Thomas County cat., 1886-08-26

tion That Will Make Iron aad
Steel Antiquated.
Several months ago the Blade con.
tanned the announcement that metal.
lurgist of this vicinity had, after years
of study and experiment succeeded in
lnventing process for obtaining
aluminum-the metal which is the
base of all clays-in metallic form,
and probably SO cheaply that 1t could
at once compete with iron and steel
for all uses. The article created in
tense interest in scientific and metal
lurgical circles. 1t was widely copied
in periodicals devoted to the many in.
dustries which would be revolutionized
by such discovery, and numbers OF
letters of inquiry were received from
gentlemen and firms anxious to know
more of this wonderful discovery.
The Blade is now able to declare the
entire success of the experiments,
which have been made on an actual
commercial scale, and to make the as
founding announcement to the world
that the entire range of metal in
dustries will be entirely and completely
revolutionized. The days of iron and
steel are numbered. and aluminium will
be the king of metals in the future.
This statement appears incredible; but
it is nevertheless strictly and entirely
true. The facts in the case are here
with given.
The invention is that of a metal
lurgist named Seymour. now at Find
lay, o.. where the experimental works
are located. 1t will he called the
'Sevmour process 1t is process of
obtaining the pure metal in a furnace,
but at much lower heat than that
needed for iron. Mr.. Seymour is an
American; SO the honor of the greatest
discovery of modern times is reserved
to our OWE country. He is thorough
metallurgist, who 1as spent his life n
researches. which haye Lad Up to this
invention as the result of twenty-five
years Of study.
Aluminium is now sold at $40 per
pound, and this is the lowest price it
has ever reached. The process used
required six days. The Seymour pro-
cess will turn out pure aluminium from
the crude clay in six hours, at cost of
less than dollar a pound! More
than this; allows can be made from
clay and the ores of other metals in the
same time; for instance, in six hours,
from crude clay and copper ore, alum
inum bronze, which contains five to
ten per cent of aluminium, and is the
best material in the world for cannon,
journal bearings and variety of
other important uses, can be obtained
direct
1t may be of interest to recapitulate
the properties and uses of aluminium.
1t is the most abundant constituent of
the earth's crust. Every bed OF clay,
every ledge of slate. is = vcritable ore
bed of aluminium; for the basis of all
clay is alumina, which is an oxide of
the metal. Aluminium is white
metal, next in luster to silver. 1t is
only one-third the weight of iron. be-
ing lighter than glass; in fact. it is
about as heavy, bulk for bulk. as chalk
or pine wood. Hence pound of
aluminium is much larger in bulk than
a pound of iron. 1t is as ,.alleable as
gold, more tenacious than iron, and
harder than steel. being next to the
diamond in hardness 1t melts at /, 800
degrees, at least coo degrees below
the melting point of iron. 1t does not
rust in the open air. nor tarnish by
contact with gaSses rs does silver.
The enumeration of its properties
sounds like fairy tale.
When one is asked to euumerate the
uses to which it can be put, the mind
is bewildered at the vast possibilities.
1t is the ideal metal for railroad use.
An aluminium steamship will weigh
only one-third as much as an iron one
OF the same size; hence she will have
only one-third the draft, and can carry
at least double the weight of cargo of
an iron vessel. The ocean stea1aers.
bailt of this metal, can increase their
speed on account of their ightness.
They EiH DE made of thiqner and
lighter plates Of metal; have stronger
but much lighter engines; alarger and
stronger propeller; in fact with
aluminium vessels. and engines of the
same material, travel by water will
rival the speed attained on land. The
ocean will be the highway of nations.
indeed 1t can be east, or worked un-
der the hammer. rolled into sheets.
drawn into rods or wire. or deposited
by galvanism.
ltstensiie strength is msrvelous. In the
form OF wire it equals E2S. 900 pound
to the squre inch, and under other
conditions reaches 100000 pounds.
Bridges made of it will be lighter than
wooden ones and stronger than if of