The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-04
From the Netc York Morning Erpreys.

FIRE PROOF CoRDAoE.-Toa a commercial city like
New York. the discovery Of any process which by
improving machinery, makes life more secure and
the transportation Of merchandise lees haza rdous
must be regarded with interest, and not only this
but be adopted the instant it's merits shall be made
apparent. Such discovery has been made,
think, by Professor J. H. Johnson now in this city,
| en- route Tor Europe Professor johnson now offers
othe tess o. the commercial interests Of the world
specimens OF cordage and wood which incom-
bustble; not utterly impervious to any and all de-
grees of heat for any length Of time, but cordage
| and wood whose structure will remain firm as long
the iron that enters into the composition Of ships
and fire proof safes.
The terrible wrecks of the Lexington the AT.
antic, the Griffith, and the thousand other acci-
dents where valuable lives have been wasted from
inefficient because perishable steering apparatus,
and the untold losses Of papers from fire. when
their possessors depended upon ''safes," admonish
every one OF the value and the interest felt in the
euccesa OF such discovery the one now chal-
longing the closest scrutiny. Measures have been
taken to secure the benefits of this invention to its
author, and we shall attempt 70 give some idea OF
the process.
We may briefly say that the vegetable matter.
whether OF wood, hemp, cotton, is frat submit
ted u process which has the same effect upon il
as Is produced upon wood in charcoal pit, by
covering 1t from the atmosphere while burning.
ms process, all know, produces fuel deficient in
the most important property necessary for rapid
combustion, yet capable OF making a most intense
heat when burned in position where il Gun absorb
the oxygen withheld from it while burning in the
fibre the element producing combustion freely.
is very simple and cheap but the inventor does
stop with simply reducing the elements for COM
bustion, but, by another and equally beautiful pro-
cess, charges the fibre with elements that ut
teriy opposed TO conclusions; substance inn
penetrabe to fire as iron. and at an expense which
will allow its application well to the coarsest
ton baggng as to the wheel,ro upon which so
often depends thousand lives
No who has witnessed the ravapes of fire
can examine the material and not feel that a rem
edy has been found which, if 1t cannot place US in
complete control of fire, will enable us TO check its
course. when, by fastening upon the dresses of
families and the cogdage of ships, it may rob
us OF all we hold dear. By this process every athom
OF cordage and every yard of fabric from our looms
can be made fire. proof, at cost so triiing as to
be almost below computation. AS substitute for
iron ruddcr- chains, which are SC inconvenent and
which steamboats, refuse to adopt, this is all that
could be wished, and must for that purpose be uni
versally used Upon wood. for safcs, its effects are
almost fabulous, and the fact will hardly be credited
that a small turned box, filled with papers, stood
the test of seven hours fire in SAFE the iron Of
which either melted burned out, leaving the
wood as bright and the papers as clean as when
they came from the turner's and the printers hands.
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