The state herald., 1890-09-12
THE METAL ALUMINIUM.
Tho Wonderful Things that Nay b BIZ.
psotsd Of this Metal.

The Wonderful Things that Nay b Hx-
pectsd Of this Metal.
The Mat csmmsn xstal IN xx.st,ue s-Yt 4,
In the xsrtA xvssyvAsrs On. YeurtA he
Weight Of silvsr-lt, Nasshlss lrspsrsiss
Dsseribsd
AProf Hirsch. chemist Of Chicsgo,
ON make good his claim that he ha .
discovered prooess by which he can
extract aluminium from common clay
at o cost Of fifteen cents or less per
pound. he 10 destined 10 be rockoned
among the great beneiactors OF the
human race. Aluminium or aluminium,
as It Is sometimes written, 10 one OF
the most abundant OF all the metals Of
which tho body Of the earth Is COM
posed. It is only necessary to say that
1t is u chief constituent Of common lay
TO show that In tho matter OF abund-
ance IL leaves oven iron Far in tho rear.
Whom we add to this that II would be
could 1t be produced oheaply-great-
ly superior In many ways 10 every
other metal, the vast Importance OF
Prof. Hirsch's alleged discovery bo-
comes apparent.
As carly as 1928 aluminium was dis
engaged from its compounds. but Il
was only known a. a curiosity oil tho
laboratory until. thirty ycars later. n
method was discovered Of manufacture
Ing 1t ut such cost that II could bo
placed on the market But It has re-
mained. up TO tho present date. too
dear TO rank among tho more useful
metals. Up to tho present time it has
not been found practicable to produce
this remarkable metal at q lower
figure than q or Is a pound. Even ut
this price II has come into use. but
rather In the arts. strictly speaking.
than In general manufactures. Alum.
mum bronze. highly beautiful copper
alloy. is used In tho manufacture OF
jewelry and In other ways where orna-
ment rather than use 10 tho object
mined at Let US see, however. how
much will be added to the comforts
and conveniences OF lie should Prot.
Hirsch mako good his claim.
Aluminium Is. In many wayA a mcst
remarkable motai. pos sessing moro
valuable qualities than any other with
which We are acquainted-iron alone.
perhaps excepted. 1t Is oxcsediugly
malleable and can be rolled into tho
thinnest plates. II will. therefore,
suppln,t tin In almost all Its uses; for
example, us roofing material. For
it is greatly superior to tin. or rather
to tho sheet iron WASHED with tin. US cd
mt present for this purpose. In that II
never rusts. 1t Is also very duct tile
and Is easily drawn into tho finest
wire. Another popularity Is that 1t
may be hardened by hammering when
cold. yet eau BIO again mad, soft by
fusion. 1t can bs used. therefore.
either rs hard or soft metal. An
other striking popularity Is that 1t Is
highly sonorous and admirably adapt
ed for bell metal. 1t is equal to silver
as conductor OF heat or electricity,
while four limos lighter. and two aud
half times heavier than water. This
lightness would give 1t high value In
directions too numerous to mention.
1t might very well DO. for example.
that the iron ships OF our days ara
destined 10 be superseded by the
aluminium ships OF tho future. Of
greatly lessened draught Comparing
it with silver, which 1t resembles In
wilderness. 1t Is superior TO that metal
in that 1t refuses TO oxidizo even ut n
red heat 1t does not tarnish or
olacken In the pro ,ence OF sulphurettnd
hydrogen or other gasc,-a fault which
makes silver SO constant n burden to
tho housewife.
When 1t IL remembered that this
wonderful metal. so superior In many
ways To all Its rivals. Is to be found In
the greatest abundance In every por.
ton OF the globe. We are warranted. al.
most, In saying that tho discovery OF
a method OF bringing II into general
use might fairly take rank Us an epoch
making event We read OF tho stons
age. the bronze age. tho Iron age Of
the world. Perhaps Prof. Hirsch may
havo the honor OF bringing II about
that tho last decade OF tho nineteenth
century should DO known rs tho frs,
decade OF the aluminium ngc OF human
story.