Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-05
THE AGE OF ALUMINIUM.
II the Metal Can be Produced Cheaper
IL Will Revolutionixe the World.

From the London Spectator
1.-THE difficulty Of producing il cheaply alone
prevents aluminium from becoming the uni
versal metal That this is no fable may be
easily realized if we stop to consider the intrin-
sic advantages of aluminium. To begin with il is
present everywhere, and were the process Of
extraction easy not only no country but no dis
trict and even no parish would have to rely
upon its neighbors for its supply Of the prime
necessary of industry and commerce. Iron can
only be produced where nature has deposited
lodes of a particular ore and the nation not
possessed Of this natural gift is forced to pur-
chase it from without. Aluminium lies every
where close at hand. In slate, in feldspar, in
many kinds Of rock and in ordinary clay il
rests concealed and hence, could only simpler
process of extraction than that now in use be
devised, it might conceivably be easy to
manufacture the metal as to make bricks and
pottery. As In many parts OF the country the
earth that is dug out of the foundations sup
plies a great portion Of the bricks required to
build the house, SO aluminium might be pro-
duced on the very spot where it was required
Bearing in mind these qualities and imagin-
ing aluminium to be used where iron is now
employed. it is obvious that many of the great
problems of mechanics when applied to in
dustry would be solved. Take the case of
speed in ocean navigation. At present one of
the great difficulties is the weight of the YES
sells. 1t is practically impossible to get engine
power sufhcient to obtain more than 20 miles
an hour. Suppose, however. the weight of the
material out Of which ships are constructed re-
duced by one-half and their sides coated with a
highly polished. non-corrosive substance. Un-
der such circumstances there can be little
doubt that the vantage in favor of land trans
port as regards speed would be done away
with and we should think nothing of ves-
sells crossing the Atlantic in seventy-two
hours. swift passenger ship, built
OF material Offering as little resistance to
the waves as glass and lighter and more
buoyant, might easily accomplish so miles an
hour. Then, too ships drawing only the same
amount OF water as at present might accommo-
date great deal moro cargo, while large and
commodious vessels would require far less
depth of water to float them than at present.
In inland navigation this would be of the ut
most Importance. 1t is calculated that a ship
which if entirely constructed of iron would
draw rs feet of water would when made of
aluminium. not draw more than four or five.
Practically, then, the light metal would treble
or quadruple the number of miles of navigable
river in the world
whether those who are now endeavoring to
make aluminium the metallic staple will in the
end succeed, or whether the search for the
metal OF the future will prove as fruitless as
that for the philosophers stone, remains to be
seen. Possibly some accident may bring about
the usurpation of aluminium in a very few
years; but, equally possible. further research
may show that it must remain physically impos-
slble to produce 1t except at great cost and
labor. We are in the habit of saying that IN
the end science conquers all difficulties, but
this is by no means really the case. We hear
most of those it overcomes; but, as a matter of
fact, there are as many defeats as victories.
Still, there is some chance that the secret may
be discovered and the ideal metal be yet forth
coming"