What is James Thomas Humberstone?
{{Orphan|date=December 2010}} '''James Thomas Humberstone''' (July 8, 1850 - June 12, 1939) was an [[England|English]] [[chemical engineer]]. In 1872, he founded the Peru Nitrate Company in the [[Tarapacá Province (Peru)|Tarapacá Province]] of [[Peru]] (now part of the [[Tarapacá Region]] of [[Chile]]). He introduced the [[Schanks System]] and other innovations to the industry. == Life == Humberstone was born in [[Dover]], [[England]]. His grandfather had been director of the [[band]] of the [[Scottish Guard]]. His father worked in a [[post office]]. His family moved to [[London]] when he was young. Humberstone worked for the [[London and North Western]] [[railway]] when he was 17. While he worked there, he learned about [[mechanics]] and [[chemistry]]. Later, he joined the [[Royal School of Mines]] in [[London]]. He was a very good student. When he was 25, he was hired by The Tarapaca Nitrate Company and moved to [[South America]]. Humberstone arrived at the [[Peru]]vian [[port]] of [[Pisagua]] on January 6, 1875, where he commenced working as a chemist and engineer. In 1878 he implemented the Shanks system to make [[sodium carbonate]]. He also made other changes such as the transfer of waste water to avoid losing the [[material]]s in the [[Rock (geology)|gravel]]. In 1879 the Chilean [[army]] landed in Pisagua, and consequently, many office workers went to the Pampa for safety. Humberstone, his wife, his mother and his two daughters went with them. When they got to Tarapaca, the [[governor]] said they should go to [[Arica]] because the [[military]] was coming. They crossed the [[desert]] because they did not want to be near the [[coast]]. It took them twenty days to get get to Arica . When the [[war]] ended, and Tarapaca became part of Chile , Humberstone continued working in the Agua Santa office. In 1936, [[British monarchs|King]] [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] made him a member of the [[Order of the British Empire]]. Humberstone died in [[Iquique]] on June 12, 1939 and is buried in