The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-21

OF the energy In the coal Il uses In ]
Elimination for its patrons.
IL Is In the field OF electrochemt@
try and electro-metallurgy that som
OF the most wonderful properties q
electricity are to be- found. tn
subtle nuid never has attained the u
innate aim of the alchemist VIII
sought TO transmute base iron int
precious Rold. but in the chemical al
metallurgical world IL has accom-
plished wonders little removed from
that OF transmutation. With the eled
trio furnace the chemist and the me |
allurgtst have been able to produce
heat as much more intense than TIL
hottest coal fire. as such a fire Is ho(
ter than an icicle. They have becj
able TO produce a temperature OF NOR
than 1000 degrees. rivaling the hes
OF the sun. Under these condition.
many remarkable transformation
have taken place. Even common ca
bon has been transformed into did
monds, and all other kinds OF preciou|
stones have been-not initiated. BID
reproduced. Up to the present tint
the chemist has not been able to prtl
duce them in such size or at such
cost as will make the manufacture q
precious stones commercially feasible
but II Is quite probable that In TIL
years to come some method Of did
mond manufacture will be evolved
which will be profitable.
II was while experimenting viii
the properties OF carbon In the hop|
OF manufacturing diamonds that Z. q
Atchison. OF Chicago. discovered TIL
art OF making carborundum. This \
q substance harder than emery, AMI
In widely used In lieu OF the emery
wheel and the sand-paper. In elecId
metallurgy electricity Is much used u
the reduction OF aluminium. II WI
not many years ago that aluminuII
was almost as much Of a curiosity N
rAdium 10 today. Mineralogists kne /
z existed In vast quantities., but th0I
had no methods by which to extrad
II. Now there are many method{
among them being that OF placinI
hlumina In watts and by charging
| with a low voltage OF electricity II
ducing the aluminium TO settle at thu
bottom.
Gold and silver frequently are free|
of their impurities by the use OF III
electric current, and in many othe|
ways 1t has lent itself admirably 4
the needs of those who work In meta
production. In some cases huge ele{
tro-magnets are so placed that as III
ground ore falls through the air. th|
metallic particles are drawn awaI
from the impurities and made TO pas
through one chute while the impurj
ties pass through another. This sam
principal Of the electromagnet is lot
widely used IN manufacturing estay
iishments. Instead OF fastening
piece OF machinery by chains AMI
ropes and graphing hooks, to be lif|
cd by q crane. a huge electro-magnd
is attached to the end OF the liftInI
chain. and as child lifts a needl
with a toy magnet, SO the big craii
I magnet will lift a machine weighin|
dozens OF tons.
Some years ago an electric weldin|
machine was invented by an Amer
can, Elihu Thompson. With such
machine q continuous rail from WASH
ington 10 Baltimore is made possihl|
In the trans portation world. There 4
nothing more damaging to rollin|
stock and road-beds than loose raj
I joints, and IL is probable that TIL
traveller OF a decade hence will nd
be annoyed by the continuous clict
OF the wheels as they pass over raj
! joints.
Electricity now is being used q
produce artificial sleep. and II is Id
iieved that as an anaesthesia It vii
prove superior to any now In use. III
application results In no adve-s|
symptoms in the patient. II also \
being widely used in the therapeut|
1 cal world and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4
becoming an important part OF TIL
world of medical science. Yet witt
all these diverse uses, the possibilities
OF electricity have not been exhausted
and sucn authorities as Edison coil
fdently believe that the next decai
will bring about the most startlin
results in its application In medicind
chemistry. and In every other flel|
where 1t has been applied. II Is ais
thought probable that entirely ney
uses will be found for It. and that
will prove more wonderful than &
even dreamed OF in this enlightened
day.
| observation-disclosures.
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