The Washington times., 1901-11-17

found that as near as could be deter
mined the Western shipper had acted
honestly.
Still another contract whichathis firm
! entered into required the engaging and
the dscharging of some half dozer
chemists. 1t was at the time when in
candescent gas mantlos first came into
H7e. In the early stages the new man
tie was very expensive. The object was
to produce cheaper one. The chem
| lists were engaged to ferret out the Sc
cret of manufacturing the mantle. A
! chemist was especially hired to expert
ment with the understanding that
! when he had perfected things up to a
certain point, he was to resign and to
| give way to another man, who would
| begin where his predecessor left off.
| The second chemist was to continue
the investigation another step and hav-
ing done his work was to be succeeded
by a third, unacqualnted with what had
been accomplished by the two before
him. All the time the only person
knowing of the entire process was the
head of the firm, and when the work
had finally been accomplished, he turn
ed the secret over TO the men who en-
gagged him. The process was not even
patented, but instead was. kept Sc
cret
One of the NEST interesting puzzles
the firm was engaged to solve was that
of determining an alloy which would
Withstand the inroads of water inn
pregnated with a corroding acid that
was found in a Mexican mine of great
value. A pumping plant of consider
able cost was necessary to keep the
lower levels dry. The water. which in
vestigation showed to have an unusual
ly high percentage of sulphuric acid,
would eat hole through thin metal in
twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Iron
water pipes of considerable thickness
were ruined by the action of the acid
in a short time and the cylinders of
the pumps-about the most expensive
section of the machines-had to be re-
placed at intervals of a month or less.
A barrel of the water was shipped to
this firm of chemists, with instructions
to find an alloy that would Withstand
the action OF the water.
The work of the chemists in this case
was simple and entirely within the un-
derstanding of the lay mind. Several
score OF tiny bars of different alloys
of copper. zinc. aluminium, and manga
nese were secured from different man
ufacturers. These, duly numbered, were
carefully weighed and immersed in
small bottles. each containing exactly
half a pint Of the water The bottles
were allowed to stand for one month.
At the end of that time several of the
alloys had entirely disappeared in So
luton. Others had been severely at
tucked, their surfaces being honey
combed throughout But about dozen
alloys remained that seemed to have
been left undisturbed These were care
fully taken out of the bottles, washed, |
dried. and weighed. The loss of weight, |
of course, represented the amount of
metal which had been eaten away by |
the acid in the water
OF the samples two were found that /
had not lost even hair in weight TINS !
report giving the composition of the al
10y was sent to the mining company. |
OF the two alloys the cheaper one was
chosen. and then an entirely new
pumping plant, with cylinders and all
parts that were exposed directly to the
water. was made of the alloy that re-
fused to be attacked There has been
no trouble at the mines since then,
picks and shovels being made OF the
same alloy