212 SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. [1863. 



A close analysis niii^lit bIiow a sliglit but not material diiference \mdci- two or three months for safety. The zinc colors, for oxitside 



When taken hold ot by the present successful company, the design painting, requiring but little oil, dry suddenly, and form a metaUic 



Teas to manufacture the zinc of Commerce, zinc ■ware, etc., but early onating on wood, brick, iron, (tcimperrious to weather and salt-water, 



experinicuts by the company led to the disiii\ ^'l'y that a more iiunie- and are more nearly fire-proof than any other paint known, 

 diately marketable, profitable and beiieticial article could be made — 



to wit: the zinc paints, now so rapidly supplanting lead and other They act galvanically on metal surfiices. We hare before us at 

 paints. It was found that a pure and brilliant white sub-oxide could this writing the testimony of the Supervisor of the New York and 

 be extracted from the ore with great ease and facUitv, and two shades New Haven Railroad, the Superintendent of the Navy Yard at Gos- 

 of white, one a silver white, and the other a beautiful slate color ; port, A'lrgmia, a special committee of the Common Council of this city 

 ■while the red oxide could be pulverized in the ore, and rendered into a — zmc paint has been tested and ordered by the Common CouncO for 

 brilliant brown paint, which, in turn, by admixture with other prcpa- the use of the city buildings— and other eminent parties, many of 

 rations, would also make a superior black paint. Here was a new tbem practical painters and users of lead all tlieir hvcs, who have test- 

 field indeed. The known poisonous and other deleterious propeities <•'• tbe zmc pauits on raihoad depots, locomotives, ships, buddings and 

 of lead, seemed to define the mission of the Zinc Companv, and to de- otlierwise, and their testimony is unanimous— without considcnug the 

 mand that it should first become a creator of a healthful and more sauitary reason- in favor of zinc over lead. To our muid, the sanitary 

 durable and brilliant, as well as a cheaper paint. They accepted the reason is the greatest of all in favor of zinc. But thougli the present 

 summons, and erected extensive ziuc paint -svorks at Newark, after operations of the Zinc Company are confined to the manufacture of 

 long aud expensive, but never discouraging experiments, and during pamts, this is but a branch of the prospective interest. Lead is a 

 ten months of 1852— the first vcar of comparatively perfected ma- ]ioisoner, not only m pamt but in water-pipes, roofing, cistern-lining, 

 chinery and operation— their pa'iut sales from theii- warehouse in this <tc., f..r all of winch uses zmc is a cheaper, better, more durable, and 

 citv— supervised by Messrs. ilanuing aud Squier, 45 Dev-street— hcalthlul substitute. Slightly aUoyed with copper, it makes a sheath- 

 rea'ched $185,577 28, and thev were, even at that, unable to meet the ™g for sbips nnich cheaper aud far more durable than copper, because 

 press of orders, though their ■\vorks at Newark turned out ten tons of impervious to the con'osive acHon of salt water. Manufactured into 

 paints per day. Those works aie being enlarged, and willrequire re- culinary ware, covers, spoons, forks, etc., zmc (the New Jersey) makes 

 peated extension, if, as we think it is, ziuc is destined to supplant lead »" article more durable .aud beautiful thau Britaunia or nickel, while 

 a.s a paint ; for there is now annually consumed by the United States, Ae strength of the metal wiU allow it to be made much lighter. ^ e 

 50 000 tons of lead in paints. '^'''" ®''^' "^"^ ''"' •''■head, a vast manufacturing interest on these accounts 



springing up arouud the zinc mines of New Jersey. 



A glance at the process of making zinc paint, or rather extracting 



the sub-oxide, will not be uninteresting. The mines are about thirty- The Frankliuite, -where that is the chief deposit — and the Zinc Co., 



five miles from Newark, and the ore requii'es at present to be carted have, as already intimated, chief deposits both of Frankliuite and zinc 



eight miles, (a rail is being laid for this transport in future,) and is . — bears the following analysis, made by Dr. Jackson : 



then coiive^'ed to the paiut works by water. Ihe ore, on arriving at £,.,. ,. „„. noqq 



the works at Newark, is placed in heaps aud roasted, for the purpose !^' '^^•.y''?: ,L' cr\o\' """"""""" „(.'„-.-, 



of softening it. It is thou ground into .small pieces, -n-hen it is mixed ^ranklnute (ie. -UJ) bb.Uix, 



■with an equal nuantitv of coal, used forde-oxidizing the different sub- f''""' *'™' / ' ^on T-liii 



stances of* which the ore is composed. It is then put in smelting Manganese, (mn. 03) 12S>iii 



furnaces, where the action of the carbonic acid gas, supplied through .^ 

 the co.al, disengages the component parts of the ore, and causes the 



ziuc to rise iu vapor, which vapor is conveyed into a lai'ge tube, thro' The admixture of zinc ■with the Frankliuite is found to destroy its 



which a quantity of atmosphere is const.antly driven, and the ziuc, tendency (if it otherwise had any,) to granularize, and renders it 



uniting with the oxygen, produces tlie white oxide of zinc, and this is thoroughly fibrous, making it when properly worked into iron, the 



driven by a blast into a collecting chamber, from -whence it is taken toughest and strongest that has ever been tested. According to Tred- 



