Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-23

man intellect has mastered ant made
slave of tho force OF this river. For in
this very process by which anthracite
coal mastered by electricity is instantly
converted into graphite, we may see the
exact process in all probability by which
the natural graphite deposits of tho earth
were formed. What takes place In the
laboratory at Niagara Falls was exactly
what took place on n gigantic scale at
the time of the carth's formation, the in
tense temperature then existing having
converted certain carbon substances into
graphite.
THE STORY OF ALUMINIUM.
Sometimes there have been hasty judg-
ments insinuating that the materialistic
spirit of men has so dominated that the
Niagara cataract is to be destroyed.
so that such base uses as manufacture
of graphite, or Of some other material,
may he made possible. But that seems
to be a superficial judgment. In this
generation and the ncxt there is no
danger Of serious dimInution OF the vol
ume Of water that flows over the preci-
pice. But even II there were, yet, to
the well-instructed understanding there
are to be ever-incrcasing and amazing
manifestations Of the energy of nature
and the marvels of chemistry and of
physics that should be quite as inspir-
Ing morally and mentally as is the spec
taclc of Niagara Falls.
Before Niagara's energy was converted
into electricity aluminium was almost
a pcrcious metal. Existing almost every
where In certain forms of clay and even
in coal ashes, nevertheless, the human
intellect had not devised means by which
aluminium could be irresistibly taken
from the lurking places IN clay and earth
so as to become a commercial metal.
In this process there are revealed quite
as amazing secrets of nature as in
any other manufacture, even more amaz-
Ing than that by which Sir Henry Besse-
MGR employed the chemistry OF nature
for the ch%eapening of steel making pro-
cesses. Sir Henry's invention increased
the wealth and comfort of tho world al
most inconcclvably, and by the employ
ment OF electric energy IN the initiative
of 1900 volts, which are transformed by
means Of apparatus. clectrolysis plays
its wonderful part separating metallic
aluminium from foreign substance.
UNIVERSAL SOLVENT.
Within ten years chemistry has shown
that such electric energy as can he Sc
cured by utilization of the s~tupendous
force Of the Niagara River may make of
the electric current an almost universal
solvent. within certain limits it has
played the once tabled part of the PHI
l%osophor's stone. For If II has not in
stantly converted tho cheaper and appa-
rently baser substances. like clay and
anthracite into gold, it has certainly in
directly done this. The marvels of sci
ence, as they are disclosed at Niagara,
fully supplement the marvels of visible
nature which the cataracts are.
In almost every form of industrial
activity and in a considerable portion
of the agricultural life of tho nation
the products Of electro-chemistry posi-
bic by its stupendous energy of electric
current generated at Niagara are now
playing an important part. If there were
a serious limitation of the power OF
manufacturers to operate at Niagara
there would follow grave industrial and
agricultural disturbances, and If it is the
purpose Of tho nation or the State to in
culcate valuable moral and mental les
sons by preserving the beauties of Nj
agara that purpose ma" be we'll supple
mcnted by also preserving the industries
wherein are revealed secrets of nature
of the volume of water on the way from
the lakes to the sea at the Niagara
precipice.