A Matter Of Luck - AU xx-xx-xx (07) Francis Pettit Smith and Charles Martin Hall

Summary

Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Title: A Matter Of Luck - AU xx-xx-xx (07)
Release Date: February 6, 2025

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Introduction

In this captivating episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, titled "A Matter Of Luck", host Ward Leopold delves into the intriguing tales of two monumental scientific achievements: the invention of the screw propeller by Francis Pettit Smith and the groundbreaking process for extracting pure aluminum developed by Charles Martin Hall. Through dramatized narratives, the episode explores how fortune and serendipity played pivotal roles in these discoveries, underscoring the delicate interplay between innovation and luck in the annals of scientific progress.

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Francis Pettit Smith and the Screw Propeller

Background and Vision

The episode opens by contextualizing Francis Pettit Smith as a farmer with grand aspirations beyond his agrarian life. Smith envisioned a new method of ship propulsion that would eliminate the cumbersome paddles of his time. Instead, he dreamed of a "silent, concealed and almost secret way" to navigate the seas more efficiently.

[01:01] Ward Leopold: "Francis Pettit Smith was such a man. As a farmer, he certainly plodded his furrow. He certainly had his dreams."

Collaboration with Engineer Glencannon

Smith's aspirations took a decisive turn when a fortuitous meeting with the engineer Kevin Gunn (Glencannon) occurred. Smith presented his innovative design, notably devoid of paddles and featuring an Archimedes screw.

[04:32] Kevin Gunn: "There's still time, if you've got the right ideas."

Despite initial skepticism, Smith's insistence and the potential of his design convinced Glencannon to join forces.

[09:19] Kevin Gunn: "Well, any man who's already planning to build a ship with Admiralty money afore they've even seen the plans is such an optimist, I cannot resist him. Ay, Mr. Smith, I'm with you."

The Testing Phase and Initial Failure

With the Admiralty's hesitant approval, Smith and his team constructed a 6-ton vessel named Wrestlership powered by a modest six-horsepower engine. The first trial was marred by an explosion, halting the project as port authorities deemed the ship too perilous for further testing.

[07:51] Francis Pettit Smith: "Yes, he built Wrestlership at Trieste. A small but shapely craft with a six horsepower engine."

Accidental Success Through Obstruction

Undeterred, Smith refined his design, scaling up the Archimedes screw to accommodate more powerful engines. The pivotal moment came during a subsequent trial when an unexpected obstruction—a log of wood—entered the screw mechanism. This mishap inadvertently transformed the screw into a rudimentary propeller, enabling the ship to achieve unprecedented speeds.

[14:39] Kevin Brennan: "This is amazing. We must be doing 10 knots or more. What's the meaning of this?"

The vessel surpassed all expectations, reaching speeds of up to 13 knots—far exceeding the anticipated two knots. This serendipitous event not only validated Smith's design but also laid the foundation for the modern ship propeller.

[15:01] Ward Leopold: "The underwater obstruction that broke off a large part of Pettit Smith's crew converted it into a rough example of the propellers used today... it was purely and simply a matter of luck."

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Charles Martin Hall and the Aluminium Extraction Process

The Quest for Pure Aluminium

Transitioning to the second narrative, the episode highlights the elusive nature of aluminum in the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite its abundance in the Earth's crust, obtaining pure aluminum was deemed too costly and impractical.

[17:31] Ward Leopold: "Aluminium was 20 times more valuable than gold."

Enter Charles Martin Hall, a determined student at Oberlin College, whose obsession with finding a cost-effective extraction method drove him to persist where others had failed.

Obstacles and Determination

Hall's dedication was met with skepticism from peers and family alike. His friend, Douglas Herald, urged him to abandon his research in favor of a more lucrative career, but Hall remained steadfast in his mission to unlock aluminum's potential.

[20:54] Douglas Herald: "You can't even go to the prom because you don't have anything to wear."

Serendipitous Discovery with Cryolite

A pivotal encounter occurred when Hall visited an old acquaintance, Daniel Clark, at a glassworks. Observing Clark's use of cryolite in glassmaking sparked an idea. Recognizing cryolite as a double fluoride of aluminum, Hall hypothesized that it could facilitate the electrolysis process necessary for extracting pure aluminum.

