Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-11-19
From the New.York Journal of Commerce.

SRLiman'S JournaL-We have before us Silliman's Journal of Science and Arts for October. It sustains the high reputation of the former numbers. We have been particu- larly interested in reading an account of se- verdi chemical operations performed by 5. Guthrie, Esq. of Sacket's Harbor In intro ducing them to the notice of his readers, Prof. s. remarks, "1 presume it was little suspected that such things were doing in re- mote region on the shore of Lake Ontario. !" MT G. has ascertaned by experiment, that mercury exists in the fumes arising during the formation of Illuminating mercury. Large quantities of the latter he has manufactured as business. Within three or four years he has manufactured 1900 lbs. of chloride of Potassa, 25, 1000 ounce cannisters of percussion powder, 120,000 gallons of vinegar, general ly by processes peculiar to himself, 100, 900 gallons of alcohol, and 800 lbs. of the "Yel- low Powder," on which he makes the follow ing remarks in letter to Prof. s. of May 9th, 1881
 Some years ago, introduced the "Yellow Powder" to the notice of sportsmen; had long found much disappointment in my gun ming excursions, from the slow fire made by using common gunpowder as priming; this induced me to melt the common Illuminating
 
 phur, and when in ot"t~ uf fuSi'ui, to with draw it from the fire, immediately before it should explode, and then to grain and use it as priming. The operation was of singular difficulty and danger, and although met with frequent and terrible disasters, having been burned by it nearly to death, yet l pursued the business until improvement seemed to be nearly exhausted The powder is eight times and a half quicker than the best black pow der, and was going largely into use when discontinued the manufacture, and offered substitute in the use of the chloratc of potassa. There is no vanity in saying, that the difficult ties and dangers overcome in conducting this process, are very seldom surpassed, and you cannot fail, think. to be interested in the ac- count l propose to present you. will at an early day prepare and forward it.
 D7olaS8es from the Potatoe.-l have been for some time persuaded, says Mir G., talk the data furnished by chemists as correct, that sugar might be advantageousy made, in towns remote from the Atlantic coast, from the po- tatoe, and one year ago Capt. E. G. Patter, at my instance, with great ingenuity, devised and constructed machinery and apparatus for prosecuting the business. As this is the first attempt, within my knowledge, to make su- gar from that, on any considerable scale, l propose giving you full account of the busi- ness so far as it has proceeded. He hrs used in the manufacture three thousand five hun dred bushels of potatoes. A fair sample of the sugar, or rather molasses, for no "crys- tallized" hure sugar could be obtained, is now sent to you.
 The molasses forwarded by Mir Guthrie is very rich, and apparently pure syrup, and has only slight peculiarity of taste, little like that of an oil, that could enable one to distinguish it from the best cane molasses.- The syrup is nearly as rich as that from the sugar maple; and not improbably may yet af- ford crystallized sugar.
 | Gum -howder-Mr Guthrie has made gun powder on a nequ principle of his own inven- tion; by which the danger of the manufacture is much diminished, the process greatly acce- lerated, and the constituents more intimately combined than has been done in any known process; hence, with good materials it is not unreasonable to expect important results.- The sample forwarded is not yet received.
 Pure Shirits or OH of Turtentine. Mi Guthrie writes, date May g, l831.-One year ago discovered process by which much resin was distracted from oil of turpentine after it had been "redistiiled from 7vater. '- The oil of turpentine send you is pure, or nearly so, and is, as l think, an article of con siderable importance. It dssolves singly, caoutchouc, and the solution dries rapidly, and does net continue sticky like the solution made with common oil of turpentine. Mixed with alcohol; it burns in a lamp without leav- l ing small reSinouS points upon the wick, or causing those scintillations, observable in the flame when common oil of turpentihe is used.