also n secretary OF
tho national research council. whose
object Il 10 max. recommendations
which viii utilize the research Of
universities for war emergency
needs.
Utilize Waste
Tho chemistry department has
taken up number % topics auE
g-ated BY the national research coun
Gil. said Or Benson Among tho
Investigations now under way. bc
sides those of a confidential nature.
II that OF the us, of Nitro cake.
waste product OF nitric acid manu-
faeturo. IL II found near munitions
works and u a nuiphuric acid suhstl.
tute. This problem Is Of local inter
est. inasfnneh a# W. have lakes In
Central Washington that have the
same composition ns nitre cake
Another subject In tho utilization
OF coal mine waste. We are study.
inc destructive dis,iiiation for obtain.
Ing oil and other products from low.
grade coal. instead Of using Il m fuel
We arc Just starting investigation
Of the Use Of shaics In coal minca
for fire brick
4 am giving my personal atien.
ton to nitrogen fisation. This prob.
lem was brought on by the war
What In nitrogen firntionT
Explains Procc-s
DR.. Benson explained II aa the
process Of transforming nitrogen
from III. gaseous state into n solid
body.
rh. government viii need sew.
.ral hundred thousand tons OF an.
monium nitrate and immense guam.
titles OF nitric acid for rnanufactur.
Ing high explosives. farr. plants
have byen erected In the South for
this purpose.
"A good start has b~en made In
the Northwest thru the American
Products company plant. az /
Ia Grandc. Wash The work th~ro Z
has been ucbicd In IN. last several {
months. Tho prospect for nitrogen /
fixation In this part OF the country /
Is very bright. owing to tho faclli. /
ties for obtaining electricity at low
cost"
use MIN Waste
DIR. Henson spent last summer a, /
Ia Grands. and IL now acting M 70.
search chemist for the company. Hs \
also n Interested In the Use OF by. /
products Of the lumber industry for 1
potash. chlorine. caus,ic
soda. alcohol and aoctone. A cord OF /
mill waste produces about a pound /
n potash. which brings $500 a ton.
By applying sal; water TO wood
waste fuel and eiectrolizing tho
brine. mills on the Sound can manu-.
'acture chlorine and caustie soda.
Alcohol and acetonc can be manu-.
'actured by destructive dlstiiiatlon
u min waste Because of war needs.
!