[24:15] Kevin Brennan: "That's cryolite, son. We use it to make glass."

Hall's experimentation with cryolite and carbon-lined crucibles ultimately led to the successful isolation of aluminum—a breakthrough that had eluded scientists for decades.

[27:53] Grant Taylor: "Globules of aluminium. Look at em Brady. Little bits of aluminium. I found it. I found it."

Formation of Alcoa and Legacy

Despite initial setbacks and prolonged trials, Hall's perseverance—and a stroke of luck—resulted in the establishment of the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which later evolved into Alcoa. This company would become a titan in the aluminum industry, making the metal affordable and widely accessible.

[28:08] Ward Leopold: "Hall's discovery was due in part to his own determination, but as you have heard, it was mainly a matter of luck."

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Conclusion: The Role of Luck in Scientific Endeavors

"A Matter Of Luck" masterfully illustrates how chance occurrences and unforeseen events can profoundly influence scientific advancements. Both Francis Pettit Smith's inadvertent transformation of the Archimedes screw into a functional propeller and Charles Martin Hall's accidental discovery in the use of cryolite underscore the unpredictable nature of innovation. While determination and intellect are indispensable, this episode eloquently reminds listeners that fortune often plays an unsung yet critical role in shaping the course of history.

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Notable Quotes

• Francis Pettit Smith:
  "[08:49]" "We'll build the screw exactly as he laid down, but we'll make it larger to take the greater power of the engines we're going to use."

• Kevin Gunn (Glencannon):
  "[05:13]" "Have you tried it? Have you built a ship fitted with one of these and tried it?"

• Ward Leopold:
  "[15:01]" "It was purely and simply a matter of luck."

• Grant Taylor (Charles Martin Hall):
  "[24:35]" "Say, that gives me an idea. Cryolite, eh? That's a double fluoride of aluminium."

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This episode not only recounts historical milestones but also humanizes the stories behind them, revealing the interplay of ambition, collaboration, and serendipity in the pursuit of progress.

Transcript

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[Ward Leopold]

A matter of Luck. A program dedicated to the greatest inventor and scientific discoverer the world has known. Lady Luck. And bringing you in one complete 30 minute presentation, two authentic and true stories of remarkable scientific achievement. Tonight we tell you of Francis Pettit Smith and Charles Martin hall and how each became famous through a matter of luck. Francis Petit Smith and A Matter of Luck. Many a man has plodded along a furrow made for him by others or by necessity, Though his heart has been a million dreams away, lost in a magic world called if I Only Had a chance. Francis Pettit Smith was such a man. As a farmer, he certainly plodded his furrow. He certainly had his dreams. And for a farmer they were strange ones. For he dreamed of ships, ships that moved against the wind, against the tides. Though he knew that in that year of 1835, ships did move against wind and tide by means of great paddles turned by steam engines. His dreams were of a means of propulsion which would do away entirely with the dangerous, fragile and inefficient paddles and give to a ship a silent, concealed and almost secret way upon the water. And then one day in 1835, Francis Petit Smith returned from market with a stranger and an air of great excitement.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Come in, man. Sit down here. Take this chair by my desk. You can see better.

[Kevin Gunn]

Thank you kindly, Mr. Smith.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Give me your hat. That's it. Now take a look at that drawing in front of you, Mr. Glencannon.

[Ethel Gabriel]

Hmm.

[Kevin Gunn]

Well, well, well. You're by way of being a designer of wee ships, Mr. Smith.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

A bit rough and ready, I'm afraid. If I'd only become an engineer like you instead of a farmer by now. My ships might be in every ocean of the world.

[Kevin Gunn]

There's still time, if you've got the right ideas.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

What a stroke of luck it was meeting my friend Bailey in town and you with him. For months I've wanted to discuss my ideas with a trained engineer. And to think that I.

[Kevin Gunn]

Well, let's take a look at what you got here, hmm? Oh, Mr. Smith. What's this? You got no paddles in your design. And what's this corkscrew affair you've got sticking out at the back?

