Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-09-11
" OF ESTER DAILY spy.

NEW BUILDING NJ ATBR1AL.-We had an op-
portunity, a few days ago, of examining
new building material. which, nom Its ap-
pearance, and the representations made to us,
we should judge can hardly fail to supersede
most others, unless time should affect 1t lnJu-
riously. 1t is manufacture OF actual stone,
by the use of the same materials which nature
uses, brought together and the process SO has
tened by the help of art and science, that the
results which would require centuries OF ma
ture's slow workmanship, is effected IN lew
hours. Messrs. Chapman, of (North) Dam
vers, have established msnufactory OF this
artificial stone, near Rev. DR.. Braman's church
and the Holton estate, and propose lmmedl-
ately to build house of it, in order to exhi-
bit its capabilities.
The invention is of western origin, tile pro-
cess having been discovered by Mr.. Ambrose
Foster. Acting on the established fact, that
hydrated (wet) lime, when exposed to the &C.
ton of the atmosphere, again takes up the
carbonic acid which il lost in the process OF
burning and Stacking, and so becomes lndu-
rated. Mr.. Foster set himself to work to lind
out the proper proportions of sand and line
to form a species of sandstone. These he
found were one part lime 10 Twelve of sand.
He also found that in order to effect a more
perfect com bination, the lime and sand should
be mixed together in nearly dry state. Inc
mixture is then run into molds, and subjected
to great pressure. When placed out in the
atmosphere, chemical change begins. The
moisture of the atmosphere enables the lime
TO again take up the carbonic acid, and the
whole is transformed, in the course OF Jew
days, into stone of remarkable hardness, cast
into the proper form, and in all other re-
spects ready for ordinary building purposes.
The surface now presents the appearance OF
a whitish sandstone, while month after month,
and year after year, the same chemical changes
are going on, and the blocks grow harder and
harder, till at last they are said to be as inde-
structible as granite itself. The blocks are
also, from their nature, imperyious to damp,
and one great advantage is, that from their
snoothness and beauty ,lathing and plastering
become unnecessary, and the outside and in
side OF wall are made at the same time. Ow-
I ing to their great strength and hardness, these
blocks eau be manufactured with perforations
as in the specimen which was shown to u.s.
This is q saving of material, and gives many
/ other advantages.
Lime and sand, it is well known, are more
plentifully scattered than the clay from which
! the common brick is formed, consequently
E Mr.. Fosters invention, unless time should
I disclose some defects not yet discovered, will
/ materially decrease the cost of building, since
/ by machinery Of manufacture, which is por-
table, they can be made in almost all localities
more cheaply than the common brick. Me-
talie oxides may, if necessary, be ineorpo-
J rated with the materials, SO as to give any
shade or colors required, or produce an appa-
| reatly almost indestructible imitation of any
| kind of marble or stone.--Salem Gazette.