Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-02
The Haski,1 Letter . 'st asssz
DEADLY CHEMICALS MADE USEFUL AND HARMLESS
BIZ FREDERICK
J. HASKIN

aurants, ice paints and the like, for
refrigerating purposes has become ex-
tensive. Ammonia gas is used in in
dustry under high pressure, and when
q leak occurred it was formerly i'm
possible for anyone to enter the room
and shut off the valves. The chemical
warfare service discovered that silica
gel. used in the canister of gas
mask, was adequate protection against
ammonia gas. This has proved great
boon to industry, and made an am
monia leak an easily controlled and
minor event.
The research work of this service has
developed tremendously the knowledge
about the production and uses of high
grade charcoal. Relatively little had
been known about it. One of the uses
Of this high grade charcoal is obtain
ing gasoline from natural gas. Exper-
iments are now under way with the
idea of producing charcoal direct from
coal, something of immense industrial
Importance, which has never yet been
done.
In cooperation with the department
Of agriculture, chemical experiments
are being conducted for the develop
ment of new means of destroying ami
NAL and bird pests in this country
Tentative projects have been outlined
for killing gophers, ground squirrels,
blackbirds. and other pests which do
millions of dollars Of damage to crops
every year. Chlorine gas, first used
by the Germans at Ypres-has been
found efficacious in cxterminating go
piers.
Cooperative projects are under way
to determine what chemical agents are
useful for DISCRIMINATING insect pests
and to hit upon the best means for
employing them. Several of the most
important war gases have given great
promise Of usefulness in this direction.
Partial success has been obtained in
finding chemical means of fighting the
cotton boil weevil Experiments with
gas bombs to control forest fires IN
their initial stages were tried, and
the information gained has been of
benefit to the forest service.
Fighting Potato Bugs
One use to which chensicals aye
being put is in the eradication of the
blister beetle. commonly called the po-
tato bug. These insects make their
appearance suddenly, and reliable
insecticide is necessary in order to
control them. There are and have been
insecticides on the market for years.
but the chemical warfare service has
experimental along this line with the
idea of obtaining an even more reliable
means of combating this pest and one
which could be sold at lower price
than usually obtains. 1t is officially
stated that valuable results have been
obtained to date from the actual test
Of these chemicals on plants"
For. the bureau of standards, the
chemical warfare service is co-operat-
ing to aid in determining the flow of
gas from natural gas fields through
the medium of great meters. The APP
paratus of the chemical warfare serv-
ice win be used for this purpose.
Chemical means are being used or
experimental with to destroy locusts
in the Philippine Islands. rats in the
sugar cane fields of Hawaii, in the
matter OF spraying fruit trees from
airpianes. and in the Improvement of
the oxygen breathing apparatus in use
in mines the world over. One diff
Guilty with this apparatus has been to
find something impervious to gasoline
vapors. and it is believed that this
soon will be overcome through
the perfection of a chemically treated
cloth.
Another important Development COM
ing out Of the necessity Of devising
clothing and materials impervious TO
mustard gas. has been to obtain much
material of value in determining meth
DDS of water proofing cloth and leather.
This does not pretend to be a sur
vey of all of the commercial and in
dustrial uses to which war chemicals
are being put. 1t is merely al outline,
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