[Kevin Brennan]

That's it.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

That's the whole idea. Don't you see? I've discarded the pedals and replaced them with an Archimedes screw.

[Kevin Gunn]

Shades of Jimmy. What? Next you'll be telling me that the thing works.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

It does.

[Kevin Gunn]

Have you tried it? Have you built a ship fitted with one of these and tried it?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

No, I haven't. Not yet, but others have.

[Kevin Gunn]

Then how do you know it'll work?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Because only seven years ago, a ship fitted with an Archimedes crew did work. I'm not an inventor, Mr. Glencannon. I'm only correctly applying, I hope, the discoveries of others, mainly those of a man named Joseph Wressel. Wressel had the most damnable luck of any man. He hit upon the idea in 1828 and took his plans to a shipbuilder named Ottavio Fontana in Trieste.

[Charles McCallum]

Yes, well, of course. My dear Russell, you have not hit on anything new here, have you?

[Lou Vernon]

No, senor. Nor do I claim to have. But While Bernouet in 1753, Fitch in 1786 and De Lisle in 1814 all went as far as making an Archimedes screw driven ship, I am the first to apply mathematics to the subject and decide on the best possible shape and size and pitch of the screw.

[Charles McCallum]

And very well done, too. My dear fellow, please do not think I wish to belittle your work. Far from it. I am very impressed. Would it be too much to run over your plans again before I make up my mind?

[Lou Vernon]

Very well, senor. Now we begin. Here. This drawing shows the ship's stern with the spindle protruding through it. So?

[Charles McCallum]

Yes.

[Lou Vernon]

You know how the screw of Archimedes worked? It was like a huge wood ogre. Archimedes turned his screw to raise water. My screw, attached to the spindle and turned by the steam engine within. The ship, will bore its way through the water as an ogre does through wood, and the ship will move rapidly ahead.

[Charles McCallum]

Yes, yes. Very sound. Very sound indeed. Here, Russell, my mind is made up. I shall invest money and build your ship. And I have every confidence in it.

[Lou Vernon]

You will not regret it. That I promise you.

[Ward Leopold]

Good.

[Charles McCallum]

A bottle of Chianti to seal the bargain, eh?

[Lou Vernon]

Chianti, certainly.

[Charles McCallum]

Oh, there is one thing I would like to ask you. Wrestle. How is it that no screw driven ships have ever been successful before?

[Lou Vernon]

Because we had not the proper engines until James Watt gave us the steam engine. What was to turn our screws, eh? A screw must turn rapidly, or instead of propelling a ship, it merely thrashes the water.

[Ward Leopold]

Sissy.

[Charles McCallum]

Yes, of course. Well, now to our Chianti.

[Kevin Gunn]

And did this Mr. Fontana really put money into the scheme?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Yes, he built Wrestlership at Trieste. A small but shapely craft with a six horsepower engine. But before she could be tried out, permission had to be obtained from the Austrian port police. They gave their consent grudgingly, and at last came the day for testing. The vessel started off, but had only gone a few hundred yards when there was an alarming explosion and she came to a stop. Her steam pipe had blown out.

[Kevin Gunn]

Did they fix it?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Yes, but unfortunately the Trieste port police wouldn't give permission for a second trial. They considered the new ship too dangerous.

[Kevin Gunn]

So what happened, man?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Nothing, except that Fontana withdrew from the scheme. All that remains now is Russell's calculations, and it's on these that I've designed my screw.

[Kevin Gunn]

Aye, for a foreigner he seems to have had a wee bit of brains in his head.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

We'll build the screw exactly as he laid down, but we'll make it larger to take the greater power of the engines we're going to use.

[Kevin Gunn]

Mr. Smith, I followed your very lucid explanations remarkably clearly, but one thing puzzles me when you refer to we when you say we'll build and we'll make and we are going to use. To whom does the plural apply?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Why, to me and you, man. That is, if you're interested. You're an engineer, I'm not. These drawings are only rough. You can do them properly. You can supervise the building of both the ship and the screw.

[Kevin Gunn]

The building of what ship?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Why, the one the Admiralty will authorize me to build.

[Kevin Gunn]

Have you discussed with them yet?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

No, but I shall.

