The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-21
THE ALUMINuM AGE.
Big Plant to Work the New Metal

Big Plant to Work the New Meta
Founded at Deans.
There is now being fitted up at Dean''
| Station plant for the manufacture o.
aluminium from wonderfully pure va
riety of clay or kaolin found in ths
vicinity. The clay Is unusually rich IL
| the metal, the percentage being from &c
S. The metal will be extracted on large
| scale and by an improved process that
| will wonderfully lessen the cost. and
place il in position to compete with iron
aud steel, for whose uses it is SO much
more adapted.
| The factory is being erected on the land
of Mr.. Isaac d. Gabel, wealthy cigar
and tobacco dealer of Bordentown. He
owns 1854 acres. on part of which is 10.
Gated the deposits of clay from which
the valuable element will be extracted.
The clay deposits are about a mile and
a quarter from the depot. There are
| many different kinds, each adapted to q
| particular use. One, however, a kaolin
is far superior to the others. 1t is white
| and fine, absolutely free from grit, and
equal. il not superior. to the famous
kaolin Of South Carolina.
PROCESS A SECRET.
The process by which the metal is to be
| extracted from the clay is secret known
only to the discoverer, Colonel Fresh
| muth. u celebrated chemist, of Phila.
! delphia, and Mr.. Gabel. Colonel Fresh
muth was one of the first to discover a
process by which TO extract the metal
| from its ores. and it WAS he who had
manufactured and presented to the Go
veFnment the aluminium cap on the top
| of the Washington monument.
The story of the formation of the D. ID.
| Gabel Manufacturing Company. as the
new industry is known, Is an Interesting
and curious one. Mr.. Freshmuth saw In
Philadelphia piece OF the clay from the
Deans Station pit. which some curious
pasSer-by picked up as curiosity and
which had finally landed In Philadelphia.
He was at once struck with che appear
| ance of the clay and securing sample
experimental with it.
The result of his experiments proved
| that the clay was wonderfully rich in
aluminium. At that time he had perfect
ed his process of extracting the metal,
and realizing that a combination of the
| best process and the best clay would
enable aluminium TO be produced at rates
| far below the present market price. he
made it his business to find out the owner
was successful, and he and Mr.. Gabel now
comprise the firm.
NEW MACHINERY.
The process is said 10 be chemical one.
although the machinery now being SET
up in the factory includes thirty horse
power steam engine and large dvuamo.
The factory is located in bara on the old
Giles property. which Mr.. Gabel pur'
chased some years ago. 1t has been en-
tirely remodeied and made into COM
modious home OF Industry.
The method employed, 1t Is hoped. Will
produce from forty-fve to fifty pounds
Of aluminium from each ton of clay. The
residue of clay, after being treated by a
chemical process, also the invention OF
Freshmuth. is made into fireproof
paint that is cheaper and better than any
similar article now on the market.
This also will comprise spar5 of the
factory's output.
The principal product, however. will be
aluminium. The firm has already re-
ceived several offers from individa aals and
firms who offer to make contracts for the
whole output Of the plant. 1t is moi
definitely known when the work will be
started. but it will be as soon as possib bic.
Laborers are already at work hauling th
clay, aud several tons Of IL are In the bins
at the factory.