The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-22
By HOLLAND

<NeW OTkt June Gi. TT toPtSAaisF
 Twenty three thousand horsepower is the full capacity of each one of the giant locomotives which are operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Raailroad company. So great is the energy gem erated by these engines that it would be sufficient to propel a large ocean steamship. These engines are used in hauling the heavy trains over the mountains and while they are fully capable of doing that nevertheless the enormous strain which is. put upon them has in the past occasioned much trouble. due chiefly to fnsuf- ficient fabrication.
 Now these locomotives are being | operated for the purpose Of securing adequate tests which will demon- strate whether or not this fabrication difficulty has been overcome. If 1t has been, it means much in the way of economy and adequacy in the op- eration of all railroads.
 Seven or eight years ago Russia began experimental tests with an American discovery and invention so l tndL II InlEut Dt ntiCihSt ~ l would be of such advantage in the operation of the Russian railroads as to justify the use of it. These tests were made under government super | vision. They were long continued and exhaustive. They we're so satisfac- tory that the Russian government 1, proposed adopting this American dis covery and invention for use upon-its entire railroad system.
 l. In '1913 pr. E. G. Acheson visited | Russia where he was received with l distinguished honors due to his i achievements in the field of discovery 1 and invention. There was recogni : | ton of the fact that his discovery of carborundum has reyolutionized abrasion throughout the world. Al a banquet given in his honor: irr. Petro- grad, pr. Acheson was told by the minister of railroads for Russia that the tests which had been made of his discovery and invention were so 1 highly satisfactory that the Russian government would make exclusive use of his formula upon the entire Russian railroad system.
 To do that, however, would in- yolve the construction of large plant in Russia for the manufacture of this article known to science and
 industry as oildag. Dr. Acheson was ready to establish plant of that kind in Russia and would have done so. but for the fact that just as the Russian government was ready to adopt this formula, the war began. That of course changed the entire industrial transportation and com merciaI life of Russia so that 1t was necessary to postpone the adoption of pr. Acheson.s invention.
 After Seven Years
 seven years after the Russian gov ernment decided to adopt Dr. Ache sons formula the American railroad companies began to give attention to it. Now the Baltimore and Ohio. the Great Northern. the Chicago and Great Western. the Long Island Rail road companies have been. giving ex- haustiye tests and some of the re- suits following these tests have been remarkable. Parts of the Baltimore and Ohio locon otives to which Dr. Acheson's formula had been applied were taken apart after. prolonged tests The bearings and cylinders were subjected to microspic exami : nation. This led to the discovery that the surfaces of the bearings and cylinders were so highly polished that they possessed. the attributes of q perfect mirror. They reflected as a mirror does. the outlines Of articles placed in front of them. This peculiar quality had already been observed By those who have operated automobiles with the Acheson formula.
 Japan, having learned of the Acheson formula and having submit ted It to careful tests. Is now operat- ir.s the municipal electric railway Of Kobe with this material. The Tokio municipal electric railway is about to test this material The. Japanese government is now testing the Acheson formula in car journals and In the engines and also in the aero, plane engines of the Japanese navy. If the tests are satisfactory, all the railways of Japan will within year be operated with the. Acheson dis covery and formula.
 An Important Discovery |.
 Announcements can now be made therefofe Of another discovery and invention associated. with the name of Dr. Acheson. He had already discov- lered by long continued experim Ants how perfectly pure graphite could be secured by the utilization of.the elec- tric furnace. He had also worked out methods for so subdividing each par ,rcie of graphite as to cause it. to take molecular form, each ,noIecule being invisible to the naked eye. Ex- periments showed that if this moIecu- lar graphite in very small amounts were placed in water or in oil. then they could be carried by fhe water orr the oil. 1t was this discovery which made it possible to manufac- ture electric lighting Ailments in such manner as to make them free from difficulties due to frequent 1breakaKe which formerly greatly em-