Evening star., 1921-07-31

PRFES
War Department and the bureau OF
| mines began joint study of sui.
| phuric acid. Graphite was sub
! tect of study. Attention was paid te
! the recovery of quicksilver and sui.
! phur. Concentration Of chrome and
tin was another subject that was
necessary. Manganese was important
| for the country's requirements in
1918 totaled about 79S.000 tons OF
high-grade ore. and because OF the
need of the steel industry 1t was not
possible to make any reduction in
the amount. 1t was imperative that
bottoms heretofore used in carrying
manganese be released for other
uses. Deposits in this country.
Canada and Cuba had been located.
and then came the problem of pro-
and the result was that the domestic
production jumped to 2s4.47s tons in
1918. Previous to this time the pro-
duction in this country had not been
over 5000 or 5000 tons.
Platinum. tungsten and numerous
sive study and furnished for govern
ment use. Numerous erperiments
were carried on to demonstrate
whether ammonia could be success
fully oxidized on a commercial scale
TO nitric acid: and especially whether
distillation of coal was as suita Bile
for the purpose as cyanamid. The
bureau had received a report from
France that hydrocyanic acid was
desirable for gas warfare. ard then
came the problem of producing
solved and the plant was turned over
to the ordnance department of the
Army.
AS the war is over. it is no viola
tion of confidence to record that this
country had perfected a gas that
had the struggle continued a month
or so longer.
The bureau did not confine its
activities to o6ense work alone: IT
took up the problems of defense as
well and developed substances used
in gas masks. Special clothing was
devised to protect against skin irri-
tants, such IS mustard gas. Just be-
fore the armistice was signed this
country had perfected gas mask
that was without many Of the objec-
tionable features Of those used by
as to permit the wearer to breathe
through nose as we'll as mouth: the
earlier masks had nose clip- Gas
masks for horses and trench fans
for removing gases were also de-
vised Smokes of a density to per-
init of their being used as screens
for either offensive or defensive work
! became realities under the skillful
hands of the men Of the bureau.
-
A MOTHER interesting feature was
~ the rebreathing apparatus for
use OF aviators. DR.. Henderson de.
vised for the tests tank contain
ing air, which the subject inhaled
through a mouthpiece and tubing.
the e~haled air passing back through
a cartridge Of alkali, which removed
breathed the oxygen content of the
air in the tank beca me lower, and his
physiological condition was the same
as IL he was flying at great altitude.
1t was used to test the aviator's en-
durance under fight conditions.
Under the bureau were sections de-
voted to gases in submarines, pyro-
technic research. gas shells. smoke
screens. hand grenades, incendiary
chemical research both offensive and
defensive. to say nothing of the vast
labor concerning explosives.
There are thirteen field mining and
experiment stations of the bureau of
mines. and they are SO located that
each is near the field OF endeavor in
Up until 1914 practically all
graphite crucibles manufactured in
this country were made from Ceylon
graphite combined with German
Klingenberg clay. and 1t was the be-
lief Of the trade that good crucibles
could not be made from American
Klingenberg clay could be exported
from Germany, and, although the
manufacturers of crucibles had a
goodly supply Of this ella yon hand.
they at once sensed disaster to their
business. The bureau of mines had
Of making crucibles and their early
labors in testing American clays had
convinced them that a solution of the
problem could be had. Tests were
made at Detroit, and Swissvale, and
1t was proven that the American
product showed higher percentage
in the tests than did the famous Ger
man make or the English samples
that had been placed in competition.
Very little. If any, Klingenberg clay
is used in this country today.
Large quantities of magnesite are
used for furnace Innings in the metal
lurgical industries. and up until the
the magnesite used for the manfac-
ture of refractories was imported
from Austria and Greece, but with
vast deposits uncovered in the states
Of Washington and California and
the methods employed by the bureau
there Is no need to worry a. to the
future Of this industry.
Up in Alaska, where in the winter
months the mercury in the ther-
mometer quits and goes to sleep. the
miner has not been able to save all
the gold that Is dumped in the sluice
boxes, because of the '.houred" quick
silver that ia used In making the
cleanup" And again, there 10 gold
that is rusty" or gold that has been
covered with grease and dirt. The re-