St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-11-15
Aluminium,
TIE NEW METAL AND ITS POSSIBILITIES


Aluminium.
TIE NEW METAL AND ITS rOssIBILITIEs--
ITS ADAPTATION TO IMPORTANT Uses.
Aluminium, aside from its lightness and
strength, is malleabe, ductiIe does not
rust, is as beautiful as silver, and IS much
more abundant ia its state than any metal
in use. Coyoite, or Iceland spar, is the
from which it has been mostly OBJ
tanned, but it is q constituent Of clay and
other ealths, and prevails almost every
where. The statement has been made
that it composes more than twentieth
part Of the crust of the globe, The diff
Guilty is to secure it in a pure state at
moderate cost. Much has yet to be learned
also as to the methods Of using it, and
there remains some doubt as to its adapta
ton to certain important uses. But within
the last lf-century its cost has been re-
duced from over thirty dollars pound to
less than three dollars and it is now being
put to practical use As an alloy. Recently
a series of tests to determine the virtues
of aluminium bronze was made by govern
ment naval officers at the Watersown
Massachusetts, Arsenal. A tensile
strength of 80, 900 pounds to the square
cess of anything before developed. The
TRAVERSE strength of the ompo5te metal
was found to be $500 pounds to the square
inch-a result that has been only equalled
by the finest quality Of crucible steel
There are busy brains and hands con-
stantly at work to reduce the expense of
manufacturing the pure metal and as the
incentive to success is very powerful,
- lnr ha
tinued. It's capabilities, sooner or later,
are very sure to be exclusively tested. If
they prove as satisfactory as there is
reason to hope they will, and the labo-
ratory process give way to mill produc-
ton 81 low cost, a wonderful revolution in
works of construction will have been en-
tered upon, How far in the future the
desired end may be there is no telling.
Remove two-thirds of it's own weight
without diminuition of strength, from the
vat structure that connects New York
and Brooklyn, and its effectiveness for
service, provided room were supplied,
would be CORES pondingly increased.
b ldges Of alulolnum-suppOslng always
It's qualities are truly rtpresented-could
be thrown across streams and ravines to
span which is now impossible. The ca
pacty of steamships would be similarly
enlarged. Not only would cargoes take
the place of lesser weight of the body of
the vessels, but also of that Of their ma
clinery. Enough coal could be stored to
Indefinitely lengthen voyagas without
fresh supplies. The cost of transportation
would be lowered in many ways, unfore-
seen, and speed and safety increased as
well. The calculations of competent en-
gineers as to the advantages to be gained
would produce a showing difficult of belief
at first. The Eiffel Tower as O construc-
tive feat would sink into insignifcance,
The field for architectural advance would
be all but unlimited. Air navigation
would leap forward with a bound -
if feasible at all-when its great desid-
eratum, q material combining strength
and lightness in degree never known be-
fore, or even appropriated, had been Sc
cured. S1reet-cars, wagons. carriages,
ETC., would be improved, and save i'm
mensely in draught power and wear and
tear Machines and Instruments would
partake in the benefits Of the change, and
new ones invented tnst are now unthought
of, These are but suggestions which ex-
perrs in each part; cuIar branch of me-
chanics can seize the meaning of and am
plifv. Should the reasonable hopes OF
the aluminium workers be realized, mar
kind would seem to have been enamel
pated from burden of heavy material
which it had been wrestling with for
ages, and posterlty would talk of the I'M
speakable waste of human energy that had
been involved in the use of iron.
There is an aesthetic side of the pros
pect as we'll as material one. Aluminium
not only does not rust, either in air or
water, but is easily polished. Transform
in imagination the elevated roadwsys OF
New York, the ratings and balconies be-
fore the houses or even the houses them
selves, the lsmp-posts, the roofs, spires,
and domes, the Brooklyn and other bridges,
to FURNISHED silver, and glimpse may be
had of the coming effect of aluminium 10
our cities indicated by the qualities now
claimed for it. The like has not been
pictured since Saint John spoke of the
golden streets and pearly gates OF the New
jerusalem ". Wright, IN HdTper's
Weekly.
Docs As GIFTS. Some people have very
little regard for the fitness of things when
selecting dogs for presentation purposes
The glver, by his lack Of appreciationof
coherency, frequently brings together
dog and a man whose tastes, susceptible
tiles, aspirations and literary ability are
markedly dissimilar. Such companion,
ship cannot fail to be unpleasant to both.
There is no need for such unfortunate oc-
currences. Let dog donaters ponder the
following directions, and unpleasant conl-
nlications will be avoided. For stock
broker, SPECTATOR. or investor in contin-
eences of any kind, get pointer.
The same kind Of dog also goas well
with a punctuator.
For a compositor, get setter
For military men, dogs of war.
For the man who has lost his fortunes
a retriever.
For a bsllconist, Skye terrier.
For a pedestrian lap-dog.
For detective. spotter.
For a cattle raiser, q bull dog.
For a millionaire, a deer hound.
For negro, coon dog.
For ieweler, watch dog.
For a sailor, water spaniel.
For a tobacco chewer, a spitZ.
For an explorer, a Newfoundland.
For singer. yeller dog.
Lor a prize fighter, pug.
Fol a messenger boy, terrier
For dude, a collie.
For an angry mother, mas till.
A Touching incident.
little boy came to a city missionary,
,,,+ Girt1 and well-wOrD bit