The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-05-04
New InVenttON-Wis
A New Binding Material.

New InVcntiOn-WjscOnSiu 81
New Building Material.
For many years past the inhabitants of Wis
consin have bceu in the habit OF building their
houses, wherever lime and sand are plentiful,
of a substance known as grOut, which is a mix
tnre of lime and sand In all parts of that
State, houses of this description are to be met
with, many of which, though they have been
erected from sixteen to twenty years, do not
show the least signs of decay. This fact, We
understand, suggested to Ambrose Foster, OF
Portland, Dodge County, Wisconsin, the idea
that it might be possible so to compound and
manipulate these two articles, lime and sand
as to form building material which should
not only be as durable as tn best stone itself
but should also be adapted to the many require
ments of builders throughout the United States.
After devotiug considerable time and ngen-
uity, he has at length gu, ceeded in producing
an article that bids fair, eventually, to drive
clay-made bricks entirely out Of the market,
and to supersede in many instances the use OF
stone. Taking for the basis of his operations
the established fact that hydrated lime, when
exposed to the action of the atmosphere again
takes up the carbonic acid which is lost in the
process of burning and Stacking, and so be-
comes indurated, he set himself to work to find
out the proper proportions Of sand and lime to
form species Of sandstone. These he found
were one part lime to twelve Of sand. In Wis
consn, little attention had b. en- paid to these
proportions in the making OF or ,ut, which is
there always used in a wet state like mortar,
the walls being built up 10y layers OF this mix
ture being laid on between two parallel boards.
Hitherto, then, MI. Foster had but very slight
" varied his process from that adapted in his
native State. Eve ntually, he found out that
in order to effect more perfect combination,
the lime and sand should be mixed gether iu
a nearly dry state-in fact, the sand, as it was
dug out of the earth, and the lime in the pow
derry state it acquires, after being Stacked The
mixture is then run into monlds, and subiie. ted
10 great pressure-as much indeed, as l20 tons
upon single brick of the ordinary size. On
being removed from the machine, the brick
presents white appearance, showing on its
surface that it is simply, as yet, mixture OF
lime and sand compressed into shape. These
bricks are now piled up in regular heaps, so
that the air may circulate freely around them.
At this point commences chemical change.
The moisture of the atmosphere enables the
lime to again take up the carbonic acid and
the whole is formed in the course of few days
into bricks of remarkable hardness; ready at
The surface now presents the appearance of
O whitish sand stone-while month after month
and year after year the same chemical change
l is going on and the bricks become harder and
ha der, until at length they are indestructible
as granite itself In their manufacture, they
neither shrink nor warp; hence they can be
laid so evenly that very little mortar is needed
i'm putting them together. Indeed the amount
of lime required to make the bricks and put
them together in building does not exceed
the quantity necessary in ordinary brick bull
ding operations The internal surface too, OF
walls presents so much smoother result that
in many instances no plasterlng will be re-
uured. The bricks are also from their nature
impervious to damp. Owing to their great
strength and hardness, these bricks can be
manufactured with pertorations, so that every
wall may be built with dead air chamber II
il. This will be found OF considerable use il
all large buildings; while in making fences fol
farms, etc, the perfuratlon OF the bricks may
be so arranged as to present many pleasing
devices For buildings requiring the apPsica
ton os architectural design. rnamenta brick:
can he made as readily as those OF the ordl
nary shape. Lime and sand are far moi'
plentifully scattered than is the clay from which
the common brick is formed, consequently MIR
Fosters invention will materially decrease th'
cost Of buildings, since they may be made II
almost all localities more cheaply than TIT
common brick. The farmer indeed, may draw
his own sand and lime, prepare and mix then
as directed, aud en- with one of the machine
manufacture, in the course of day or two
rs many of the building blocks as he require:
for his fences, barns, stables, etc. Although
the beauty OF these bricks depends in SOM
measure upon the purity Of the sand, that i
of its being free from any mixture with ella,
or other earth, still very little deviation fror
the ordinary processes produces a good sub
stantial block. Metallic oxides may, whcr
necessary, be Incorporated with the material
so as to give any shade or color required Q
produce an almost indestructible imitation
any kind of marble or stone. We have see
specimens of this new building material vine
have been subjected to every possible test
order to prove the strength and durability
the material, capability Of withstauding tn
effects of alternating frost and heat, and
are not able to discover that the experiment
in question had in any way affected the bloch
operated upon.--N. T. Tribune. --. --...