Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-01-31
PLUoR SPAR AND ITS USES.

ldrymen in the north became no.
ted for the fine quality of their
castings. Sand holes and Unequal
tiles in the iron produced by these
concerns we're unknown. So mark
Cd contrast with the ordinary
foundry work led to a quiet inves-
LEGATION upon the part of their
Competitors, and it was ascertain
el that what is now known as fiuor
spar was the reason for the greater
thuidity of the iron, and as a natu-
raj sequence the higher grade of
the casting, In these days and in
some instances at the present time
hher spar is sold by the foundry
supply men under the name of
l'Ifonaid," "Ironhux" and many
other fanciful names that the in
lgenuity of the advertising agent
suggested OF course the price at
(which huor spar under such labels
ID sold is many time greater than
THAT obtained by the incorporated
companies who make the mining
and marketing of fiuor spar their
business Within the past year
an Alabama furnace company has
paid sixty dollars per ton for
1rpnaid," which was ground huor
spar, pure and simple, mined,
ground and sold by Marion CON-
Ipany at perhaps one-sixth of that
lprice. The cyanide process of ex-
tracing gold from refractory ores,
used SO extensively in the western
thinning districts South Africa and
elsewhere, consume enormous
quantities Of hydro huoric acid,
vhich is produced from our fuor
spar The granite ware largely
nsed in our kitchens and through
Iout the house is enameled and thus
Unprotected against the action OF
1acids and alkalies, making it most
desirable for all classes of cook
ing, The enameling Of bath tubs
and other household articles, the
production of opalescent glass, and
its necessary use in the arts and
sciences has led TO demand for
our huor spar that today is almost
} beyond the productive point of
our present shafts. 1t is to the
great Iron and Steel companies OF
the United States, however, that
this use and this demand has in
creased to an extent little dream
ed of a few years ago. The pro-
duction of steel in the open hearth
process, as good judges say the
coming steel of the century, inn
peratively demands the use of fuor
spar. SO many and varied are its
uses that over production is prac-
tically impossible, at least for ma
ny years.
THE CHEMISTRY OF FLUoR SPAR.
| Prof. Dana, in his admirable
work on Descriptive Mineralogy"
says of fiuor spar: Hardness, A.;
Specific gravity, 3.l4; Lustre Wit
reous; sometimes splendent, usu-
ally glimmering of the massive i'm
palpable varieties; Color white,
wine-yellow, emerald, pistachio,
blush green, rose and crimson
red, violet blue and sky-blue.
Wine blue and violet blue are the
most common and the red varie-
ties the rarest. The colors of mas
sive varieties are often arranged
in concentric lines; and occ aston
ally in crystals they are arranged
along the axes or in concentric
coats. The spar is transparent
subtranslucent. Brittle" Prof.
Dana also adds; "Fluor spar sell
dom occurs in beds in rocks. 1t
generally constitutes veins"
An analysis of huor spar, deter
mined from samples taken from an
eight foot vein at 80 foot depth in
the Chicago Mining Company's
shaft at Marion resulted as fol-
|