Research Results For 'Tannery'

BATTLE OF MONTEREY

The Battle of Monterey, Mexico, was a six days' battle and siege during the Mexican War, that took place between September the 20th and 25th, 1846. General Taylor commanded the American army of 6600 soldiers and General Ampudia held the town with 10,000 Mexicans. Taylor began operations by cutting off communications and attempting to storm the western heights, later disposing his troops so as to attack all points at once. During two days his efforts were unsuccessful. Finally Captain Backus, of the First Infantry, by firing into Fort Teneria from a captured tannery, won that stronghold. La Federacion heights, Forts Obispado and Diablo and the Saltillo road were captured in succession. In unsuccessful attacks on Fort Diablo, 394 officers and men were lost. By September the 23rd Taylor practically held the town. On September the 25th Ampudia was allowed to evacuate, carrying one field battery and his small arms. This ended the campaign on the Rio Grande.
Research Battle of Monterey

ALUM

Alum is a crystalline, astringent substance with a sweetish taste. It is a double sulphate of potassium and aluminium with water of crystallization. It crystallizes in colourless regular octahedra. Its solution reddens vegetable blues. When heated, its water of crystallization is driven off, and it becomes light and spongy with slightly corrosive properties, and is used as a caustic under the name of burnt alum.

Alum is prepared in Great Britain at Whitby from alum-slate, where it forms the cliffs for miles, and at Hurlet and Campsie, near Glasgow, from bituminous alum shale and slate-clay, obtained from old coal-pits. It is also prepared near Rome from alum stone. Common alum is strictly potash alum; other two varieties are soda alum and ammonia alum, both similar in properties. Iron alum (pale mauve) and chrome alum (deep purple) are compounds containing iron and chromium in place of aluminium.

Alum is employed to harden tallow, to remove grease from printers' cushions and blocks in calico manufactories; in dyeing as a mordant. It is also largely used in the composition of crayons, in tannery, and in medicine (as an astringent and styptic). Wood and paper are dipped in a solution of alum to render them less combustible.
Research Alum

TANNERY

A tannery is a place where hides are tanned.
Research Tannery

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