The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-15 00:00:00

FIRE-PROOF WOOD.

Some experiments of an interesting nature were
made on Saturday at Godstone with the Rev. Dr.
Jones's patent for rendering wood incombustible. The
experiments took place in the grounds of Mr. Jarvis,
at the Priory, where every appliance was at hand to
render the tests as complete as possible. Dr. Jones
renders wood uninflammable, and also impervious to dry
rot and decay, by subjecting it to a " pickling " process
in a solution of tungstate of soda and water of the speci-
fic gravity of 1.2(1 decimal 2). It should be stated that
the tungstate is made by the addition of tungstate
of lime to hydrochloric acid and salt, and it pro-
duces in the process as much chloride of lime as
will pay all working expenses. The invention claims
to be superior to all the old methods of preserving
wood, as they only render it more liable to fire. As
instances of the inflammable nature of preserved wood
may be mentioned the landing stage at Liverpool
recently burnt down, and Sir Joseph Gabriel's pre-
served wood warehouse, which was destroyed by fire.
The tungstate of soda, from experiments that have been
made publicly and privately during the last three
years, is proved to render soft woods, such as white
and yellow pine, as hard as oak or teak, and it will also
restore wood to its original condition of dut ability that
has been affected by dry rot. The visitors on Saturday
were shown a piece of restored oak taken from the Lord
I Clyde, an ironclad that was built some years ago of un-
seasoned timber, and which had become soft and useless.
Having been treated with Dr. Jones's patent, it is now
asils.rd and durable as ever. The experiments made
were three in number, and the tests were undoubtedly
very severe. Two small pyramids of sticks were made,
one of prepared, and the other of unprepared wood.
These were well saturated with paraffin, and ignited.
In the case of the prepared wood the paraffin soon
burnt itself out without communicating the flames to
the wood, which was only slightly charred. The other
heap burnt fiercely, and in half an hour was reduced
to ashes. The next experiment was made with two
wooden huts, one of which had been prepared, while
the other, built of ordinary Scotch fir, had not. A
strong fire sufficient to ignite the houses was burnt in
each, and the effect was about the same as in the pre-
ceding experiment. A chest containing a parchment
document had been treated by the process, and was
thrown into the flames when at their height, and was
taken outsometime afterwards, charred indeed as to the
j outside, but practically uninjured in any other respect.
The inside was quite cool, and the wax seals upon the
document were intact. Perhaps the most important
trial was that which took place with gunpowder. A
Government gunpowder keg which had been rendered
fire-proof was used for this experiment. A paper
packet, containing about two ounces of gunpowder,
was put in the bottom of the keg, and a sheet of
brown paper impregnated with the tungstate was
pasted over it and dried. The keg, which was open
at the top, was turned upside down, and surrounded
by shavings, which were lighted. A fire of petro-
leum and shavings was kept burning on the top for
about a quarter of an hour without producing the
slightest effect on the keg. To make the trial still more
complete the keg was reversed again, and lighted
shay ings were thrown in upon the gunpowder, protected
only by a sheet of brown paper. The paper stood the
test admirably, and the solution rejected the fire so
thoroughly that the paper did nor even show a sign of
charring. The gunpowder was then taken out and
exploded. The properties of his invention, Dr. Jones
states, will render to the navy the advantage of being
always sound in hull and free from any danger of fire,
whether from accident or shot and shell. It would
also be a great saving to the nation in preventing the
necessity of continually docking and repairing ships.
An extract from some Government statistics was read
on Saturday, which stated that the cost of the renewal
of telegraph poles was £240,000 per atll2lllll, and this,
lit was said, would be saved by the use of Dr. Jones's
. process.