The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-28
TO MAKE DIAMONDS.
The Electric Power Of Niagara May
Turn Out Some High Glass
sparklers.
How California Is Utilizing the
Water Power Of the Mountains
"A Red Tape Story.

b"itainG, Washi,.0to's +$n
Washington, Nov. 2s.-Will the power of
Niagara Falls be turned to the manufac-
ture Of diamonds? This is a question
which is seriously treated in an expert
report of the census office on the history
and uses Of electricity during the decade
just passed. In view of the nsrvels which,
have already been accomplished it is the
view of the special expert, Thomas Com
merforn Martin, that it Is only question
Of time. -. IT, =, - ~ -..~f.s.
Diamonds have already been made ar
tifcially. In the modern electric furnaces,
where an almost incredible degree of heat
is generated, diamond dust has been pro-
duced. 1.-THE steps leading to the manu-
facture of larger crystals says Mr.. Mar
tin, are but sequential." Niagara; Falls
is the location which naturally Is sug-
gested for the diamond factory on ac-
count of the great electric dynamos which
the falls now operate. They have ca
pacity of 10000 horse power. and are ca:
pable Of generating current of $4,000
volts, and this at no very great expense.
The great French chemist Moissan has
employed the electric arc in the making of
diamonds, and has made further prog
| gress in this line than any contemporary.
As early as 1896 he had succeeded in Sc
curing minute fragmentary crystals Of
true diamond formation, by the sudden
cooling Of molten iron saturated with car
bon. The liquid iron was plunged into
mercury or lead. ..... ~
Incidentally he discovered that graph
tie could be manufactured artifcially from
charcoal, by heating in the current Of the
electric arc. This discovery has been
made of great commercial and prac-
| tical value in this country by E. G.
| Acheson who has established factory
near Buffalo where he makes thousands
Of pounds Of lead pencil filling. The
graphite which he makes is Of even better
quality than that which is mined from the
| earth, and is used also for netallurgucal
work. electrodes; rneostats and such ar
| ticles. Ordinary coke Is the basis for his
product. The process is covered by pat
ents which give HIM a practical monopoly.
Electricity is having the effect of re-
| viving the use Of water power. Since the
advent Of steam,: water power declined.
| until, instead Of furnishing half of all the
motive power for manufacturing, as was
the case thirty years ago, it furnished
only one-siXth. But the age of electricity
| has solved the question Of transmitting
| the power over long distances.
In California the power is developed up
in the Sierra mountains and is carried
220 miles to San Francisco, where it is
used to run factories, street cars, electric
i ligf1ts5and even the domestic sewing ma
chine Thirty years ago this water fall
in the mountains would have been useless
on account of it's inaccessibility. No one
would have cared to build a sawmill or
! grist factory up in the mountains where
no business would eyer come to them
I But now 1t is only necessary to lay q
4 cable and the power is transmitted with
| but little loss to the place where 1t is
needed The most notable example Of the
transmission of water power into electrical
is, done on smaller: scale at Los Angeles
energy is at Niagara Falls, but the same
Cal, Richmond. Va. Salt Lake, Utah,
Colorado Springs,%col., Hartford, Conn.,,
Springfield Masss;9 Syracuse, N: r., and
! many other places, Reports come from
Germany Of interesting >experim ents in the
carrying Of electric, power; into the small
country towns, where the power Is sold to
the farmers to be used in running thresh-
Ing machines, churns and, other farm I'M
\ PIGMENTS. -" '7''" :;
+F%::-n The Red Tape Route. !
The quartermaster Of western army
post recently foundait necessary to spend
Il sc cents which he had mot been authorized
to spend. It might have been to repair an
old harness. or to replace broken wagon
bolt or for any one Of an innumerable lot
of insignificant things that pertain to a
Quartermaster's duties, which. are attend
ing to the details of the equipping and
Transportation OIL SOtulSTS. Anyhow lHlS
lis the bundle OF red tape that had to be
reeled off before he could expend the IS
cents.
| f. AS post quartermaster he made a writ
ten application stating why the 68 cents
: was needed. The post commander ex-
amined and approved. the application
; Then he forwarded it OF the chief quar-
termaster of the department, who recon-
, mended it to the: department commander
with his approval. The department com
: mander made sure that all was right ant
forwarded it with his approval to thu
, quartermaster general at Washington
! The quartermaster general referred it t.
8 the proper bureau chief, who recon-
9 mended that authority be granted for the
. expenditure. Back it went to the quar-
p termaster general with the bureau CHIEF
recommendation that it would be al
:, right to authorize spending the 6S cents
Upon the bureau chiefs recommendation
r the uuartermaster general felt. warranted
Fin authorizing the quartermaster genera
of the department where the post is 10
, Gated to expend the IS cents, and ne the1
authorized the post quartermaster I'm
o end of the red tape bundle was writer
- notice to the financial officer of the wa
= department that all the requirements o
: law had ben complied with before ina
:. authority was given to expend the d
n cents. g.. -..i,tta A., ooo -
= Had it been but cents or $4,000, OOo I'M
same channels would have been followed
=! ~ f[1ornan0.