The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-17
FASCINATING WORK
 <. DONE BY CHEMISTS
By HOLLAND

New York, October 16-tSpeciai)--fAt ie markable and highly instructive object lesson was furnished by the American chemists at the recent annual chemical exposition. A few years ago the Amer ican public was not greatly interested in the achievements or the researcn work of the men of science or the men of chemistry. The war has changed that Not even the shipbuilding indus try commands the interest and attention which are associated with the recent achievements of the American chemists.
 This may be in part due to some or the romantic and fascinating narratives which are associated with the work or the chemists in solving some of the mys- teries of nature and by the solution offering formulas or perfecting fnVeh- tions which are to be Of the utmost nm portance after the war is ended in nam taining American industrial, commerciai and financial prestige. One or the op- feet lessons which Was sought at eniS gathering informed the people respect ing what was called modern miracles or inc alectric furnace and its influence upon the present metal euppiy. It is in- deed something like miracle. certain ly an unexpected and surprising develop ment following research and investlsa- ton which the electro-chemlcal inuustry
 Illustrates A few years ago electro- chemistry was almost unknown. Tnere were few American inventors who nad
 perfected electro-chemical processes ana
 products as, for instance. in 1889, Charles
 M. Hall perfected the process by elec-
 tro-chemistry, which has made possible
 the marvel of the cheap production or aluminium. So also Bradley and LoveJoy, by means of this new science, perfected the manufacture of salt peter py eiec- tro-chemical processes. Dr. E. G. Acne son discovered and then invented pro- cesses Cor the production of carborundum and he also discovered and then maoe commercial use of artificial graphite, commodity which in it's manufactured form the government Is now purcnasins to tho extent of 100000 pounds cal cium carbite was discovered and IS the result of eelctro-chemical metnoos worked out by Thomas Wilson; ana sin- con. which has very important rela- ton to industry and especially to tne manufacture of the highly perfected steei rails, represents electro cnemicai pfo- cesses devised by H. L. Tone
 l All of these and many other elec.U .rv | chemical products would furnish a s.ols l if the history of the origin and the oe- yelopnent of them were told' "hicn would rival in fascination and romance any of the stories told by Juies verne or by the fantastic conception or II. G' Wells.
 TT CAME IN GOOD TIME trhs perfecting of eelctro- chemical
 nathods came just ar the right time. Without these processes 1t would nave haen impossible for the united States to secure within one year the amazing efficiency which has supplied her with aII of her needed munitions and mate rial of war. The electro-chemical induS- | try is represented m tne periec.lns .. K. Automobile and especially in the
 hnildine of airplanes. It was only twelve 1 veare ago that the frs: furnace for the | nroduction of electric steel was set up. ] Eirht years later there were 19 fur ] naces of that kind in operation, and at the close of 1917 2S3. M l It was said at the meeting of the American chemists that the introduction of eelctric steel is matched in impor- \ tance only by the adoption of the Bes- semer process. which electric steel seems now to be supplanting.
 Aluminium, which Is now regarded oy leaders as the most useful of all the l light metals. is absolutely necessary fol the construction of airplanes It is also used in the making of electrical con densors, in compressed castings whicf are employed in time devices for shrap- mel and other war equipment
 A WONDERFUL INCREASE
 Before MT. Hall. in 1888, made the frs I ;mportant use of electro chemistry \ whereby he converted aluminium from I a very expensive and rarely used produc
 to one of the least expensive and mos important of metals. there was only Little aluminium manufactured.
 In 1917 1So. OoO pounds of aluminium were manufactured. and this was sub stantially two-thirds of the worlds sup ply of aluminium. Whom pr. Acheso, discovered tho methods of which arttfi