The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-30
AN AGE OF ALUMINIUM.
a Chicago Man Believes He Is
About to Cheaper Ii.
lChicago News.l

lutionlze hundred of the useful arts
and make the Twentieth century an age
of aluminium, just as the Nineteenth has
been an age of iron. J. M. Hirsch, a
German chemist of Chicago, says he has
discovered process by which he can
extract the aluminium from common
clay at cost of fifteen cents or less for
each pound. IfMr. Hirsch is right, then
his secret is worth many millions OF dol
lars.
Aluminium is the perfect metal. 1t Is
SO plentiful that it composes the metallic
base of the earth's crust. The soil under
our feet is full of it. 1t is as bright as
silver and it weighs only one-fourth as
much-in fact, it is only two and one
half times as heavy as water 1t is both
malleable and ductile, and may be drawn
into fine wires or beaten into sheets as
thin as paper. Water does not corrode
it. 1t does not tarnish or change color
when long exposed to the air. 1t is not
affected by any acid except hydrochloric
1t is superior in lightness, strength and
resistance to destructive forces to any
other metal. And yet it is scarcely
known to the general public and is used
very little Why? Because it costs too
much to extract the metal from the tena-
cious grasp of the clay which contains it.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DISCOVERY.
At SIS a pound aluminium is found
only in the chemical laboratories as a
sort of curiosity. At fifteen cents a
pound its uses would be endless. It
would be employed in the manufacture
of thousand Of articles-from collar
buttons up to freight cars. Since alu-
minum was discovered. fifty years ago,
the one great problem in chemistry has
been to cheaper the process of separating
it from clay, If the Chicago chemist
has solved this problem the most ex-
travagant statement will scarcely ex-
aggerate the far reaching results of his
achievement.
Professor Joseph M. Hirsch is not a
moneyless adventurer and he is not
proclaiming the Importance of his dis
covery; in fact, he is very reticent in re-
gard to the matter He is not after
subscriptions of stock, for the entire
stock Of the company which he has
organized has been quietly taken up by
few capitalists, except the great slice
Of 81 100000 retained by the discoverer
of the process.
Professor Hirsch, a studious, pleasant
faced, specialized German of 40, was
found at his Office.
81 have process by which aluminium
may be extracted for fifteen cents a
pound" said he. sit is not matter of
supposition, but an established fact. I
have already, with my small experimental
apparatus, made from thirty to fifty
pounds in a single day, and there is moth
ing to prevent the same process from
being applied to secure indefinitely large
amounts of the metal"
THE PROCESS A SECRET.
''Can you give some idea of your pro-
cessT' was asked.
THAT is my secret and prefer to. say
nothing about it. I have been working
with the aluminium problem since 1865,
and my process is my own. know that
can produce the metal for fifteen cents
pound. If the public does not believe
this it cannot accuse me of any Interior
motive in saying so, for do not ask any
thing in the way Of assistance"
"Under the cheapened process to what
uses can the aluminium be proftably ap-
plied?"
"Well, to freight cars, for instance.
Owing to the lightness of the metal fif-
teen cents pound is almost as cheap as
steel, and the metal can be used for
building materials, roofing and any
where, in fact, that zinc, iron or tin can
be used. The metal can be made as soft
as foil or tempered harder than steel.
Aluminium cutlery will be better than
steel and silver, for it will not rust or
tarnish. already have an order for as
many pocket knives as I can turn out.
A bicycle can be made of aluminium
rolled pipe that will weigh only fifteen
pounds, and will be as strong as any one
could wish. Water pipes made of the
metal will last forever. All kinds Of
machinery, everything made Of any
metal, will be improved in appearance
efficiency and wear if made of the new
metal"
Professor Hirsch has put much of his
own money into the company and evinces
no fear that his discovery will prove tx
be practicable, applied upon the larges
scale.
If Chicago is soon to have cheap alu
minum there is no reason why the main
exhibition hall of the Columbian exposi.
ton should not be built of the bright
metal, which is lighter than an equa
bulk of either brick, stone. iron or glass