for use. The oxide is then mixed -with oil by means of machinery, gold's test, the Frankliuite stands thus : — 



and thus is produced the beautiful white zinc paint. The manganese .„,_,,.,,. . , . n .v-iom 



in connection with the ziuc. is found to be, as though specially pro- ?«f Swedish bar iron, meh square bore - - - lbs. 72.840 



vided, a natm-al dryer for the paint. i,° "S"" ,. ■, „ « - - - - ^f^j* 



' ■> i Best English " " .... 61.660 



When the Zinc Company commenced operations, they had com- Inferior " " " .... 55.000 



paratively no data to go by. The zinc paint inti'oduced in France by American Frankliuite " .... 77.000 

 the discoveries of Le Clair and Sorel — for which they were awarded 



the cross of the Legion of Honor and other dignities— though subse- It has been tested in this city and in Baltimore with similar results, 

 quent to the use of a pcriiaps inferior article, collected tlu-ough some and a French test, in the Government Marine Forges at Paris, made 

 experiments (not for that pur|H,K') many years since, and used on the the difference in favor of FrankUnite much greater. We have seen it 

 mansion of the late Hon. f^amiul Fowler," of New Jersey, then pro- variously tested, every species of trial only adding to the proofs of its 

 prietor of the zinc mines: being inamifVictured by a double process, wonderful neive and strengfli. Wire of whatever size, made of other 

 first resolving the zinc (carbouatc) to metal, and then extractiug the iron, is flawed and broken at a few twists, but we have seen wire made 

 oxide, gave little benefit to the American enterprise. But the Zinc fi'om the FrankUnite twisted twenty times without inducing a flaw. 

 Company had an indomitable man iu James L. Curtis, formerly an Resolved to steel, it makes an article of the most brilliant character, 

 extensive merchant of our City, at its head, assisted by able coadjiitors. Competent judges — our most extensive aud practical iron and steel 

 and he knew no such word :is fail. Collecting at home and abroad ■workers— accord a superior value to FrankUnite, over any other iron 

 such data as could be had, he made Y'ankee invention, science, and for uses requiring the greatest toughness and strengtli. For steam 

 skiU, answer for the necessary balance, and the result has been a per- machinery, suspension bridges, wires aud such le,sser forms of iron as 

 fection and simplification in the operations of mining and manufacture require a union of deUcacy and strength, the FrankUnite must be, as 

 of zinc not exceUed, if equalled, in the world. Yet the company will soon .a-s placed before the public, in great demand. It forms an ad- 

 doubtless add improvements from time to time, for tliere would seem mirable alloy or emoUient with inferior iron and ores, changing their 

 to be no limit to the inventive capacity of Americans. The advantages hard graiud'ar nature into ductility and strength. Tlie residuum 

 of ziuc over lead as a paint are these :— Repeated tests make 60 pounds formed iu tlu' fnvuaoos of iho ziuc ]iaiiit works, from the jier cent of 

 of zinc white equal to 100 pounds of lead in covering surface, and the Fraukliiiilo discharged, is admirable tor admixture witli inferior iron ; 

 nlative cheapness, therefore, stands : — retainiug as it does, just enough zinc to neutralize the granular charac- 



] 00 pounds best lead, say 7 1 .Cceut.s per pound $7.50 ter of suA iron. Itls l,c-iuniug to be largely sought and used for 



CO pounds best zinc, say 9 ccuts pel- pound 5 40 th.at purpose, aud ior Huxm- iron m the process otpuddlmg. It may 



' •' ' ' seem a luatlcM- 111 sui'|insc tliat an iron ore sii near the seabnar<t anil tlui 



Infavorofzinc $2 10 chief n,-n-k,t .-nMnKu-t of ,..,H.:,t of the Union, and with such a char- 



aotiT. >lionl.l lint Ikivi- Ih' ,1 Inii^r ago developed. The same surprise 



The superior cheapness of zinc is the great commercial adv.antage may lir cvj>icsm il ..vrr llic /.inc. Repeated trials for half a century 



iu its favor over lead. Besides this, ziuc is superior in ■n'hiteiiess, have been nuide with both m nerals, but througli lack of practical 



billl:uicy, and durability, and is entirely free I'rora the poisons iu lead knowledge, iuefficicnt operatives, and the little interest taken iu cn- 



which generate scveriil diseases, well known to ■n'orkers in lead, cour.iguig mineral entcrpri.ses, they all failed, until the energy, genius, 



painters, tenants of fleshly j'ainted rooms, and medical men. Tlie and tact of Col Curtis and his coadjutors, took hold of the work, 

 while ziot resists the aelion nf :dl gases that yeIlo^y and tarnish lead, 



and liolds brillant as an inside jiaint for years. In color, it compares The chief credit of the successful operations of the New Jersey Zmc 



witli lead as porcelain white does with common earthen white. It can Companv. forming an era in American mineral histmy, is acknow- 



bc used with impunity while rooms are occupied.-while medical men ledged to belmig to Col. Curtis. He had the faith and boldness to 



— vid<! the evidence ill Tanquerel's octavo woik on lead poisons and take a matter of "repeated failures" in hand, and allowed no dis- 



lead diseases — agiee that lead paiutcd rooms should not be tenanted couragcmeut to daunt him. 



