The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-07-10
A Wonderful Invention.

The discovery at present attracting
the greatest attention in the scientific
world, is that of Prof. Hardinge, of New
York. He has, after series Of expert
ments, extending through several years,
discovered the art Of liquifying quartz,
and has established an extensive appara-
tus for that purpose, which is now in
successful operation. If this invention
becomes, as it is expected, practically
useful, there can be no limit to its quail
tiles of adoption, and something little
short Of a revolution in mechanical
matters must follow the realization
Of oil the plans of the inventor. With
the world at large, we have faith in moth
ing but practical evidence, and in that
only when it has stood the test of time.
The following from the pen of Prof.
A. G. Fleury, Chemist of note, resid-
ing in New York City, explains this in
yention. and what is expected of it.
Under date of Nov. LIST. Prof. Fleury:
was honored with an invitation to
visit the works of Prof. Hardinge. at
lO4th street and Broadway, New York.
near his residence at Woodlawn, and
saw him dissolve one ton of quartz at a
time, in single digester. containing
about one thousand gallons Of water
The digester holds about three thousand
gallons Of water, and is capable of dis
charging six thousand gallons of liquid
flint every day. The liquid quartz
which l saw dissolved is chemically
pure, and the solution perfect: the
liquid forming thick pellicle when
heated and exposed to the air, though it
may be preserved any length of time in
close reservoirs in the same liquid state.
Ny attention was drawn towards Profess
sor Hardinge about two years ago. by an
article on this subject. occupying over
four columns of the New York Tribune,
and signed by number of eminent Eu-
ropean chemists. Professor Hardinge
has been for many years laboring to per-
feet his vast purposes and l hereby
stake my reputation, as a man claiming
some scientific knowledge to judge 81
the fact. that he is now ready to build
city of the most durable as well as most
beautiful stone which it is possible for
the human mind to conceive; walls Of
variegated conglomerate, lined with col
ored porcelain (painted in fresco, fire.
proof roofs, moulded in statuary of the
richest and hardest kind, with the afore-
said liquid flint as base.
The question may be asked. What
has been Mr.. Hardinge's object in get
ging digester of such enormous calibre
as to weigh with its appendages, nine
tons 2 Ope great object, as will be seen,
is to dissolve two tons Of quartz regu-
!arly in water at time, thus treating six
tons every day in a single digester, show
ing how to secure every particle of gold
in auriferous quartz, be it fifty dollars to
the ton, or a thousand. Whoever ex-'
amines his process will find that not a
particle Of the precious metal can get
away. There is neither washing nor
amalgam, and the solution of this guam
,ity of quartz in water would give 5000
gallons of liquid of flint per day from
single digester, with the slick in far
greater excess than has ever been achiev-
ed before.
The next question arises. What is to
be done with g., 600 gallons of liquid flint
daily from single digester y answer
that presses of quick delivery can be
erected along the Hudson or elsewhere.
under banks Of silicious sand and con-
glomerate, where tens of thousands OF
tons can be rapidly moulded into beau
tirul and durable building stone the ST.
licic acid beng saturated during the pro-
cess of solution, with base in conform
ity with similar law which spontane
ously moulded the conglomerate pillars
in the Capitol at Washington, costing
the nation so much money. Common
sand may be moulded into building
blocks through the agency of this base,
which will not disintegrate by the action
of the weather.
Mr.. Hardingc is in correspondence
with His Imperial Highness Prince Je-
rome Bonaparte with reference to the i'm
mediate adoption of his process in mould
ing the silicious sand in Egypt for the
locks and canal Of Suez, SO as 10 dimin-
ish the vast expense TO at least one half
the cost of quarrying and hauling the
granate from distant mountains.
The most beautiful building stone,
where palatial grandeur is the aim and
object, can be madei by an admixture of
uuartoze rock, broken in small pieces,
combined with white pebbles from the
shores of Long Island. moulded as above
faced and polished with the flint varnish,
prepared in such a way as 10 be impre-
vious to the action of the weather.
Such conglomerate stone, interspersed
with silvery. shining scales of mica, TO-
gether with the variegations caused by a
variety Of mineral oxyds in the angular
pieces, in coniradisiinclion from the
white, semi translucent pebbles. would
form the richest conglomeraie that the
mind could conceive.
Tens of thousands of gallons Of this
LIQUID flint, combined with substances
having synthetical affinity, will be used
for inside walls. plain and in fesco also
in stucco ornaments and in moulded
marble, chalcedony. DC. Every variety
of rock can be reproduced, richly and
cheaply variegated at pleasure by mineral
oxyds. Vast quantities will also be short.
~ called for TO saturate those drab and