[Ward Leopold]

They're very weak.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

The plans are ready. What do you say, Mr. Glencannon? Are you with me?

[Kevin Gunn]

Well, any man who's already planning to build a ship with Admiralty money afore they've even seen the plans is such an optimist, I cannot resist him. Ay, Mr. Smith, I'm with you.

[Ward Leopold]

For once. The Admiralty showed immediate interest and authorized Francis Petit Smith to build the Ship. It was a very small vessel of only 6 tons, but it was a success. The admiraltree's report was so favorable that Smith was able to form a company having sufficient capital to build a ship of 237 tons, fitted with new and powerful engines. The great day of the new ship's trial drew near. The day that was to go down in the history of ships. Purely through a matter of luck. The Archimedes was ready at Portsmouth with Pettit Smith and a party of naval officers aboard. The day was fine and calm, and Glencannon the engineer was confident that his engines would perform faultlessly.

[Kevin Brennan]

Well, Mr. Smith, the weather's holding for you.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Yes, indeed, sir.

[Kevin Brennan]

You can start as soon as you like. Now be clear on one thing, Mr. Smith. If your ship can do five knots, then we'll take her over and give you a contract for others. But quite frankly, I can't see her doing more than two knots.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Shall I order her away then? We'll see for ourselves.

[Kevin Brennan]

Very well. Full sail ahead then, cannon, full steam.

[Kevin Gunn]

Aye, Mr. Smith.

[Kevin Brennan]

I must congratulate Julissa Smith. Your ship handles very well. Very well indeed. What's our speed? Five knot knots, sir. Well, we've exceeded our expectations by a handsome margin. Well done, sir.

[Grant Taylor]

Hey, what's going on?

[Kevin Brennan]

What the devil's that?

[Kevin Gunn]

There's something amiss with the stairs through.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

All right, Glenn. Cannon, close her down.

[Kevin Brennan]

So your screw has broken down, eh? Maybe we were satisfied too soon.

[Kevin Gunn]

It's my opinion, sir, we've struck an obstruction underneath the stand. I'm going overboard to see for myself once I get my clothes up.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Very well, Glen Tennant, but don't take any risks.

[Kevin Brennan]

This is very fortunate for the Admiralty, Mr. Smith. This mishap. We'd quite overlook the possibility of damage to the screw.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Yes, it may be fortunate for you, sir, but it's a bitter blow to me.

[Kevin Gunn]

But once I don't get stuck under the ship, sir.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

All right, Glen Cannon, Here I go.

[Kevin Brennan]

I get the fellow swims like a fish, doesn't he?

[Kevin Gunn]

Mr. Spencer, a log of wood or something has sucked into the screw and has broken more than half of it off.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Well, that's the end of our test.

[Kevin Brennan]

The end of our interest in screws. Mr. Smith, I suppose we'd better signal for help. Well, it's just as I've always said. Can't beat a bit of sail and a good stiff breeze from the sou'west.

[Ward Leopold]

But Smith didn't care for the indignity of being towed back to port. And when the engineer climbed on board he received certain instructions whispered in his ear by a crestfallen but still stubborn Mr. Smith.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Listen, Glen Cannon, I'm not going to be towed back to Portsmouth if I can help it. Start the engine. A little bit of screw that's left may just get us back with our dignity.

[Kevin Gunn]

Ay, it might, but I doubt it. Still, I'll go and try.

[Kevin Brennan]

Mr. Smithy, the ship's moving.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Moving fast too. Glen Cannon, have you got the throttle wide open?

[Kevin Gunn]

This open something.

[Douglas Herald]

Are we moving?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

We certainly are. Open it wide. As wide as it'll go.

[Kevin Brennan]

This is amazing. We must be doing 10 knots or more. What's the meaning of this? I say, Smith, what have you done there? This is the first fastest a ship ever steamed. Amazing. Simply amazing. What have you done?

