| Show A METAL TO suf SUPERSEDE IRON thip THE announcement is made in an east ern journal that alum lium is now produced by a firm in ohio at about one tenth of the former price of that metal if this abo should uld prove to be correct and we have no just reason to doubt it the importance of the fact can scarcely be overestimated over estimated As most people are aware is a metal somewhat resembling silver but considerably lighter it is briefly described in ures dictionary as the metallic base of a white metal but with a bluish tinge and remarkable for its resistance to oxidation dagou sad and for its lightness bavi having 4 41 4 specific gravity of only about 29 26 9 it w a also sead to have all the ductility aud and ten tau sile alle strength of the to agnest hest steel and that the supply being found in common clays clay is practically inexhaustible until a yar ago age the price of this metal in europe was about 14 a pound later it was reduced to nine and now we are informed that it is being produced to in quantities at al less than a dollar a pound a price that will make it practically available for many purposes and consequently of considerable Aider sid erable ablie commercial importance when we come to consider its ita purity and brilliancy its lightness about one third steel its mallea bUi ty y equal to that of gold its strength ex evading that of any other knon and n substance two per cent added to io brass doubling the batters lat strength its hardness when alloyed only guly exceeded by the diamond neither omidi oxidizing in the atmosphere nor t tarnishing h with acids its commercial importance may be imagined it if one half that is claimed for it be true it will work a complete revolution la in mechanics and lift a great burden from the shoulders of the world the tools of the artisan the implements of husbandry will in future be made of aluminum instead of steel as their beauty lightness and non corrosive qualities will be in demand the sportsman and the warrior will also refuse to carry about them the present cumbersome masses of metal when they can obtain better ones of one third their weight the farmers wagon and the livery mans buggy will be reduced lin weight two thirds and it will be possible to make a racing sulky not net to exceed 20 pounds in weight while carriages such as bicycles and tricy cles can be constructed of almost incredible lightness and beauty the weight of armor plating of war vessels and of krupp cannon can be reduced in lite proportion while it will undoubtedly very materially assist in solving the problem of arial rial navigation in fact its possibilities are almost incredible one can scarcely conceive of an element at or orce ce of such beauty power aw and I 1 general utility iron has served the world faithfully for many years but tori fort a great variety of pur purposes poes in the future its occupation will belzone bej bel gone and it will have to give way to a champion that steps into the arena iu in the gleaming ng armor of suver silver and combining the lightness of cedar with all the tenacity of the toughest tong hest steel |
