The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-18
Professor in Chemistry at Column
bia University Tells of the
Electro Chemical Industries at
Niagara Falls
MANY SPECIMENS
PRESENTED THE SCHOOL
Niagara the Centre of Electro
Chemical Industries Of the
World on Account of Cheap
Power Generated by Niagara
River

River
All studies were suspended in the
several class rooms of the Worcester
Polytechnic Institute yesterday morn
ming at II O'Clock, in order that the
students and the faculty might attend
the lecture by DR.. C. F. Chandler, pro-
fessor of chemistry in the University
of Columbia, who spoke upon THE
Electro Chemical Industries at Niagara
Falls"
The hall in the electrical engineering
building was filled to it's capacity.
Chairs were brought in. DR.. Chandler
Illustrated his lecture with specimens
of large size and number, which he
presented to the chemical museum of
the institute, which is thus enriched
by a large quantity of pure aluminium
and smaller quantities Of sodium, phos-
phorus, cyanide of potassium, graphite
carborundum and other products more
or less unknown to the ordinary per-
son.
Also, among the specimens donated
were a large lump of the rare mineral
cryolite which halls from Greenland,
large specimen of bauxite, from
which alumina is economically secured,
and a little of the result of an effort
now making at Niagara Falls to pro-
duce nitric acid directly from the
atmosphere by shooting electric sparks
through portions of 1t.
The lecturer was heard with intense
interest. His address was an inspira-
ton to the students, for it was largely
the story of what has been accom-
plished in America by just such men
as the institute tries to send into the
world.
DR.. Chandler said his return was
something like that of the prodigal con.
He was born in Lancaster. in this
county. He said he had better oppor-
| tunity to study the methods in use at
Niagara Falls in the electro chemical
| industries. He had been allowed to
pass through nearly all the factories
admission to which is usually denied.
! 1t was q curious thing that microbes
were first utilized by man in chemistry
! Bacchus did that when, he discovered
wine. Heat next came to the aid OF
men, The original chemists were met
| alurgists. Light followed, with the
! Photographic processes, and last of all
came electricity Nothing was done
with electricity commercially until 1887
when Jacob discovered electrotyping.
The art of electro plating was subse-
quently developed. Nothing further was
done until the discovery of the dyna-
mo, because chemically generated cleo
| tricity was too expensive.
Niagara is today the centre OF the
| electro chemical industries or the
world, on account of the cheap power
that is generated by the water of the
| Niagara River. The Power Company
first put in 10 turbines They are put
! ting in 10 more by which their capact-
| ty will be increased to 100000 horse
power large portion of this power
is conveyed to Buffalo.
DR.. Chandler said he would particu-
| larly speak of the work in the electro
chemical industry done by H. J. Cas-
ner who had been a student in his own
classes. but who left college because he
was anxious to get to the worlds work.
Lavoisier had announced the pres
| ence of the metal aluminium in the
CLAW. 1t was separated by Wohler, but
| the product decomposed in water ana
was infusible, which made it of no COM
mercial value In 1853 st. Claire DE
| Vile of Paris began the manufacture
on a large scale, under subsidy from
Louis Napoleon. and prepared alumni
num that could be sold for $40 a pound.
Specimens of De Ville's aluminium
were exhibited to the cless in the form
of a woven wire basket and an ingot.
Casner improved the process until he
could sell aluminium at S. per pound
He closed the French factories. He
did a fiourishing business until Charles
M. Hall invented a process by which
he could manufacture the metal at
30 cents a pound, which closed Casner
market.
Casner's Improvement was based up
on his ability to make sodium cheaper
than anybody else had made it before.
Instead of being discouraged he turn
ed his attention to other applications
and TO the further cheapenlng of the
product He reduced the price to 40
cents a pound Sticks of this metal
immersed in Jars Of water were eX-
hibited as prepared by the Casner pro-
cess. He enabled peroxide Of sodium
to be prepared cheaper than ever be-
fore, and improved the method Of
manufacturing peroxide of hydrogen,
which the lecturer explained was pop
ularly known as the stuff for making
blonds of brunettes. He also cheaper
ed and improved to a tremendous ex-
tent the manufacture of cyanide of
potassium, with a tremendous advant-
age in many industries, and especially
to the industry which consists in get
ting gold from low grade ores. The
cyanide in solution dissolves out the
gold. which is precipitated, leaving the
solution to be used over again. The
electrolytic processes by which these
results were accomplished were ex-
planned and diagrams Of the several
mechanisms for realizing results drawn
upon the blackboard.
Casner's method Of making caustic
potash was the prettiest bit of electro
chemical process to be found anywhere.
Casner. unfortunately. died of con-
sumption, in the promise of his man.
hood But the processes that he dis
covered exist and are in operation at
Niagara on a large scale.
DR.. Chandler described in detail the
methods by which aluminium, the most
abundant metal on earth. has been
cheapened so that 1t can compete with
copper. Hall was the first man to hit
upon charging a solution of eryollite
with alumina, under which at red heat
the metal is easily separated by cleo
trolysis The description of the detail
bv which these results are accomplished
was explained by diagram. A specimen
of cryolite was shown. and also a speci-
men Of Bauxite from which alumina is
reduced. Hall has invented a furnace
in which the Bauxite is reduced in
quantities that formerly could be
handled only by a system occupying a
very large amount of space.
Specimens of earborundum. which
has largely replaced emery, were
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