[Ward Leopold]

The mystery was soon recognized for what it was an amazing stroke of luck. Russell and his predecessors had all been on the wrong track. A ship cannot be propelled efficiently by an Archimedes crew. But the underwater obstruction that broke off a large part of Pettit Smith's crew converted it into a rough example of the propellers used today and gave his ship the then astonishing speed of 13 knots. Francis Pettit Smith, by luck had the invention of the modern ship's propeller thrust upon him so that his was not a discovery reached by intent, it was purely and simply a matter of luck. In just one minute we shall hear another fascinating true story, that of Charles Martin Hall. In the meantime, we pause to hear this.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Back now to our narrator and cast for the second unusual story in our presentation, A Matter of Luck.

[Ward Leopold]

Charles Martin hall and A Matter of Luck. From the dim days of the Stone Age to our modern streamlined world, mankind has been concerned with the problem of putting its metals to work. And historians tell us that the extent to which a people used metals was in olden times a measure of their civilization. However true this may be, no metal has a more interesting story than aluminium. And in the gaining of it from the crude ores of the Earth, lady luck played the dominant part. Aluminium was discovered in the 18th century by Sir Humphry Davy, the great chemist, who decided very soon that it was useless. For although in combination with other elements it forms one thirteenth of the Earth's land surface, the 18th century knew of no way to obtain it in its pure state. Yes, for very many years it seemed as if Sir Humphry Davy was right. Then in the 19th century, several processes were found by which aluminium could be isolated in its pure state, but in such very small quantities and at such great cost that until Lady Luck. And Charles hall took a hand. Aluminium was 20 times more valuable than gold. Hall was a student at Oberlin College in Wyo. In 1885 when his interest was first aroused in aluminum.

[Grant Taylor]

Professor, could I have a word with you?

[Ward Leopold]

Why, certainly, Hall. What is it?

[Grant Taylor]

It's about this lecture you've just given us on aluminium, sir. It seems a pity that there isn't a process for extracting it in commercial quantities.

[Ward Leopold]

Why do you say that?

[Grant Taylor]

Well, sir, in the first place, it's so plentiful. When you think that next to oxygen that we breathe and silicon, aluminium is the most plentiful substance on earth. It's a pity that it has to cost so much to get hold of a scrap.

[Ward Leopold]

I suppose so, Yes. I suppose so.

[Grant Taylor]

Then it's so very light. That's lighter than some woods. And it doesn't rust like iron. And it's harder than copper. Why, sir, there must be a million uses for such a metal.

[Ward Leopold]

Possibly, my boy, possibly. But you will have to excuse me anything further I can let you know. Just come to me.

[Grant Taylor]

Old hypocrite never gets his nose out of books. Hasn't any more interest in aluminium than my Aunt Ethel.

[Ward Leopold]

From the day of the lecture on the character and properties of aluminium, Charles hall was a man with one fixed idea. To find a process for the extraction of the metal that would put it within reach of everyone. And in order to further his ambition, he stayed on at Oberlin College after graduating to take advantage of its laboratory facilities.

[Douglas Herald]

Hi, Charlie. Listen, are you going to the University Ball tomorrow night?

[Grant Taylor]

Well, as a matter of fact, I. I don't think I can manage it, Pete.

[Douglas Herald]

Why not?

[Grant Taylor]

Well, you know how it is. I don't like going to these parties without the Prada clothes and I feel so shabby.

[Douglas Herald]

You'll never make enough money for anything while you're sitting around in a college laboratory trying to make aluminium.

[Grant Taylor]

I'm not trying to make it. You can't make something that exists already. I'm merely trying to isolate it cheaply.

[Douglas Herald]

Well, how you going? You making any progress?

[Grant Taylor]

No, absolutely none.

[Douglas Herald]

I thought so. Now you listen to me, Charlie. I can get you a good job in my father's office. Short hours and good pay. What about it?

[Grant Taylor]

No, thanks, Pete. It's very good of you, but. Well, I'm going to stick it out at the college.

[Douglas Herald]

But heck, boy, life's passing you by. While you hide in the laboratory, catch up. Well, just as you say. But remember, I've only been at work four months and look, a brand new prince Albert by a New York tailor. And you can't even go to the prom because you don't have anything to wear. Ah, well, that's the way it goes. You work and I'll make money. So long, Charlie. And good luck with the aluminium.

[Grant Taylor]

So long, Pid. If I find what I'm after, I'll finish up with more money than the rest of you at Oberlin put together.

