The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-23

The public have been Interested latte by At ate.
nerts Iespectng new method OF obtaining ia large
quantise6, rom that most abundant OF &c costs
con mon clay, metal which rivals ia beauty with
silver snd sur Passe It In durability not TO mention
other qualities. The discoverer-for SO we must
call bim--is MIR. Ssnee- Claire Deville. ALUMINIUM.
which hitherto existed only in very small quantities
and esteemed rather - curiosity, can nov be pro-
ducea ID masses sufficient and cheap enough to
replace COPPER, ana even iron In many respects,
and thus place the thew silver" superior in some
points TO the real article into such common use as
Il is by tiiumphs nko these, which illustrat.
modern science that the Injuries as we'll W the co.
forts of life coming within the reach Of ALL II
is by such discoveries--fruits Of scientific re-
search, which arc universal In their application
or results that humanity is benefited, and surely,
though slowly raised out Of the usliness and rough
ness Of material wants 1t is thus that the mtnd Is
civilizej, By acquiring taate for t1e useful and
beautiful OF higher order, and that more progress
mind than can be accomplished during centuries by
preaching and depunciations. Let Us hail, theD
every such discovery ss blessing, and every dis.
coverer rs the true, disnterestcd friend Of hu'
manity.
We learn from Paris that ths members of tho
Academy OF Sciences aud the humorous auditor
were loud 10 their admiration and surprise at the
beauty end hrillaDoy OF many ingots Of aluminium
presented by Mr.. Dumas, the celeb ,ated chemi {.
1t was impossible 70 believe they were no. silver
until taken into the hand, when their extraordi-
nary ughtness at once proved the cootrary. That a
me'al should weigh 70 little seemed ALMOST incrc-
diblc.
The price Of suminium q short time since In
France was about t7e rate Of gold. Mr. Dumas
ASSURED the Academy that, owing to recent disco
vries reducing the expense OF extracting it, the
cost Of production Was now about one hundred
tnss less AND Mr.. Ballard, another member, stated
that there was little doubt that the effect of compe-
ttion in is mspufacture, together with the sdvan.
tage OF throwing II opon TO tho IL dustrai resources
OF The word would be to reduce tue price IA low as
eve francs tho kilogrsmme, or about forty cents
yourd.
This import nt result Is mainly attributable to
the facility With which we are nov able 10 procure
pure sodium In abuD daDce which lie toe active agent
Tor the revivifcation Of aluminium, and which was
a. ore time yeiy expensive. Sodium is oh ained By
tQe decomposition OF carbonate OF soda By charcoal.
~ ire asd OF little lime IL has been found esslor
70 tepaiate " nom oxygen. Toe conversion Of
Muniblns tMth or clay into chi bride OF aluminium
tasts pace 80 easily that the price OF the chloride
OILY comes 10 about 10 certs pound.
MI Dumas observed that the ccncraliz alton OF
the Procedure OF Mr.. D-vills. the application Of
chlorine 10 the extraction CT metals forms q new
era In metallurgy.
Among the many remarkable qualities Of alumni.
nipm, such a. iss Resistance 10 OK either in
the air or BY ACIDS. m hardness it's vor dsrfni Itsht-
ress IT, male ableress tbe IA ill,y OF moaidInx Il,
&C.. M. Dtmss mentions another, ia sonoritv
An ipgos was suspended BY a string, aad bIce
lightly struck emitted the fnAst tone an NJ a ara
obtained tnly BY , combinaien Vt ths best metals.