Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-08-27
THE MARVELLOUS METAL.
ALUMINIUM GRADUALLY CON-
OUERING SKEPTICS,
Its Weak Points Those of All Infancles-
Already Enfhroncd in My Lady's
TOILETTE Is Pushing Its
Way Everywhere.


shining metal of shade between sill
YER and platinum and lighter than all
other workable metals. 1t is found
chiefly as silicate, in clays. slate, mari,
granite, basalt, and large number OF
minerals. Mica contains much alum
mum, while rottenstone is an alumni
mum silicate, mixed with organic mat
ter.
Lavoiser, the chemist who worked
so laboriously for the scientific world.
was the first to establish its probable
existence. His death on the guillotine
in 1894 cut short his Investigations.
however, or he might have made the
discoveries that other chemists did
twenty years later. Sir Humphrey
Davy and Oersted in turn were quite
successful in their experiments. but it
remained for Wohler. the German
chemist, in 1927, to separate some OF
the true metal. Its great advantages
were soon known and scientists inn
mediately set to work to discover pro-
cesses whereby the cost of freeing it
from its compounds might be reduced.
At that time sodium, an important
factor in its preparation, was worth
800 pound, while the other materials
used were equally expensive. Mr..
Sainte Claire Seville. a professor in
the Ecole Normale. at Paris, in 1854,
invented a process which reduced the
cost of metallic sodium to 80 cents per
pound, and that OF chloride of alumni
mum to 25 cents. Sulphate Of alumni
mum, which is used in the United
States Pharmacoppia was also cheap
ened. The present cost OF metallic
sodium is about 20 cents.
The specific gravity of aluminium
when cast is 2.56 and when subjected
to pressure ranges up to 2.67. 1t is
lighter than glass, and has more than
four times the displacement of silver
and does not require as much heat to
be melted. The properties of aluminium
are many and important. Although as
malleable as iron says the Cincinnati
Commercial-Gazette, it has greater
tenacity and equal constructibility and
stiffness. Its greatest use. as soon as
its cheapness is demonstrated, will
probably be as an alloy, where, in most
cases, it adds to the hardness and pre-
vents oxidation upon exposure to the
air. There are but two companies in
the United States at present interested
in the production of this metal
and their wares have everywhere at
tracted attention, mostly on account of
the newness and experimental state in
which aluminium still is. Then, more
over aluminium is not a total success.
In the infancy of all metals a certain
period of failure has had to be over
come. and it has only been after a num-
Der of years that their true value and
acquaintance have been established.
For instance, only recently has an
aluminium solder been obtained which
has been able to withstand the tests Of
ordinary soldered bodies and which
does away with riveting. Welding
aluminium. except by an expensive
electrical process, still remains a Sc
cret. 1t will not be until these things
are discovered and their practicability
proven that aluminium will assume a
place of great Importance. and in any
way revolutionize things
Mr.. c. NJ. Hall, whose process of re-
duction is generally used. is a gradu-
ate of Oberlin college and an Ohio
man.
Mr.. Hall does not think aluminium
is suitable material for structural
purposes, but that it does compare we'll
in strength with.other metals, and for
purposes where lightness combined
with moderate strength is desired, not
only will it become useful. but it is
being largely used to-day. AS alumni
mum is so remarkably free from tar
nishing, next to gold and platinum, it
is being largely used by dentists in
making dental plates. and also for dec
orative purposes it is taking the place
of silver. as it will not become black
ened upon exposure. but retain its lus-
ter for Il long time. At present with
a few exceptions the results of its
manufacture are knick-knacks, such as
inkstands. mirror frames. thimbles,
charms, rings, plaques and match
boxes, the workmanship on most being
extremely artistic and substantial in
the way Of repousse work and floral
and conventional designs. These are
done in two finishes frosted and pol
ished. Bar and snaffle bits and har-
hess furnishings. cast in aluminium,
have proved to be the equals of those
in steel. not affected bv exposure, three
times as light and free from all corro-
sion.
The price OF an aluminium bit is -.
| while the best steel bits sell at 81 and
ST., so, but the advantages of the
former outweigh this difference OF
cost.
Recently bit cast in aluminium un-
derwent steady strain of 900 pounds
before breaking. Horseshoes are other
useful articles made, but there has
been some difficulty in fitting them to
the foot. One lasted through $40 miles
of travel, and had been on the horses
foot four months and four DAYS before
removed. This was not over hard
pavemeLts. but the ordinary country
turnpike. Horseshoes sell at 81 ne,
| set
Feathery composing 'sticks" are
made of this metal which ~ oo,,,,,