Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-09-18
THE METAL ALUMINIUM.
The Wonderful Things tina. My b. Ex-
pectei of this Metal.

III the Eartn EVeryWnere-U le-Fourth the
Weight o. silver-It, Mat,a,e,s P.opc rites
De icrib,d.
If Prof. Hirsch. chemist OF Chicago.
can make good his claim that he has
discovered Il process by which he can
extract aluminium from common clay
at II cost of fifteen cents or less per
among the great benefactors OF the
human race. Aluminium or alumni mum,
as it is sometimes written, is one Of
the most abundant OF all the metals OF
which the body of the earth is COM
posed. 1t is only necessary to say that
it is a chief constituent OF common c lay
to show that in the matter of abund-
ance it leaves even iron far in the rear.
When we add to this that it would be
could it be produced cheaply great
ly superior in many ways to every
other metal, the vast Importance of
Prof. Hirsch's alleged discovery be-
comes apparent.
AS early as 1923 aluminium was dis
engaged from its compounds, but it
was only known as curiosity OF the
laboratory until. thirty years later. a
method was discovered of manufactur.
ing it at such Il cost that it could be
placed on the market. But it has re-
manned, up to the present date, too
dear to rank among the more useful
metals. Up to the present time it has
not been found practicable to produce
this remarkable metal at lower
figure than - or 50 IA pound. Even at
this price it has come into use, but
rather in the arts. strictly speaking.
than in general m ,nufactures. Alum
mum bronze, a highly beautiful cope r
alloy, is used in the manufacture of
jewelry and in other ways where orna-
ment rather than use is the object
aimed at Let US see, however. how
/ much will be added to the comforts
and conveniences of life should Prof.
Hirsch make good his claim.
Aluminium is, in many ways. n mos
remarkable metal, Possessing more
valuable qualities than any other with
which we are acquainted-iro alo le
perhaps excepted. 1t is exceedingly
malleable and can be rolled into the
thinnest plates. 1t will. therefore
supplant tin in almost all its uses; fol
example. as a roofing material. Fo
1t Is greatly superior to tin, or rathe
to the sheet iron washe with tin. use
at present for this purpose. in that i
never rusts. 1t is also very duct til,
and is easily drawn into the fines
wire. Another popularity is that
may be hardened by hammering wher
cold, yet can be again made soft b,
fusion. 1t can b. used. therefore
either as hard or soft metal. An
other striking popularity is that it
highly sonorous and admirably adap,
ed for bell metal. 1t is equal to silve
as conductor Of heat or electricity
while four times lighter, and two an
a half times heavier than water. Thi
lightness would give it high value i
directions too numerous to mention
1t might very we'll be, for example
that the iron shi ps OF our days ar
destined to be superseded by tn
aluminium ships of the future,
greatly lessened draught Comparin
it with silver, which it resembles
Wilderness, it is superior to that meta
in that it refuses to oxidize even at
red heat. 1t does not tarnish c
blacken in the pre- sence OF sulphurette
hydrogen or other gases-a fault whic
makes silver so constant burden I
the housewife.
When it is remembered that tn
wonderful metal. 80 superior in man
ways to all its rivals, is to be found
the greatest abundance in every pc,
ton OF the globe. we are warranted, q
most, in saying that the discovery {
a method OF bringing it into gener;
use might fairly take rank as an epocl
making event. We read of the stou
age. the bronze age, the iron age
the world. Perhaps Prof. Hirsch ma
have the honor of bringing it abo,
that the last decade of the nineteent
century should be known as the fir
decade OF the aluminium age OF huma
story.