The record-union., 1897-07-17
USES OF ELECTRICITY.
IMPORTANT LABORS NOW PER
FORMED BY 1T.
Each Day Brings 1t Into New APP
plication-How Metals Are
Electrically Refined.

II is the fashion nowadays to apply
the term electric to everything that Is
a little bit beyond the common keh'
and very frequently the general puphc
is led to believe in an electric motive
force which does not exist at ALL New
ertheless. when the Industrial pursuits
OF the world are carefully scrutinlzed
with the idea of finding out the man
ner of their working, it is really Won
derful to see what is done at the pres
ent day by electrical means. ms
of course. does not mean the mere
use of a motor to operate machinery,
but processes, which are essentially
electric and depend upon the action or
the current for their successful man.
ipulation. Electro devices
can be numbered by the thousand;
electro-chemical processes are almost
as numerous In fact, it would seem
that the whole industrial world has
been -revolutionized by the reduction of
electric science to practical basis. A
review Of the most recent adaptations
proves this to be a fact.
The introduction of electrolysis into
the domain of chemistry is only an
other argument in favor of the inexact-
ness Of the latter science. Many COM
mercial chemicals are now used by the
world at large at a much cheaper rate
than formerly, because Of the economy
Of electrical production. A large per
cent. Of the metals can now be reduced
from their ores by electrolytic means.
The production, refining, purifying,
1.fc mot
chemical, such, for instance, as sugar,
moIasses, beer, starch, beet root juice,
is now accomplished electrically. Cot
ton is picked and bleached, leather IS
tanned. white lead is made, meat is
preserved, ozone is generated, acetyline
gas is produced, safes are broken, car
wheels are tested, graphite is formed,
and diamonds are manufactured by
either the direct or indirect action of
the current Gold, silver, iron, zinc,
lead, copper, tin, aluminium, nickef,
bismuth, antimony, are either mined,
refined, or separated from their ores,
and in some cases actually produced
by the magical properties of electric
ity Power is transmitted, farms are
worked, boats are propelled, oil wells
are made to increase their flow, the
stage is made more spectacular, water
courses are disinfected, and hitherto
impenetrable substances are rendered
transparent, all by means Of recent
electrical development. The list is not
carried beyond the achievements Of
year or two past, nor is it meant to
include the miracles Of the telegraph,
telephone, phonograph, or other wide
" spread factors Of electrical develop
ment which have been on everybOdy's
lip. The purely industrial progress is
the most noticeable just at present.
The list of chemicals now produced
by electrolytic means offer attractive
data for review. There are, for in
stance. nine electrical chlorate of pot
ash and soda factories now in exist
ence It may be said that there are
nine electrical processes, each factory
pursuing a special mode of treatment.
The annual output of these factories
combined is 1900 tons. The total
yearly output of the world is 10000
tons. so that at least thirty per cent.
Of all the chlorate of potash and soda
manufactured is produced by electroly-
tic means. The largest plant is locat-
cd at Niagara and offers a more than
successful competition with foreign
plants. because of the magnitude on
which IL is operated. The potash and
soda are turned out at a rate of over
six tons a week. A process has lately
been invented for extracting caustic
soda and glycerine from soap lyes,
which in a measure fulfillS the desire
Go obtain something from nothing. Soap
lyes have heretofore been left as a
waste product, but now, by subjecting
them to the action of a special kind
OF battery it is found that the current
decomposes the caustic soda, forming
sodium-hydrat at the negative pole.
The glycerine is set free, while the al
bumionid and coloring matters are
rendered insoluble and are easily re-
moved by filtration. After this the
soluble matter is separated out and
the liquor is Distilled, forming per-
fectly pure, clear glycerine. The
caustic soda is practically pure and
can be used by the soap maker.
The great demand for good bleaching
solutions or powders has inspired the
professional inventor to perfect electro
lytic processes, which take the place of
the older methods. incidentally this
need has brought about an improve
ment in ozone production, the latter
making under certain conditions good
bleach. The electrical preparation of
chloride of calcium is carried on in Ger
many. and a bleaching solution is
formed which is used very satisfactor-
lily for cotton and linen fabrics. 1t is
rapidly supplanting the old methods,
as il produces a purer white than it
has been possible to obtain hereto
fore. Under the old method it was
necessary to boil the fabric in acids
and TO bleach twice. This was not
only expensive, but destructive to the
fabrics 1t is estimated, on the other
hand, that the electrolytic method is
from 10 to Is per cent. more effective
There are several electric bleaching
processes in use, but they all or nearly
all, comprise the electrolytic treatment
of chlorine. The electrical preparation
Of chlorine is carried out on a large
scale in Stassfurt, Germany. The Kell-
ner process is exciting the most inter-
est among electrical men at present
To the laymen, unacquainted with the
rapid chemical changes which takes
place, 1t would appear that the opera
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