The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-08-14
THE ALUMINIUM AGE.
a New Industry that will Revo1utionize
Business Of the World.

Business Of the World.
atlanta is about to become the centre
of an industry which will revolutionize
the business Of the world
When, in the mad rush fer the gold
regions of California in 1919, the emi.
grant and the adventurer rushed pell.mell
across the richest part of this country and
struggled painting across the great West
ern desert, they little knew that they
were leaving behind thrm,-eyen press.
ing under their feet-greater wealth than
the gold mines of the world could offer.
In the toilsome silence Of his laboratory
it was reserved fC- an Atlanta man,
Michel Emui; to unlock the secrets of
nature and open up the bewide:iDg pos.
sibilities of faluminum.
True the metal was known, true it had
been produced before, but never at q cost
small enough to bring it within the
reach of the world. wide demand of all
the arts to which aluminium is applicable.
The metal which thirty years ago was
worth SIS an ounce, is produced in
Atlanta by new method, in which the
cost, "at q liberal estimate," is 30 cents q
pound, and it is an open secret that it is
far be low that figure.
For long weary months this man toiled
without encouragement. Finally Mr..
Samuel W. Goode went into partnership
with him, and now they are associated
with DR.. J. S. Hopkins, Mr.. Phil. Haral.
son and others.
This wonder among metals is spread
about US in the most lavish abundance.
It is everywhere, in the clay banks all
about it ID stored, and in some places it
makes more than third of the ground.
In many clays there is 20 per cent. of it,
and in the Georgia kaolin 40 per cent,
in some Virginia deposits 60 per cent.
This metal aluminium, or aluminium as
the weight Of authority now has it
though it is 80 abundant, has been dearer
than gold. About the time of Deville's
discovery of method Of reducing it in
1851, the price vas $50 an ounce, and
up to 1887 the total production of the
world in year was 10000 pounds. Now
it is being made by the ton and the price
has fallen to 81 q pound. The method
of reduction is etill costly and imperfect
and q fortune awaits the man who will
produce it for minimum cost.
Aluminium has only been on the mar.
ket in commercial way for about year.
In that time The applications to which
this metal can be economically put have
been found to be so numerous that its
introduction will mark great step in the
advance of human progress Aluminium
at Is cents per pound-end it will surely
reach that price-will take the place of
iron and steel in many important lines of
manufacture. It's adaptability to ship.
building becomes at once apparent The
use OF aluminium for this purpose would
change the mighty black racers of the
Atlantic into bright silver vessels, which
would inspire the marine peets to flights
of hitherto unheard of fancy in describing
how "lightly the silver ships rode the
blue billows." Seriously, there is q
possibility that ocean racers in the course
of time will be constructed of Alumni.
ura.
It's chief advantage is its lightness.
At present one of the great difficulties in
ocean navigation is the weight Of YES.
sells. 1t is impossible to get engine power
sufficient to obtain more than twenty
miles al hour. 1t has been estimated
that if an Atlantic liner were built of
aluminium, or that the weight of the
material out ofwhich ships are construct
ed be reduced by one half, and their sides
coated with hi ghly polished non corro.
siye substance, it would have less than
one third the draught. and be propelled
with the SAME engine poner at double
the speed which characterizes the iron.
built steamship of the present day.
1t is matter Of history that Napoleon
offered large reward for an inexpensive
process of manufacturing aluminium,
because he wanted its lightness and
strength for use in war. A ten-pound
gun, for instance, would only weigh four
pounds, and accoutrements that would
drag the stoutest soldier down, could be
carried with ease if made of aluminium.
What boon 10 humanity this change
would be. Houses can be built of alum.
inium, and, as this metal never rusts and
is as fire. proof as iron, a house construct
ed of it would not only survive great
conhagration, but always exhibit asil-
very, glistening surface. Passenger cars
made of aluminium would be incombust-
ible, and would not be readily crumbled
by collisions. The ductility of Alumni
um will render it the best of all possible
materials for bridges.
Pure aluminium melts and becomes
fluid at about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit,
aud is most malleable at a temperature
between 200 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit,
although it can be rolled cold with
frequent annealipg. In malleability it
ranks next to gold and silver, and may
be easily drawn, its tensile strength vary
ing from twelve to fourteen tons to The
inch. 1t can be hammered into foil as
thin as any beat gold leaf and rolled into
sheets of FIVE -thousandths of an inch in
thickness.
ITO give an idea of the properties of
aluminium would require the delivery Of
lecture. It is. extremely light and
strong. Its specific gravity is 2.5S in
the cast metal (25S times as heavy as
weter) and rises to 2GS when it is ham
mered. The specific gravity of iron is s,
more than three times as heavy as alum
inium. Copper is 3.G times as heavy,
nickel 3.5 times, silver times, lead 4.8
times and gold II times as heavy. The
average wood is three-fourths as heavy
as water; aluminium is therefore about
three times as heavy as most wood.
"Its ductility is another great quality,
and for that reason its usefulness in the
arts is apparent. 1t does not oxidizo in
the open air like iron, silver or other
metal. For that reason it will be used
in covering houses. On roof it would
almost last forever. Fruit acids have
no effect on it, and that will make it in
valuable for cooking utensils. For the
weight its tensile strength is very great
from twelve 10 fourteen tons TO the
inch, while that Of cast iron, which is
over three times as heavy, is only eight
tons. Tie tensile strength ofsteel show.
ing test of thirty. eight tons will be
equaled by an aluminium rod of the same
weight, though it would be three times as
large.
and lightness will extend its use. see
70 reason why it should not be used in
stead Of wood in buggies or railroad cars,
for you could get the same strength with
much less weight, and it would be prac.
tically indestructible.
ut will also be used in making surgi.
| cnI Instruments mathematical or survey