A DEPOSIT OF ALUM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 2

A DEPOSIT OF ALUM

In our issue of Monday last wo published a letter from a correspondent asking for particulars vegardinjj the use and value of what he describes as a deposit, of alum. The matter was brought under the notice of Mr D. R. Waters, lecturer in the Otngo School of Minos, who litis kindly supplied the following noto3 of gfenernl interest:— The nccurrcr.ce mentioned by the correspondent will most likely lie iiluminite or alum stone, from which a- largo amount o( ihe alum of commerce is manufactured. AVl)en pure ahiminite consists'of hydrous .sulphate of alumina tmd potash it generally, however, contains more or le:« of forrign substances, which lessen its vaine according to their nature and amount. In Now South Wales there exists a large deposit of aluminite cf various grades. This i* mined, and the host quality exported to England. The following figures from the ".Vliiitjrar Resources of Now South Wales" show the annual shipments and their value during some recent years, statistics not being available later than I£99:— Yaar. Tonnage. Value. 1850 .... 220 ~ A'3 ; XIO 5891 .... ?0i .. ]fi«; ISB2 .... Ml .. I!2S1 1S3;! .. .. list .. fililG 1891 .. .. sea .. lU.JB J 835 „ 832 .. • sag ISOC .. .. 3ST2 .. 4110 IP?7 .... 704 .. ni 72 189S .. .. 23u ikii 1P39 .... U2l .. 27K The value per ton thus varies, but' during the last three years mentioned, it r,eems to have remained fairly constant, at £3. per ton. The ' last shipments, during t lie year are stated to have been forwarded to the United Alkali Company's works at Runcorn, near Liverpool, England. ■ The most satisfactory tost of its value, if it exists in quantity, is to send a small representative sample to the firm mentioned, who would, no doubt give, particulars in res>ard to its commercial worth. No notice i.) given anywhere of its use, if it be aluminiic, in its natural state.

— In the pity of Heidelberg, Germany, thoiv; is a building cnllod tlio Church of tlie Iloly (iliost, whicli is muqufi in its way, being the only church in the world in which the Protestant and Catholic services are held at the eame time, a partition wall through tho contre separating the two congregations, cation of moisture. — The strictness with which medical degrees and titles are' guarded in Germany might lie supposed to be a handicap to irregular practitioners, for to lay false claim to being a doctor is a serious offence in that country. Nevertheless, quacks seem to flourish there as elsewhere, for some recent statistics show thai, in addition lo 2000 qualified physicians in Berlin, there arc 110 fewer tliau WG professional quacks.