[Ward Leopold]

And so young Charles Martin hall stayed in his laboratory while his friends went their way. But as the months went by, he began to wonder if he were wasting his time trying to achieve success where so many eminent scientists had failed. Then, towards the end of the summer vacation, he decided to take a rest and went to the small town of Thompson where he was born. But even at home, his obsession with aluminium would not leave him. And it was there that he had his first stroke of luck.

[Ethel Gabriel]

Really, Charles, if you don't stop talking about those experiments of yours, I don't know what I'll do.

[Grant Taylor]

Oh, I'm sorry, Mother. Do I bore you?

[Ethel Gabriel]

Bore me? No, it's not that so much. But is it all right for a lad of your age to moon about so.

[Grant Taylor]

I'm not mooning, Mother. Why, you talk as though I was lovesick or something.

[Ethel Gabriel]

I'd like it better if you were. It'd be more natural.

[Kevin Gunn]

Here.

[Ethel Gabriel]

You've been home a week and haven't even called on Deborah Martin. And her so sweet on you, too. It's a shame.

[Grant Taylor]

Now, listen, Mother, there's nothing wrong with me. It's just that I've got my mind set on what I'm doing. And I'm not going to give up, not even for Deborah Martin or any other girl.

[Ethel Gabriel]

Why is it so important for you to make aluminium? What's the use of it?

[Grant Taylor]

Well, for one thing, you could do your cooking with aluminum pots and pans.

[Ethel Gabriel]

What's wrong with the pots and pans I cook with at present?

[Grant Taylor]

Copper's too expensive, damages too easily. Iron is too heavy and too hard to keep clean.

[Ethel Gabriel]

We women have been getting along all right with copper and iron for I don't know how many years. And I guess we'll get along for a few more.

[Grant Taylor]

All right, then. But it would have thousands of other uses. And there'd be a fortune in it.

[Ethel Gabriel]

People don't make fortunes pottering in laboratories, son. Now, come on, take the gun and the dog and see if you can shoot some rabbits. You look as if you need some fresh air.

[Grant Taylor]

I thought I might dip into that.

[Ethel Gabriel]

New book I know best. Out you Go. And if you don't want to go shooting, take a walk down to the glassworks and see old Daniel Clark. He's always asking after you. Thinks a lot of you. Just old Dan'l.

[Grant Taylor]

Now, that's a good idea. How is he?

[Ethel Gabriel]

Ask him when you see him. Now, out you get. I've got me work to do.

[Grant Taylor]

Hey there, Dan'l. It's me, Charlie Hall.

[Kevin Brennan]

Why, howdy, child. I haven't seen you since you was back home on vacation.

[Grant Taylor]

That's right, Danny. I'm sorry I haven't been to see you before, but I've been busy.

[Kevin Brennan]

You still studying, son? What are you on to now?

[Grant Taylor]

I'm trying to find a way to make cheap aluminium. Still, you don't want to hear about that. Say, what's that you've got in the furnace, Danil?

[Kevin Brennan]

Oh, that's cryolite, son. We use it to make glass. Leastways it helps.

[Grant Taylor]

It seems to melt easily, huh?

[Francis Pettit Smith]

Oh, sure.

[Kevin Brennan]

Just shovel it in the furnace and she melts right away. No trouble at all.

[Grant Taylor]

Say, that gives me an idea. Cryolite, eh? That's a double fluoride of aluminium.

[Kevin Brennan]

Nothing but some kind of dirt to me, son.

[Grant Taylor]

Yeah, that's what it is, all right. But if it melts as readily as all that, I might just be able to electrolyze it.

[Kevin Brennan]

What are you talking about, son?

[Grant Taylor]

Now, look, Danny, don't mind me. I'm going to rush off home and look up a few things about cryolite. But if I get some pure aluminium. Well, it was you who put the idea into my head so long.

[Ward Leopold]

Back once more at Oberlin College, Paul started a new series of experiments with cryolite, aided by a student named Brady. One day he took some cryolite and melted it in a crucible.

[Grant Taylor]

Now, see here, Brady. This is what we do. We take the aluminium earth. What have we this time? By the way?

