The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-19
NEW USES FOR ALUMNI UNI.
Taking Its Place With Iron and Steel as the
Most Useful of Metals.
(From the PHILADELPHIA Times,

Aluminium bids fair to become, within
the next half century, one of the most
useful of metals. Scarcely a week goes by
that some new field of usefulness for it
is not discovered. From strong posi-
bility of becoming the metal which
enters most largely into the subsidiary
coins of the United States government
1t runs through catalogue of uses that is
marvellous in it's extent. Iron and steel
have long been known as the two most
useful metals. Aluminium must now be
given an equal place with either of them.
The odd uses to which this metal is
put are almost innumerable. The grue-
some metallic casket of copper and steel
that is used to hide away forever the
mortal tenement Of humanity is grad
ually being replaced by the lighter alumni
mum affair, which answers the purpose
more satisfactorily, and at the same time
may be Theoretically sealed.
Almost revolution has been created by
aluminium among the photographers. The
chances are that nine persons out of ten
suppose the old stone process, as it is
called, is still in vogue. This consisted
of tracing on slab Of stone known as
photographers stone, whatever it was de-
sired to take Autograph of. To print
these Autographs under the old system
described necessitated the use of a fiat
pre- !, and this meant slowness Of speed
With the up to date aluminium litho-
graphic plate it is different. The alumni
mum plate may be bent so that it will fit
upon the cylinder of a fast press, making
the full speed 100 per cent greater, and
thus saving expense on the basis of the
fact that time is money.
So far as Uncle Sam and aluminium are
concerned there Is much to think Of
Should aluminium, as seems very probable
now, succeed copper as the metal in use
at the Mint, every person who utilities
the penny will be affected. When that
day comes, each cent will be light weight
and thousand times more convenient
to carry about For this use aluminium
is also preferable, it is said, from a
hygienic standpoint, as copper affords a
resting place for the microbes of various
diseases, which aluminium certainly
would not do.
Some months ago a series of expert
ment with aluminium were carried on at
the United States Mint in Philadelphia,
dHu, tlbhouSu uou DIS oAUouSlfo as Un6y
might have been, were sufficiently so to
prove that the substitution of aluminium
for copper in..lnoney was entirely feasible.
The matter was reported upon by the
Congressional Committee upon Coinage,
Weights, and Measures, and in view of it's
report it is very likely that some action
in the matter will be taken at the next
regular session of Congress.
Speaking of hygienic purposes of alumni
MY 10 n <f>b <an l,p1k ,,.t
fer of water as there is. The salts Of
aluminium are insoluble in water. Con-
sequently, it is plain that when these
salts are formed the water can be strained
and the impurities removed from it.
Perhaps the most popular method of puri-
fcation of water by means of aluminium
is what is known as the trough method.
The trough is composed of plates of
aluminium and zinc or iron six or eight
inches apart.
, One end of the tank affords an entrance
for the volume of water which passes over
the top of one plate and thence under the
platesznext to it, this being accomplished
by the fact that the elevation of the plates
is different. In connection with this
tank or trough there is 1noderate-sized
electrical generator. Aluminium will not
form the negative pole OF current, but
the other plates used will. 1t is always
the case that when an electric current
comes in contact with water in this fash
ion it decomposes certain portion of the
fluid, as it were.
The, result of this decomposition is that
ozone is formed and oxygen freed. This
means absolute extinction to any microbes
or organic matter which the water might
contain, leaving it, after meeting the
publication the salts Of aluminium occas-
ion, as clear and healthful as the water
which flows from the purest spring.
There are other methods of purifying
water by the use of aluminium, but they
are not adopted to any extent, the trough
or tank system always having been pro-
ductive of the best results.
Possibly one of the greatest claims of
aluminium to preference is that it is
cheaper, for, although the demand for it
has tremendously increased, there has
been no notable increase in price, 1t
costs much less than zinc or copper, for
instance, and it is replacing them in
many instances, such as in the manufac-
ture of paper and celluloid. Even some
of the most popular musical instruments
are made of aluminium. The mandolin.
the guitar, the banjo are all constructed
of the metal occasionally. Even the violin
has been made of aluminium, and very
successfully.