The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-18

"h NahS Juu y OluoboE Vi uld
monds. Everything Is prepared for
giant casting, which will be the last
will probably ever make"
II was foundry not 0 labratory WI
entered. Hooked in vain for bottles ant
jars and ret0rts. In their places wert
Carboys Of acid, heaps Of coal, q station
airy engine and deep pit, A huge cram
swunga
SPECTRAL ARM,
blackened with smoke, over a fire smold.
eftng In tue furnace. In the center OF q
mass Of powdery white dust stood stamr
used In the quartz mills for pulyerizIna
rock. Scattered around were seyera
huge mortars, Of different shape and great
or strength than those used In sea.coasI
detenses, but Of the same general pattern,
On one side was o row Of iron lockers. A
casemated pit In the farther corner pro,
tected the experimental or witnesses from
the danger OF explosion While I was
examining the curiously constructed can.
mon, and wondering OF the singular furni.
ture Q! this most singular laboratory, my
friend was DOMINIC light leather apron
which bore marks Of use. His discourse
was frequently interrupted bytiny CUES.
tons, and old stories and reed Elections,
which l omit, giving only that which Is
relevant.
"rhls mortar" said he, laying his hand
upon tho one was inspecting, us not a
piece Of ordnance, but one.halr OF re-.
ceiver, Of soda.cannon, capable of with.
standing q pressure Of 1000 atmospheres,
or 10000 pounds 10 the square inch. This
one" pointing to a smaller, twill stand
even more. That one over in the corner
Is the one generally use. They are made
oil the toughest material known to science,
and themselves are wonder IL had no
other to show you. Their cost Is no
smallitem. This one-capacity ten pounds
OF diamonds at caSting-cost sos 900;
and this one, with q capacity OF twelve
pounds, cost $4,000. You notice that
they are lined with white gold, or plati.
mum. This large one Is the one we will
use tonight. Notice these cutters and
rows'of shelves. They are for the recep.
tion Of the acids and carbonates. While
am filling them let me continue from
where l left of in the house." While he
talked he filled the cutters with acid and
the shelves with powder.
My idea that the carbon contained in
wood, charcoal, sugar, and other com.
pounds of like nature had lost It's power
OF capitalization was true in the main,
but not in detail. / have not time to ex-
plain how ! found out what am telling
yon, but will content myself with results.
Carbon gas exists to .day as II has existed
d6 initi0, the only adulteration being oxy.
gen las in the atmosphere Of which it
forms a part. or this obtained enough
to make a tiny diamond, the size OF a
drop Of water. 1t came by accident,
when l was not expecting il. But this
was slow and costly. l began to expert.
ment, and soon found that carbon, as it
existed in magnesia and marble, would
also crystalline. Now observe. This
white dust is q mixture of marble dust
and itacolomite-one pound Of the latter
to ten OF the former. One hundred and
ten pounds contain twelve pounds Of
carbon. As usedit is carbonate of lime
and silicon.
"In these cutters now put
THIS SECOND MIXTURE.
consisting Of Iron filings, baryta, and
powdered rock sulphur, in the proportions
Of two parts Of iron to one Of each OF the
others. You notice that one halt of the
cannon as 1t lies Is q double shell. This
inner chamber l fill with sulphuric acid.
Now we will swing the other half over
and fill that through the opening in the
top"
When oil was finished-the contents
completed, the parts screwed and iasten.
ed, and the joints protected by fire proof
cement-my friend adjusted the chain
that hung from the crane to the bottom
Of the mortar.
"Quick, to your hole" said he, giving
me the example. Here I found that the
crane was worked by the steam engine,
and the steam engine governed from the
easement. "Now, as I tip the mortar"
said he, starring The belts, "the sulphuric
acid comes in contact with the marble
dust, composed Of twelve pounds OF car
bon and lightweight OF lime. The oxy-
gen OF the acid combines with the carbon
and becomes carbonic acid gas. The sui.
phur combines with the lime 10 make
sulphate Of lime, which, like marble dust,
is neutral. This is the moment OF dan
ger. Tho amount of carbonio acid gas
now evolving is Notwithstanding to
stagger belief; and should 1t explode even
with this door open for us to escape
through, our lives would hardly be worth
q moments purchase. we would be
smotherGd. But if il lasts half an hour
we are all right. The story Of the upas
tree is looked upon as q table. It is true.
At the foot Of the valley in which 1t grows
are springs Of carboniC acid gas, which is
death to animals and life 10 vegetables.
Imagine what a quantity Of this gas must
be in that receiver, when only 80 per cent
Of it weighs twelve pounds, and what q
pressure there must be upon it. I think
We can reduce that pressure little" The
crane swung slowly over the furnace, and
the huge cannon was laid gently length.
wise upon the fire, which was Immediate
ly raised to an intense heat by streams Of
oxygen. Soon the whole mass was in a
state Of incandesccnCc.
"The danger is over" said my friend;
"carboniC acid gas does not expand by
heat, or, at least, heat does not incease
the pressure. But 1t will soon cease to
exist. The iron filings, raised to a white
heat, are now combining with the oxygen
of the carbonic acid gas, producing oxide
oil iron, or iron rust The sulphur is
burning, AMI will absorb more oxygen,
becoming sulphuric acid. The sulphuric
acid reacts upon tho barytic acid, and
both become powerless. Carbon is now
free, in tho form of
WHITE VAPoR,
all the oxygen having become latent,
and will crysIalize on tho melted itacolo.
mite upon cooling, diamonds being the
result" He called tho Waterman, gave
him orders to keep the fire at an even