Electrical products J8leacbfng*pow&er. 219 



the fumes of which are very offensive and 

 very dangerous even to breathe, if the quan- 

 tity is very considerable. 



It is a curious fact in nature that two such 

 substances as chlorine and sodium, both of 

 them so difficult and dangerous to handle, 

 should unite together to form such a useful 

 and harmless compound as common salt. The 

 important element in bleaching-powder is the 

 chlorine which it contains. It is extensively 

 used in the manufacture of paper and in all 

 other materials where bleaching is required. 

 The object of combining it with lime, forming 

 a chloride of lime, is simply to have a con- 

 venient method of holding the chlorine in a 

 safe and convenient manner until it is needed 

 for use. 



The chemical works at Niagara Falls manu- 

 facture bleaching-powder on a very large 

 scale. The part that electricity plays is to 

 separate the chlorine from the sodium as it 

 in common salt. At the works I was 

 ik< 11 into a room where a large quantity 

 red. A belt with little carrier- 

 buekets on it picked up this salt and carried it 

 into .-mother room, where it was thrown into 

 a vast mixing-vat containing water. The salt 

 was mixed with water until a saturated solu- 

 tion wa- obtain.-.!. In a largo room, covering 

 one-half acre or more of ground, were as- 

 sembled a great number of shallow vessels, 



