Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-04-22
PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM.
Increasing Applicability OF the Metal
TO Various Uses

JucreasinR Applicability OF tine "Ae'eA
to Various Uses
In reply to the query or practlcal men
~ IN rho uses of aluminium, the manu-
fac,urers say that it is adapted to
thousan nd purposes for which strehgth
and dura bility. combined with extreme
liehtness, are essential requirements.
II serves for example, as a sheathing
of vessels, 1t will be remembered that
IN the American racing yacht Defeh-
der aluminium plates, l. feet long. OLD
inch thick. and from - to 10 inches III
width. were used above the water line:
these plates had very slight alloy OF
conner. The serviceabllity OF alu-
mjnum in salt water has not been lully
tested. Owing to the action OF alEahs
on the pure metal. an alloy is required.
Aluminium is also well fitted 10 serve
as roofing material. Bulk for bulk, IT
ia already as cheap rs copper ana
cheaper than nickel or tin. 1t lehds
itself readily to the various processes
of stamping or spinning. The greater
part of last years output was SOLD III
sheet form. Aluminium has entered 10
considerable extent into the manufac-
ture of bicycles. having been success
fully used for almost every part OF the
bicycle in which metal is employed at
all. One company casts the entlre
frame Of the machine OF an aluminium
alloy, and it is said that the strength
Of the frame thus made Is only sur
passed by that of the highest grade OF
nickel-steel frames. The various parts
and fittings Of bicycles are made from
aluminium by several manufacturers.
and many tons of the metal have been
consumed in bicycle factories.
Probably the most important use to
which aluminium will be put, at least
in the immediate future. will be for
culinary and household utensils. Be
sides being very light. and hence far
less cumbersome than any other metal
of equal strength and durability now
used in cookery. aluminium Is practlc-
ally incorrodible; Prof. Jameson as
serts that no food now known to man
can affect this metal in the slightest de-
gree. 1t is wholly free from every form
of poison. and ii will not faint food.
These are qualities that are possessed
by neither iron, copper. tin. nor lead.
Furthermore. it Is a better conductor
of heat than either of the other metals.
The nnocuous nature Of the metal Is
an earnest Of its future usefulness in
surgery. 1t is already substituted for
, silver as the material Of which tubes
are made to be inserted in the wind
pipes of patients on whom the. opera
ton of tracheotOmy has been per-
formed. For dental plates, also. alu-
minum is particularly well adapted. ,
Ten years ago no pure aluminium was
produced in the United States. and in
Europe. it, was produced only at cost
which virtually prohibited it's use in
the arts. To-day it is the rival Of cop
per and steel in scores of manufactures.
and in single day more of it is:rpllcu
into sheets than went to- make up the
whole worlds stock few years since.
"A round million of dollars does not ex-
press the vale. Of the American :prod-
:uct of 1897. notwithstanding fits cheap
ness as measured by form er Standards.
No industry has. undergone a greater
transformation than this within the
decade. And vet we are told that this
is only a beginning Review Of Re-
views.