The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-18
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IN F o M TION
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAEKIN. Director,
Washington. D. c.
SCIENTIFIC SERVICE STATIONS
FOR INDUSTRY.
washington, d. C.


FOR INDUSTRY.
Washington, d. c., April ia
new motor fuel, which enables aero
planes to fly one thousand feet higher
| than they have ever flown before, and
automobiles to travel 9nuch faster
| than the most tolerant of speed
laws will permit, has recently been
discovered by the fuel experts of the
bureau of mines.
! Fortunately, for the future of the
| harassed pedestrian, the new fuel is
much too expensive for general use
| in automobiles, altho racing machines
may be willing to pay the price for it
During their Investigations the
same experts produced a superior
! fuel for automobiles mixture of
Gasoline and benzol-which has been
placed on the market at gasoline
prices. If this fuel can be produced
in sufficient quantities, it will I'M
! doubtedly take the place of gasoline.
! This quantity production depends en-
| tirely upon how extensively we de-
velope our coal by-products. Benzol
| is by-product of coke, and SO far
| it is being made only in very limited
| quantities.
For the past few years we have
been living under the awful terror
of gasoline shortage. At one time
we were supposed to have only a
| thirty years supply ahead, and
scientists all over the country
started working on gasoline substi-
tutes. Among others, the petroleum
experts of the bureau of mines, with a
service station at Bartlesville Okla,
and research laboratories at WASH
ington and Pittsburgh, gave the prob
lem their consideration. When the
war came, however, it was not so
much a question of saving gasoline
as of getting tin the quickest pos
sible way and in the most enormous
quantities In 1915, the country
yielded nearly 50,000.000 barrels of
gasoline, large part of which was
shipped abroad. In 1917, when the
United States got into the war, the
production rose to nearly 6S,00O,000
barrels. This was believed by many
to be the climax of American pa
triotic effort, but in 1918 S5,OOO,O0O
barrels of gasoline were produced.
The war demanded never-ceasing
stream of gasoline, and there was no
time to stop and make any calcula-
tions as to the future. American oil
wells had to be worked to their ut
most capacity, and new wells were
discovered.
Now that the war is over, the gov
eminent is once more anxiously scan
ming our petroleum resources and try
ing to flSure out just how long the
increasing production will be able to
keep up with the increasing demand.
There are some who are disposed to
take an optimistic view of the mat
ter, pointing out that when our wells
refuse to yield any more oil our west
ern shale beds can be profitably
worked. But, in the. meantime, it is
agreed, conservation measures should
be instituted. The petroleum experts
OF the bureau of mines are, therefore,
once more endeavoring to devise meth
obs for recovering more petroleum
from the earth, and for stopping the
wastes that are So cOTnn10n with
ducers and consumers
This is only one of the man actiyf-
ties in which the bureau of mines is
engaged for the purpose of helping
american industry. Petroleum is of
paramount Importance to our indus
trial development, so the bureau de-
votes great deal of study to it. But |
hundreds of other minerals and indus |
trial processes are being constantly in
Vestigated in its many service stations |
ana laboratories. In the city of Pitts |
burgh, in the center of a remarkable |
group of technical institutions. such as |
the Carnegie Institute of Technology, |
the University of Pittsburgh, the Mel |
Ion Institute, of Industrial Research.
the Carnegie Museum, the bureau has
recently opened its newest service sta
tlon-one of the greatest research |
laboratories in the world. Besid es
this, it already has Industrial service
stations at Minneapolis Mimi: TIr-
pana, III; Golden, Colo: Tucson, Ariz.:
Sait Lake City Utah; Seattle, Wash.
columbus, Ohio, and one in Alaska.
During the war; these stations were
offered to the war department for The
investigation of specific war problems.
Inc responsibility to produce, thrown
upon this country during the war. ow-
ing to the shortage in shipping facfli-
rles, necessitated an immediate in
creased development of its mining in.
uustrles- For example, We had never
before considered it necessary to max
manganese steel out of the manganese
ael9oslts IN our own country; instead,
we mad been accustomed to import the
ore from Europe. When our shins
started carrying troops, munitions and
[ood, however, this importation had to
De cut down. 1t was the bureau of
mines service station at Minneanolis
which came to the rescue and pointed
out that 1T was perfectly practicable to
use the supplies we had on hand-a
over grade of manganese ore, to be
sure but one that would do. After
soIne attempt at resistance. the steel
manufacturers finally started using
me American ore. and found that it
could be done. Then, by way of en-
;ouragement. the bureau managed to
discover some deposits of high-grad
manganese in certain localities in this
where their existence had
never been suspected. Whether or not
American manufacturers will continue
~ purify their steel with American
manganese ore. once the -Euronean
product is thrown back on the market.
'emains to be seen; but it is gratify-
ng to know that we could be self
Importing in this line if the occasion
demanded it.
Under the stress of war the Pitts
'urgh service station of the bureau of
mines also developed a new type of
marine boiler for army transports,
To- I
NTH this boiler, six tons of coal does I
he work formerly done by seven tons.
n other words. it permitted vessels of | ]
ms character to save on a single trip !,
Enrnno