The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-07

IHR CKSTURHs RRoGRRss In Indus
TRIAL CHENuTRT.-one Of the speakers
at the late Priestley celebration in North.
CUMBERLAND, Pa, Prot Smith, Of Louisville,
Kyn delivered an interesting lecture on
the progress Of chemistry as applied TO
the Industrial arts, during the last century.
he said that II was only after "Phestley
had discovered Oxygen and Layoisier had
become the interpreter Of chemistry and
Dalton introduced the theory Of chemical
proportions that chemistry became trust.
worthy servant 10 mankind and chemical
industries arose. And Is an illustration
Of the Importance Of these new industries,
he stated that "ia France alone the annual
value Of chemical products Is over $780,.
900 600, one.halI Of which Is included In
the manufacture Of sulphuric acid, soda,
soap, india rubber and candles. The
annual exports Of chemical products
from that country amount to 10000. 900.
OF the discovery Of chlorine by scheele,
q Swedish chemist, the lecturer said that
"the method Of bleaching by chlorine had
resulted in the sale Of $lO0,000,0O0 worth
oil cotton more than would without II
have been available, A vast proportion
Of the manufacturing wealth Of England
and Of the stimulus 10 her coal and iron
industries comes from this source. Chic
rine accomplishes In q few hours the
bleaching that formerly required many
days. and millions Of acres would be re.
qutred to effect BY sunshine the bleaching
work now performed BY chemistry. Those
Scres are now devoted to raising food ior
man" The use Of soda in the nAnuIlc.
ture Of soap and glass was said to consti.
tute the most extensive Of chemical in.
dustries, and 8 description was given Of 8
series Of improvements and discoveries
which had led to the general reduction
Of the price Of soda in crystals from $500
to SEQ per ton. Other interesting portions
Of the lecture described processes by
which potash and its salts could now be
obtained without the wholesale destrue-
ton of forests. In referring 10 candle
making the speaker said that "glycerine
was an outgrowth Of this manufacture,
originally 8 waste product, and the
destructive, explosive nitro, glyceIine, fol-
lowed in its train. This reminded him
Of gun cotton, and its powers and proper.
ties were set forth, including its solution
for Photographic use, assisting even as
Economical research in providing the col.
lo3ion film. All photography has its
origin in chemical research, and is de.
pendent upon it for future development"
Illuminating gas WAS referred to in con-
nection with numerous cosl.tAr products
which had followed It's use, and the
speaker said that mo longer are the
dyed isbrics Of the east imported; the
cosl.tar colors are, on the contrary, sent
out to India to dye the native cloths. The
invention Of alizarine IS 8 chemical pro-
duct, supetsedipg that extracted from
msdder and returning to use in raising
food products in the fields hitherto de-
voted 10 the culture Of the madder root,
was part Of the series Of the coal.tGr dis
coveries-" The manufacture and pro
gressive reduction in price Of phosphorus
were cited as great chemical advances Of
the century, and appropriate allusion was
made to iodine, bromine, sodium, alumni
NUN and magnesium manufactures; the
production Of medicines, particularly that
Of quinipe; and the metallurgical i'm
provements Of modern times.