Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-21

powdered coke, about u inches In
diameter, is laid between the electric
terminals at the ends OF the furnace In
the centre of the mixture. A current
of 1880 amperes at 100 volts is then
passed through the furnace for ~
hours. A cylinder OF carhorundum,
some four or five feet'iu diameter,is
then formed.
The Carborundum Co. exhibited its
product in the various stages OF manu- |
facture at the Worlds Fair in Chicago |
in 1888, and Alfred Ccwles there re-
cognized the crude product as identical
with the crystals which he had made
and thought to he pure silicon. lie
hunted up his specimens ard persuaded
himself that they were identical with
carborundum and immediately began
suit for infringement OF Patent. The
first decisicn, as has been said, was
against HIM. In the summing up OF
this decision Judge Burlington said:
Indeed, the process, preparation OF
| ingredients and means employed in the
| two processes now under consideration
are diverse and the desired objects
unlike. A like thermo -electiic agent
is employed IN both, but with it the
substantial likeness ends. Cowles'
object was reduction, while Acheson' g
was composition. One reduced sub
stance already in existence, the other
by composition produced new pro-
| duct. With Acheson the new product
consumed the carbon constituent of the
charge with Cowles an excess of carbon
constituents remained at the close OF
the Process. In Cowles' the charge,
for functional purposes, occupied the
central space between the electrodes.
In Acheson's, for functional purposes,
1t was removed from such central space
and from electrode contact. In Cowles'
an excess of carbon was required in the
charge mixture as current conductor;
in Acheson's no such excess was re-
auired or used, but the carbon foi that
purpose was isolated In this central
core. Their methods are SO radically
unlike and are carried out on such
diverse lines that we are firmly con-
WINGED that the charge OF infringement
has not 6een sustained.
Judge Bradiord's decision lays chief
stress on 1.-THE disposition of the re-
slstance material with respect to the
material to be treated. 1t points cut
that in the Cowles patent claims it is
stated that the ore lis usually mixed
with the body of granular resistance
MATERIAL" which implies the two need
not always be mixed. 1t points
, out that, although the description Of
the process which accompanied the
application for the patsnt mentions
/ mixing the ore and carbon, as does one
, of the four specific claims made for the
i patent. The language of the Other
claims, in the estimation of the court,
require merely contact in contra
! distinction to mixture between the
| sn1 III %ho tal n
be treated. The decision is, therefore,
that claims /, and of the Cowles
I patent have been infringed.
i Public sympathy in the vicinity o
i Niagara Falls is naturally with til,
. Carborundum Co. and the other con
. Germs in the neighborhood, which ar,
a using electric furnaces, and are threat
a ened By the decision. The industiie
4 using the electric power from the Fall
r are comparatively young, but the.
!. already represent considerable value
: and they offer immense possibilitie
"a for future development The very fierces
Il heat that has ever been produced anti
3 icialiy on earth is at work there nigh
!. and day. Aluminium is roasted out o
!. clay there with the same apparent cas-
q that lard is tried ont of fat Calcium
"a and carbon are fused together int
y calcium carbide, chemical compoun
' SO delicate that drop of water dissi
n pates it into gas. Graphite, as pure
= form of arbon as the diamond.
70 being made there, and it is not at a.
q improbable that some day the electri
"a furnaces will turn out even diamonds
IN As nearly as it can be estimated tn
!, heat produced in the electric furnace
az at Niagara Falls is about 1000 degie
| Eah, has than txuiOa that n
20 the greatest cumulative heat ever ot
IN tanned by any other artificial mean'
III 1t is probable that the sun itself is nj
az much hotter than the centres Of thes
az furnaces, and there are so many
NJ them at Niagara Falls that it has bee
IN suggested by one scientific Speculate
ed that if they we're all combined in OF
as single furnace the glow could be SET
he distinctly from the moon.
nd Thousands of horse power from Il
,to Falls are converted into heat IN I'll
aJ various furnaces about Niagara Fall
.es One furnace has been built in Whit
tlv an amount of heat energy equivalent
~ TOO horse power is produced by
nd electric arc in receptacle about q
-. size of one's fist. The current i
,re through the Carborundum Co. 's fl
,al mace for each charge produces suffcle
les heat energy to evaporate 72,OO0 gallo
n of cold water in one minute. Such
,v current, than which few more powerf
10, e are is use, is carried over heavy copr
wires at a pressure OF 1900 volts. Il
Tho extreme pressure used for electric exec
Ii lions is not greater than 1000 vol
ne The pressure on the cars of the Met
les politan Street Railway is less than
He volts. The current at Niagara canr
IN be switched off by metal switch.
rio the sparks at the moment of bIeaki
i,s would fuse the metal as we'll as prt
he ably kill the man handling it, I
tba Ordinary current breaker is big il
ma plate In vat OF salt water and VII
mo this is raised from the brine by
All block and tackle tine fash of the sls
be is almost hlinding, and steam 9
i've water are hurled several feet. I
mad noise of the spark is like a clap
ne, thunder that is coincident with
uce striking of lightning.
rae 1t is tn industries using this wond
Gus full power which are threatened by
an decision of the Cowles patents.
,rce course, not all of the industries
the operation and contemplated at Mag
hat Falls are effected. The Graphite
but and the Mathitson Alkali Co. are
;ed, concerned at all, it is said, but O.
lion trical furnace people generally
ard worrying over whnt may develop fl
chi the case. not only at Niagara Falls,
No. throughout the country. Extrt
alarmists foresee not only an innmedi
,,.n stoppage of present activity, but ais