Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-22
TIE WEEKLY STAk
AsBEsTUs.

This Is one OF the most singular Ordinations
Of nature Formed Of the hardest rooS -
ments-of silica and magnesia, with a u,,l.
alumina Of lime-its texture is such that ons
would suppose il TO consist Of vegetable tbre
It's splinters, the facility with which we cor
separate the flaments, which are extremely
delicate, flexible apd elastic, can only be com.
pared to lint or white thread Of the most beau
tiful kind. II is sometimes, on the contrary,
hard, brittle and colored in a way to be con-
founded with fragments Of wood broken in
spllnters. In these two cases it IL marked by
very opposite characteristics in one the ten
aclty and strength Of so firm o thread. in the
other a woody texture, and sometimes sufi-
cient hardness even to scratch glass. Now
compact and elastic as cork, here in masses
OF dirty white, like that Of dried paste, and
there with hlaments like locks Of hair, il re-
celyed from mineralogistx Of old the different
names OF mountain cork, leather, and fossil
paper. Chemists call IL living linen, or sals-
mandrine wool.
Abestus-the Greek word from which this
name is derived signifies incombustibIe-is
found very generally in different countries
The Sctence pour tOas-s French journal, MS
ITS name denotes, Of popular science-from
which We are deriving the substance Of this
article, states that part Of Savoy produces
it of the most flexible kind, and having the
longest and most silky fbres That procured
from the Ural mountains In Siberia is singu-
lar in being compact when IL is taken from
their sides, but becoming flexible and silky
when impregnated with moisture. Itis found
in veins in the mountains, and never at all
mingled with the substance Of the granite or
gneiss, In which rocks il most frequently oc-
ours. The fragments Of asbestus often seen
IN the interior Of p rock crystal, show that
the cavities in which they are deposited were
filled with a liquid which contained silica in
Int anil A. aaak
that crystaliz alton might 20 en- smoothly aud
regularly.
Asbestus was esteemed precious by the an
clients; they employed il to make tissue.
which served to envelop the body when it was
burned after death, aud to preserve its ashes
unmingled with those OF the fuel by which it
was consumed. A large marble uru was dis
covered IN l7O2, in vineyard near Rome,
containing piece Of this asbestus cloth more
than two yards in length by one and three
quarters in width il resembled cloth made
of hemp, but IL was as soft and glossy silk.
1t confined the half burnt bones and skull Of
some ancient worthy; il was placed in the
library of the Vatican. Obtained from Per-
sia at great expense. the custom Of burning
the corpse in a tissue Of this substance could
only be current in the richest families. The
price Of the cloth Of asbestus was indeed 90
high that Pliny considered il in effect re-
served for royal sepultures. Superior quail
ties OF ii served for cloths for the sacred lamps
and for the table linen Of the wealthy; after
use it was said 80 be thrown into the Ore by
the servants TO be cleaned.
Pliny was ignorant Of tie nature Of asbes-
tus; he clsssed it with vegetable substances,
and called it unchangeable linen" He
compared its value TO that of fine pearls and
added that it was prepared TO sustain the heat
Of fire by the broiling sun of the India deserts
where il grew. We are surprised to find the
ancients giving credit TO tales 60 absurd. Pliny,
the Rsman naturalist, believed, on the testi-
mOny Of the sage Anaxilaus, that a tree en-
yeiop.d in a tissue of asbestus could stand,
without injury, the blows Of an axe.
In moder,. times, some industrious individ
uals have occupied themselves in spinning
asbestus and have succeeded in making il into
cloth by resortilg to ,Se eIpedient of mixing
it with cotton or linen, without which, the
thread has not sufficient strsns tn TO be woven.
They then put it into the Gre ana draw IL
forth a tissue Of pure ssbestus. This .ounas-
bout way would probably have been nl,1e.
cessary if they had known and applied tie kind
of asbestus best fitted for their object Mad
anne Perpenti has succeeded in Italy for some
years past in fabricating from il cloths, paper,
and even lace. A book was deposited in the
French Institute printed entirely upon paper
thus manufactured by this lady The pro-
cesses of manufacture are described quite
single and not very expensive The paper is
very good either for writing or printing-by
employing an ink composed Of manganese and
sulphuret of iron, the writing will be preserved
even sfter having passed through the FIRE, and
the paper has the great value Of securing
precious documents from destruction by the
flames Asbestus has also been employed in
various other useful purposes Of which We
have not room to ospeak.-COunfyyG Gentleman.