The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1891-01-02
ALUMINIUM.
The Nav Metal and Its Posaibilit'es-1ss
Adaptation to Important Uscs.

Aluminium, aside from its llghtness
and strength, is malleable, ductile, does
not rust, Is as beautiful rs silver, and 10
much more abundant I'm Its state than
any metal In use. Coyolite. or Iceland.
spar Is the mineral from which 1t has
been mos1 obtained. but 1t is con-
stitucnt iypy and Of other earths.
and py,oi Ct lmost everywhere. The
steseSeevails 4been made that It COM
pos" hasRian twentieth part OF
the crMore the globe. The difficulty
Is to secure It in pure state at .
moderate cost. Much has yet to be
1t, and there remains some doubt rs to
its adaptation tocertain important uses.
But within tho last half-century its
cost has been reduced from over thirty
dollars pound to less than three dol
lars, and 1t is now being put to prac-
tical use as an alloy. Recently
series of tests to determine the virtues
Of aluminium bronze was made by gov
eminent naval officers ut the Water
town (Afassachusetts) Arsenal. A ten
sile strength of 10000 pounds to the
square inch was shown. which is large
ly in excess of anything before devel-
oped. The TRAVERSE strength OF the
composite metal was found to be 5000
pounds to the square inch-a result
that has been only equalled by the
finest quality OF cruciblo steel.
There arc busy brains and hands
constantly ut work to reduce the ex-.
pense Of manufacturing the pure metal;
and as the incentive to success Is very
powerful. their labors arc not likely to
be discontinued. Its capabilities, soon.
err or later, are very sure to be ex-
haustively tested. II they prove ~
satisfactory rs there is reason to hope
they will. and the laboratory processes
give way to mill production at low
cost, u wonderful revolution in works
OF construction will have been entered
upon. How far In the future tho de.
sired end may be there is no telling. /
Remove two-thirds of its own weight, !
without diminution of strength. from
the vast structure that connects New
York and Brooklyn. and Its effective
ness for service. provided room were
supplied, would DO correspondingly in
creased. Bridges of aluminum-sup-1
posing always its qualities are truly
represented--could DO thrown acrossI
streams and ravines TO span which is
now impossible. The capacity of
steamships would be similarly enlarged.t
Not only would cargoes take the
place of the lesser weight of the body
Of the vessels, but also of that Of their
machinery. Enough coal could bs
stored to indefinitely lengthen voyages
without fresh supplies. The cost of
transportation. would DO lowered in
many ways. forcseen and unforeseen.
and speed and safety increased as well.
The calculations Of competent en-
gineers rs to tho advantages to 10
gained would produce showing diff
cult of belief ut first. The Eiffer Tow
er rs n constructive feat would sink in
to insiguillcancc. The field for archi-
tcctural advance would he all but un.
limited. Air navigation would leap
forward with bound-if feasible at
all-when its great desideratum. ma
terial combining strength and light
ness in degree never known before.
or even approSima,cd. had been So
cured. S,rcct-cars. wagons, carriages.
etc. would be improved. and save i'm
mensely in drought power and wear
and tear. Machines and instruments
would partake III tho benefits OF tho
change. and new ones invented that
are now unthought Of These are but
suggestions which experts In each
particular branch of mechanics can
seize the meaning OF and amplify.
Should tho reasonable hopes OF tho
aluminum-workers DO realized, man.
Kind would seem to have been enamel.
patcd from burden of heavy material
which II had been wrestling with for
ages. and posterity would talk Of tho
unspeakable waste Of human energy
that hal been involved In the use Of
iron.
There is All aesthetic side to the pros
pect rs we'll Us material one. ALUMNI
mum not only does not rust. either Ia
air or water but Is easily polished.
Transform In Imagination the elevated
roadways Of New York. the ratings
nnd balconies before tho houses or
even the honses themselves, tho lamp
posts. the roofs. spires. and domes. the
BROOKLYN aud other bridges. to bur
nishcd silver. and glimpse may DO
had Of the coming effect o. aluminium
Ia 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 psarly gates
OF the New Jerusalem. - Anios w
Wright, IN Hlrpcr'S lHeskly.