El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-09-07
BY
Frank G. Carpenter
Copyright, 1913, by
Frank 6. Carpenter
UNCLE SAM USES RARE MINERALS IN Frank G. Carpenter
WAR TO WRECK GERMAN MLLITARISM SasS arE
Strange Preparing Shells
Tungsten Manganese Accomplish Wonders.


have imported millions Of dollars
worth from Brazil
A metal used somewhat like manga
nese is titanium. It is employed as
an alloy for steel rails and in forg-
ings and castings to give them wear
ing qualities The principal producer,
Of this metal is the United States.
Magnesium Makes Lights.
The chief lights in no mans land
are made OF magnesium This is the
hghtest metal known, and it remains
fairly stable under all atmospheric
conditions. 1t is stronger, tougher
and harder than aluminium, and IL IS
used as an alloy with it in airplanes-
IN aerial bombs and rockets
When magnesium burns It produces
white cloud by day and a brilliant
white light by night. The metal was
selling before the war for S1-65 a
pound and all that we had was~im-
ported. II is now selling for $3.50 a
pound and we are getting much Of il
in the United States We produce a
great deal from the waste materials
Of the Michigan salt brines. We made
almost 100000 pounds in 1915.
The best red lights for the battle
fields are made Of strOntium, a metal
which was produced chiefly in Ger
got our material for making the red
signal lights for the railways from
that country. We are now making
strOntium ourselves and we shall be
able TO supply all OF our home de-
mands from now on.
Arkansas Produces Aluminium.
As TO aluminium. the chief ore from
which il comes was not even men
toned in a list OF useful minerals pub
lished by the geological survey 25
years ago. This ore is bauxite, OF
which there are large deposits in the
south and especially in Alabama,
North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee
and Georgia. There are also large
deposits in France. Before the war
we were producing about two fifths
OF the worlds output and more than
50 percent Of our supply came from
Arkansas
We are the leading country in the
manufacture of metallic aluminium
and in 1916 We exported that metal 10
the amount Of S15.0O0.00O. Aluminium
is used largely in airplane bodies and
in automobiles It is used for cleo
trio cables, and as a conductor in long
distance power transmission Los An
geles has one such line 200 miles
long. Aluminium forms a part OF the
camp equipment Of the soldiers, and
mixed with amonium-nitrite as
dust or powder, it makes an explos-
i've for shells. II is used as a paint,
and the bauxite ore is employed to
make brick for furnace Innings. The
metal is valuable on account OF its
non rusting qualities, and for its re-
sistance to the action OF acids and es-
peclally sulphuric and nitric acids
Nickel From Canada.
We are now getting the most OF
our nickel from Canada, and that
country viii supply US with all we
need for the war It has great deposits
az Sudbury, Ontario, Just a few miles
north Of Georgian bay, and these be-
long 10 the International Nickel COM
pany, whose headquarters as at New
York city. with refining works in
New Jersey, not far away. They have
already taken more nickel out Of them
than would make a solid block as big
as the national capitol at Washington,
and the deposits seem to be practical
much like iron; It is combination OF
nickel, copper, sulphur and iron. It is
mined like iron, and smelted into the
matte which is sent to New Jersey.
The smelling gives forth an enormous
amount Of birthstone fumes and the
men employed have 10 wear gas
masks or rubber nose caps to with
stand the burning sulphur.
We have practically no nickel de-
posts and the bureau Of mines sug-.
gests that the government ought TO
accumulate a reserve supply Of some
thing like 10000. 900 pounds. and keep
that for emergencies.
Nickel is of great importance as an
alloy Of steel and it seems TO be es-
sential to making the armor plate for
our battleships. A war vessel plated
with ordinary steel would be shat
tered 10 pieces II il were struck with
5ne Of the great modern shells, where Z
: -lna 4 nj
the nroiectile would make only a dent
OF at least a clean hole. leaving the
plate unshattered- Some OF the dread
lOughts Of today have armOr plates Of
nickel steel about IS inches thick The
metal does not expand or contract
ike common steel, and for that rea'
son IL is used in measuring and gag
ing Instruments and in pendulums for
clocks which in order to keep the
right time must not change in length
by expansion or contraction.
Cadmium For Secret Use.
Cadmium. a metal used by the Ger
mans for glass coloring and also for
certain secret war purposes. former
" came only from Germany. It is now
being produced IN the United States I
and we are shipping some to our al
les. Thallium. which the Germans
use for the manufacture Of hard in
5trument glass OF certain grades I
formerly came only from Germany, I
lut IL is now made by our experts from I
he flue dust OF our sulphuric acid 1
works and from the smelters where
oyrites containing thallium are re-
luced
Among the metals used for drugs /
md other purposes. bismuth and mer- !
Jury have gone skyhigh since the war /
3ismuth is now three or four dollars
! pound. and at one time mercury was /
selling for 1000 percent more than the
price when the war broke out in I
Europe Bismuth is used for surgical 1
DRESSINGS. for the treatment Of wounds
md in medicines Of one kind or an
lther It is also used in staining
pottery and glass. and as an alloy Of
steel and other metals.
The stuff is found in connection /
with lead. and is one OF the by ]
products in the refining Of lead By I
electrical processes There are large 1
deposits OF II associated with other
lreE in fha mines Of EaEouv and R0a {