WILLIAM GOSSAGE 15 



objects to which he had so devotedly given 

 his life, and which had been and are still of 

 such inestimable value to the alkali trade 

 generally. 



Before leaving this subject of the recovery 

 of sulphur, there is to be noticed connected 

 with this problem a patent which William 

 Gossage took out thirty years ago ; it is 

 No. 2,612, dated November i8th, 1859, "For 

 improvements in the manufacture of carbonate 

 of soda." He therein specifies that the sul- 

 phate of soda is decomposed into sulphide of 

 sodium by the action of carbon at a tempera- 

 ture insufficient to flux the mixture of sulphate 

 of soda and carbon employed, and converting 

 the sulphide of sodium so obtained into 

 carbonate of soda by the action of carbonic 

 acid; also the use of carbonic acid obtained 

 by such decomposition of sulphate of soda for 

 the production of carbonate of soda. 



The chief alkali inspector (Mr. A. E. 

 Fletcher) in his last report, published only a 

 few days ago, revives the subject of this 

 patent by drawing attention to the experi- 

 ments that are being carried on by Mr. Fred 

 Gossage and his partners at Widnes. He 

 says: "It is expected that yet another 

 process to effect at once the recovery of the 