[Ward Leopold]

Bauxite. Best I could get.

[Grant Taylor]

Oh, that's all right. We'll drop some in the hot cryolite and see if it dissolves. Right.

[Charles McCallum]

Right.

[Ward Leopold]

Better stand back. It might fizz. Here we go.

[Grant Taylor]

What's more, it dissolved like salt in boiling water. Now we'll just try electrolyzing it.

[Ward Leopold]

You still on that electrolysis? Every other scientist who was ever experimenting with aluminum gave it up long ago.

[Grant Taylor]

Well, I'm going to try just once more. Will you connect up the wires? I'll fix the crucible.

[Ward Leopold]

All right, but I still think you're wasting your time.

[Grant Taylor]

Now we'll see. At least I'm trying something New. You've got to admit that.

[Ward Leopold]

Well, the current's been on half an hour. How long do you want to leave it?

[Grant Taylor]

I guess half an hour is long enough. Switch off now then. Well, there we go again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not one speck of aluminum.

[Ward Leopold]

What do you expect?

[Grant Taylor]

Oh, I don't know. Could have happened. Look at that electrode. Not an atom on it. Well, where do we go from here?

[Ward Leopold]

I don't know about you, hall, but I'm gonna find myself another job. I've wasted enough time.

[Grant Taylor]

Look, let's try just once more. Maybe we didn't leave it long enough. Just once more.

[Ward Leopold]

Not me. I'm through.

[Grant Taylor]

Well, take this crucible, will you before you go. Oh, take it yourself for the love of Pete. Did you have to knock it out of my hand?

[Ward Leopold]

Oh, I. I'm sorry. Honest I am. Here, I'll clean up the mess.

[Grant Taylor]

It's no use being sorry. That was the last clay crucible.

[Ward Leopold]

There was a couple more on the shelf.

[Grant Taylor]

Yeah, but they're lined with carbon. Professor Jewett will knock my brains out for this.

[Ward Leopold]

Why don't you use one of the carbon crucibles? He won't know the difference. I'll cover up for you.

[Grant Taylor]

All right, we'll try once more. But I only hope the carbon crucible doesn't stop any reaction we might otherwise get.

[Ward Leopold]

Using the carbon lined crucible, Paul repeated his experiment, first melting the cryolite, then dissolving his aluminium ore in it. Soon the electrodes were ready and the current switched on.

[Grant Taylor]

Save Brady. Look. There's something happening here. Look at this. It's getting hotter.

[Ward Leopold]

Well for the love of Pete, it's working.

[Grant Taylor]

Switch off. I'm going to have a look at the electrodes.

[Ward Leopold]

Well what do you know about that? You've done it at last.

[Charles McCallum]

Look.

[Grant Taylor]

Globules of aluminium. Look at em Brady. Little bits of aluminium. I found it. I found it.

[Ward Leopold]

By a stroke of fortune, Charles Martin hall had discovered the process by which aluminium is purified. To this very day, electrolysis was the answer. But only in the presence of carbon. And that was the secret which scientists had failed to find in 50 years of research. Hall's fortune was made. And although he spent three long years before he succeeded in interesting the industrialists, at last his company was formed. Originally it was known as the Pittsburgh Reduction Company. But it has grown into the mighty aluminium company of America, known as Alcoa, the largest concern of its kind in the world. That was the luck of it. A chance remark by the foreman of a glass factory. A dropped Crucible and Charles hall stumbled upon the discovery that has given the world all the cheap aluminium it can use. Hall's discovery was due in part to his own determination, but as you have heard, it was mainly a matter of luck.

[Francis Pettit Smith]

The two authentic stories of the discovery of the screw propeller and the isolation of pure aluminium were dramatized by Lindsay Hardy from factual research material and were directed by Donovan Joyce. The performers included Grant Taylor, Kevin Gunn, Kevin Brennan, Lou Vernon, Charles McCallum, Alan Trevor, Ethel Gabriel, Douglas Herald, Peter Dunstan, and Norman Blackler. Your narrator was Ward Leopold, who invites you to listen again one week from now, same night Time and station for a further fascinating half hour of A Matter of Luck, a Donovan Joyce production.