Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-05

been known and used in large quantities.
These processes, like reduction OF metal
lie ores. and tanning, and dyeing, must
necessarily have been discovered en-
prcally, and their practice was IKE
wise empirical SO long as the compost
ton OF the raw, as well as OF the mn
ished. products remained unknown to
those engaged in working with them.
Ii was only after chemists began to apply
the balance to the study OF compounds
that any marked Improvement In that
class of Industries, based upon chemical
changes, became possible.
The application of the balance In the
study of chemical phenomena was MADE
general about 100 years ago, and from that
time the great chemical Industries which
We know to-day began TO develop. In
deed, they had never before been posi-
bic.
USE OF CHEMICAL KNOWLEDGE.
States also began to recognize shortly
the advantages to be gained by applica-
ton of chemical knowledge to industrial
pursuits To this end technical schools
were established, OF which the Ecole
Poytechnique, in France, was the hfst,
founded In 1895. Others followed In few
years. such as the Vienna Polytechnic
Institute QSl0, and the Berlin Technical
College QS9o). AT the present time each
civilized country has greater or less
number OF such schools. their function
being to thoroughly train men IN those
scientific principles directly bearing on
the industries.
To get clear idea as to the results Of
this wedding OF chemistry and the In
dustries. consider a few specific cases:
Ordinary soda Is a substance OF so
frequent use that we fail TO appreciate
its value to US. Its immense Importance
IS realized IL one remembers that II Is
necessary for the manufacture OF glass
and soap. Yet this useful article was
contributed to modern life in such abun-
dance by chemical research-the
problem 10 be solved was, how to convert
ordinary salt into soda. At present two
methods Of effecting this change are In
actual operation, and furnish the cheap.
but pure product, as we have II IN COM
merce to-day-the lie Blanc process ana
the Solvay, OF ammonia process.
The match is another household neces-
sity of modern times. But FOR the in
creased knowledge Of chemical prepare
lions and processes II would never have
been known to the people whose daily
wants IL meets. What marked i'm
proyement we now enjoy over the old
flint and steel, or even the chemical
tirder," Of 1897. which consisted OF splint-
ers tipped with a mixture of sulphur and
chlorate OF potash, and which were
lgnited by dipping them into oil OF vitrioi.
DISCOVERY OF EXPLOSIVES.
With the exception of gunpowder, the
explosives whose manufacture now forms
such a great industry have all been
made available by chemical research.
What immense benefits were conferred
on New York city alone by the removal
OF the Hell-Gate reefs by using dynamite
q few years ago, not to cite other i'm
portant uses OF explosives.
1t was the privilege OF the writer
few years ago to take part In some work
in connection with tannery in North
ern State, the results OF which furnish
a good example Of similar work In many
other Industries. AS is known TO all,
the tan. or as chemists designate H. tan
mic acid. is the valuable part OF tan
ba rk Hemlock bark, which was being
used In the place mentioned. contains
about 10 per cent OF tan. We found
that the tanners were throwing away Z
per cent. of this tan. or % per cent. OF
the total, by improper teaching. With the
amount Of bark they were using. this
amounted 10 So per day. We cut this loss
OF tan down to 10 OF l per cent, thus
snect.ng saving OF $3.50 per day, or
over $1,000 per year.
Further. II was requiring 10 days to
tan hide. and we effected a reduction
Of the time 20 ninety days. thus effectine
a saving Of % per cent. in time, and
enabling them with the same plant %
Increase their output very largely. While
| have not the data at hand on which 10
make calculations. / know positively that
1t was In this particular we accomplished
most for the owners or the tannery.
The total expense OF this work to the
company was not over $500, while on
one Item alone we saved them more
than $1,000 Was 1t q paying invest
ment for them?
The extraction of gold from Its ores is
another industry made more profitable
by application OF chemical knowledge
thereto. OF all the gold produced by the
world IN 1895, which is estimated at
$50, 900, 900, south Africa alone produced
So. 10000. The enormous output from
Africa alone was the result OF the So
called cyanide process, which Is based
upon q weIl-known chemical reaction
that gold Is soluble in cyanide OF potash.
Tho South African ores are generally OF
poor quality, averaging about 81 per ton.
and all the other methods OF extraction
In general use were too expensive to be
rsed profltably with these ores. besides
the further difficulty that scarcely more
than half OF the GOLD was obtained from
the ores by their use.
This cyanide" process Is being used
with handsome returns In the Cripple
Creek Colorado mines. and the output
OF those mines last year amounted 10
nearly 5000 600. SO that the statement
may be made that cyanide yielded
more than one NTH Of the gold OF the
whole world last year. In fact. but for
this process. South African gold mines
would have been scarcely worked at all.
because Improbable.
In l7H Marggraf. q chemist, discovered
srgar in the beet juice From that be-