Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-11-14

Nv ~ bt Improvements " u
yl- ly taking place in the arts and sciences, bid
US naturally to infer still greater results from the
spirit of enquiry that has taken such deep root with
the people. We could indeed wish our Govern
ment more disposed to countenances scientific men
and scientific pursuits-but SO long as the Govern
ment is the creature, it will be also the instrument
Of the peoples will. Individual enterprise, there
fore, must and can accomplish in America, what
monnrchical patronage has done in Europe. The
vast discoveries that are s~pfinging up daily in eve.
ry part of our land, in the cultivation Of the fine
and mechanical arts, forbid us to despair that our
beloved country will be other than foremost in the
race OF scientific pursuits; to accomplish which,
does it not behoove every lover Of his country and
its system Of Government, to show to the world
that man constitutes a state, md what kings, prin.
ces, and mobiles can do in Europe, men can do
here.
We we're led to these reflections by observing
the application, at the Cotoctin aqueduct on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, of o new and peculiar
kind OF Cement, patented by I. c CoYLE, of Bal
timore, Md. We were entirely ~sceptical of this
high Cement, and believed that human ingenuity
had exhausted ~itselfin vain without suggesting any
Improvement on the Clements used in our age; but
in this we were agreeably disappointed by seeing
the application of the Cement on the works refer
red TO.
This new improvement bids fair to revolutionize
in a great measure the mechanic arts with the most
happy results to the world il is simple in is man.
ufacture and application, and above all It's cheap
ness, as the materials of which it is composed are
to be found every where.
We have seen the skeleton of the wall of an aque-
duct formed with planks and the space filled with
stones and Cement, and when the plaDks were re-
moved, and after the Cement became hard, the
whole walls and bottom of the aqueduct presented
the appearance of a dark marble basin, perfectly
clear and free from pores, with a beautiful high
polish, as tight as a bottle and rs hard as IRON
thus making the work (Which had been construc-
ted with other Cement, but failed, } perfectly tight
and lmpervious TO water besides, by this simple
process, the company have been saved the vast ex-
pense of rebuilding, which soon must have taken
place, as the pressure of the water had washed the
old Cement away and left the pile of stone a mere
skeleton, without any thing to bind together the
rock composing the structure. We have seen
where the Cement was thrown promiscuously on
hard mountain rock which formed the arch Of the
work, and when the sledge or crowbar was applied.
the rock invariably broke before the Cement would
separate the bond which it formed with the stones.
We perceive from reading the pamphlet of the
Patentee, containing certificates of the important
value of this Cement from the highest sources in
our country, proving that which we had heretofore
believed impracticable, namely, the cementing of
stone work under water without the aid Of Golfer
dams; this is effected in the simplest manner ina
ginable, but the reader must see it applied before
he can form any idea of the important result ema-
mating from this Cement to our common country
1t will, in our opinion, supeIsede the necessity Of
dressed stone altogether; it will cement any kind
OF stone into one solid mass, and become as hard
as granite in twenty-four hours; it can be moulded,
shaped, or formed into any wall, vessel, pier. or
arch which may be required, or, if desired, the
Cement can be made as elastic as India rubber;
this may seem strange but it is Notwithstanding
true, as hundreds have proved throughout the coun-
try for the last two years. Ii seems to us that Mr..
CoYLE has laid his Cement fairly before the public,
and in doing so, he has shewn the practical results
OF a ripe and energetic mind, which could only have
been successful by energy of action and uutiring
zeal. This Cement is admirably adapted to all by
draulic purposes, such as ~fore.bays of mills, water
tanks, water-works, dams, piers, cisterns, granary
floors, spring-houses troughs, ~rat-proof warehouses;,
&c. &c. 1t will no doubt be found useful for MANY
other purposes that experience alone will suggest.
The subscribers, having purchased Of the Paten-
tee the right tor the State OF Virginia, avail them
selves of the present opportunity Of making known
to the citizens of Virginia that they are now manu-
featuring the above Cement at the Point OF Rocks,
where any quantity can be furnished to order. We
will also sell the rights for Counties, Cities, Towns.
Districts, Farms or Buildings Applications to be
made to the subscribers living at the Point of
Rocks, Md. JOHN HAM,
PHILIP McGAUGHAN.
Or to WILLIAM C.. CLARK,
of Harpers-Ferry, Jefferson County, Va, who is our
general Agent for the State.
REFERENCES.
WrArtisans and Builders, who are not acquain-
ted with the merits of this Cement, are referred TO
the following gentlemen for further particulars, as
the subject has been before the Congress of the
United States, who have investigated the matter,
and consequently are enabled to arrive at correct
conclusions.
His Excellency, r Nj. johnson; His Excellen-
cy, q. Wolf, Philadelphia; His ExcelIency, Gen.
Hunt, Washington; Cornelius MoLane, ESQ. Bal.
timore; DR.. Stewart, do. Hon. George C. Wash
ington; Hon. Messrs. Mercer, Garland. Preston.
Wise, w. c.. johnson, Taliaferro, Thomas.
July l3, l83o.-6m