The St. Louis Republic., 1902-07-13
POWER OF THERMITE. THE
NEWLY DISCOVERED FORCE.
and Stone Instantv-ndr
Its Blaze Granite Can BE Made Flow Like Wa
ter-Chemsry's Startling Discovery
scatter their contents far

the cruSibles and scatter their contents far
Doctor GoldschmIdt was ingenious and
persisted. He argued that in such cases.
metallic chromium must be found; also
that the explosion was due to a TOO sud
den heating Of the furnace He was sure
that II the reaction could be- made nHTa
regular the chromium would BE- saved
Could he but start the chemical reaction
at one little point in the mass. II would prn-
coed more gently ana itself procuce heat
sufficient for the completion. II Sas. in
I TACT .he e. case ;as,,. Of loaded railway ear at
il down without the aid Of motive power
Mystery Solved at Last.
After 4 series OF careful experiments.
the problem was solved. When the alumi-
mum niings were thoroughly mixed In a
crucihle with oxide OF chromium a teaspoon
ful OF ordinary fiashlight powder and per
oxide OF sodium was placed on the mass.
pied There was a bright fash. followed
By glow ana gentle flame from the cruci-
chile was broken open Al the bottom vas
found metallic chromium at least 50 per
cent pure. Above it and easily separated
was Stag of aluminium oxide, or artificial
corundum. Herr hrupp could have his pre-
ciOus metal at reasonable cost FOR harden
ing steel for guns and armor plates.
This was the open door 10 one, OF The
greatest inventions OF the age. Doctor
tIoidschmict resolved 10 experiment fur
manganese. also a valuable but almost I'M
known product in commercial quantities.
could De equally well obtained in this way
merely substituting oxide OF manganese
for oxide OF chromium.
Next came experiments with oxide OF
iron and then the discovery OF 'therm.te.
Doctor Goldschmidt found that II oxide OF
iron e. pure haematite ore. such as Is mined
in Northern Michiganl were substituted tor
oxide OF chromium and touched OF by The
hashlight primer. its action would be far
more violent, though il could stin be con-
trolled.
Made Iron Run Like Water.
IN his remarkable experiments the Stag
or the corundum spurted out liquid and
naming II was a binding spectacle. Bub-
bling ike water. 1t ran pure metallic iron
and sank TO the bottom in a dazzling molten
mass, so electrically brilliant, so intense.
that the operator was forced to arm him
SELF with blue glasses. AS II was. he found
himself temporarily blinded The heat gem
Grated was enormous
1T may be stated that this method Of
producing iron In small quantities could not
commercially speaking. compete with the
blast furnace, but as a source OF heat IL
contains. vast possibilities. and practical
ways OF using II were at once sought.
Experiments on the welding Of rails at
once demonstrated Its possibilities. The
cican-clt ends TO be welded are clamped to-
gether by a kind Of p0r:S ble wise. Around
the joint to be welded is arrsnEed the mold.
composed of highly refractory material A
plugged pipe or the same material. COM
municatins from above with the bottom OF
placed = charge Of thermite; on this a small
quantity OF the priming material ulashlight
powder: The operator, wearing blue spec
tacles drcpS lighted match on the primer
(thernite itself will not take IRE from n
match ard retires TO safe distance.
The Peice In miniature goes on The op-
orator returns. opens the plug, and the con-
mold and on the tightly clamped rails The
liquid irou sinks TO the bottom and fuses
the lower aanse, strengthening the joint.