The Washington herald., 1919-01-30
C0TTRELL AIDS !
U. S. INDUSTRIES
Metallurgist's Discoveries
May Make Dye Industry
of Country Safe.


ner CottreH either to ask or to re-
. ceiyer for his recent highly important
discoveries OF a chemical nature, dis-
coyeries which may have a valuable
influence upon American Industries.
They are in line with others which
have been made since the war began,
especially inventions or discoveries
whereby the United States will be
able to utilize its great but irregular
deposits of potash. not In mines, but
in various and scattered natural re-
sources.
Dr. Gardner As chief metallurgist of
the United States Bureau of Mines,
and very likely it is for this reason
that he declines to receive any fnan-
cisl benefit for his discoveries. They
are given to the world. Just as the
inventions or discoveries which are
made by men OF research in the field
of medicine are given freely. But II
he is to receive no pecuniary benent
he is nevertheless the recipient of
one of the highest honors that can De
conferred upon a man of science. The
Society of Chemical Industries, to-
Eether with the American Chemical
Society and the American Electro
Chemical Society. united in conferriuG
on DR.. Cottrell the PerkiE Medal
That honor has been reserved tUi
very few Americans. 1t ranks in inn
portance and distinction with only
two or three other medals conferred
BY organizations recognized as OF high
authority.
Finds Potash in Fumes.
The du Points and others in the
United States who are now developing
the American dyestufs industry in
the expectation that within two or
three years it will serve to make 1t un-
necessary to import dyestuffs from
Germany. undoubtedly have in mind
that Sir William Henry PCrkin, while
still an English lRd. discovered. while
at work in an improvised laboratory
in the cellar of his fathers house in
London, a method by which he could
procure a beautiful mauve color from
coal tar That was the beginning OF
tie dyestuff5 industries which made
use Of coal tar and which was won
dsrfully developed in Germany. For
that discovery. PeTkln, who had been
honored by the King with a title, was
also named as a sponsor Of the Perkin
w..
medal. Now DR.. Cottrell is presented
with il and the reason for this dis
tiEguished honor is found in the fact
that Dr. CottreIl recently has discov-
cred or invented n method BY which
the smoke which issues from the CHIN
neys of Industrial plants can be freed
from various particles such as SCOT
and acids.
The fumes from copper smelters al
ways have been looked upon with ap-
prehension because OF the acids
which they contain. for these acids
no. onlv Impair the atmosphere, but
also AFFECT harmfully vegetable and
animal life. 1t is a curious fact that
just at the time when the United
States was seriously concerned lest
the blockade OF Germany shut off our
supplies of potash. DR.. CottrelPs in
ventiOn should have led to the dis
covery that in the fumes or dust
which rise from cement mills or blast
furnaces are contained large quanti-
ties OF potash. When this discovery
was made. invention Immediately per-
Gected apparatus by means of which
much OF this potash can be recovered.
Some ~ the best authorities believe
that within a few years the United
States will be reclaiming from dust.
cinders. ocean plants and other
sources enough potash to make the
United States inde pendent OF Ger
many.
What Science il Doing.
Men of science have been greatly
stimulated since the war began to
research work and to perfection OF
inventions. Some of these were of
value to this country during the
war; such. for instance, as the man
ufacture OF very dangerous poison
gas. They will also be of indus
trial and commercial advantage Ia
the United States in times of peace,
Many are the romances associated
with these discoveries. They read
like fascinating fiction, but they are
better than any fiction because they
are true. DR.. COttrelrs discovery
and invention contain a romance
but the country would not have
known OF it had II not been for the
action Of the chemical and electric
societies in PRESENTING him with the
Perkin medal.
Perhaps a more fascinating romance
associated with recent research WORK
by DR.. COttrelI could be written IL the
story OF his recently perfected pro-
cess for extracting the gas heliuur
from the atmosphere were tod. A.
ready some interesting reports re-
ferring to the manner I'm which oxy-
gen Is obtained from the atmosphere
have been made. But it Is as recently
as twenty years ago that an Ameri-
can citizen discovered that by the
employment OF electricity in a certain
way the nitrogen that is in the air
could be recovered and put to COM
mercial use. BY this method Germany
secured all the nitrogen that was
needed for her industries and for war
purposes.
Long ago discovery was made that
among the other gases the combina-
tion OF which forms our atmosphere,
is one which Is of somewhat mys-
terious nature. II was named heIiurn
Sometimes the Instructors at the uni
Versities or the men of research in
their laboratories ventured to alb
stract helium from the atmosphere.
The methods were perhaps crude, GER
tainly the process was expensive ana
as there seemed to be no commercial
use for this Gas 1t was only inter-
esting for a demonstration in the Ia
boratory CT what chemistry could do.
CottreII Prrf-cts Process.
After the war began men of science
began to turn their attention to
hslium- DR.. Cottrell was one Of these
They became persuaded that II would
be possible so to extract helium from
the atmosphere that 1t might prove to
be Of commercial advantage Their