The Portland daily press., 1867-02-15
Elastic Slate Roofing.


Oan and will any one who hos M noo,,,i-
iao, .e.eS' . 70 warp his opinion upon the sub
'oi'n US, and the public throuob this
.r "hat reliance may be placed unon
.' "u'ei.iSeu representations of the Plastic
oiaie hoohng, the patent for which !, ,,,aro -,
patent, is owned by New Yort, Jo;n, 60.
Company? According to the adyertiseman,sin r.
various newspapers, in pamphlets and r. ,,o
proceedings of the Farmers Club in Now yorl,
city, the Roofing is plastic material com
pounded OF the flour of slate (common slate
stone finely pulverized,) and coal tar II is
applied by brush or trowel in a thin coating
upon the roof (Which must first be covered
with thick paper ielting.) and forthwith it be-
comes impervious to water or fire, and will
last almost forever. Moreover, it is said to be
cheaper than ordinary shingling, and is worth
hVe times as much. If all this be true, surely
IL should be extensively known and used. But
there Is SO much humbugging in the world,
especially in New York, that people cannot
lofDear Their suspicious, that such claims are
highiy exaggerated, and are not always to be
relied upon. At least, they ask for demon
strabIe proofs.
lhe subject seems to have been brought
several times before the weekly meetings of
the Farmers Club, N. Y, where Mr. soIop
Robinson the Agricultural editor of the Tri-
bune, Is found its chief and enthusiastic adyo-
cate. According to him, there Is no mistake
about tit is one of the greatest boons that
has happened to the country in our wonderful
times. We have seen good many strong
certificates In behalf OF interested parties, Civ
en- out by MIR. X. as of DIR. c. r. Jackson and
they have become so common as In great
measure to qualify their claims to great re-
spect.
The Inventor, w. l.. Potter of Clifton Park,
Saratoga Co., N. Y, affirms that slate in its
natural condition, is held together as sub
stance by viscous matter, which Is the charac-
ter OF the tar OF coal; and that TO reconstruct
slate, In amy shape desirable, all we have TO do
Is to grind the slate into powder and mix it
with coal tar, for which it has an affinity, and
this reunites the particles and solidifes them.
IL takes time, indeed, fully to petrfy it; mean
while, 1t Is plastic, and almost elastic, like in
dia rubber Or gutta percha, that in its soft
state may be spread as the mason spreads his
lime mortar, or the painter his white lead and
oil. 1t viii fill all cracks and prevent leakage,
and will not expand or contract by heat or
cold. Is it true that common slate is held to-
gether by viscous fluid? If so, why, when
submitted to the action of fire, does not that
fluid perceptibly escape in the form OF gas? 1t
does SO in bituminous coal-why not in this
stone also3 1t strikes us, that II Mr. Potter is
aoroag in his premises, he is wrong also in the
conclusion to which he asks the public to as
sent; if he is right therein-if as the sun and
air expel the viscous fluid, the mass becomes
petrifed-surely his reconstructed slate may
answer all the benefits claimed for it.
There will be a great deal of building done
the coming season in Maine, and we think it
may be an object worthy OF serious inquiry
what are the real merits of the Plastic Slate
Roofing? Can any competent friend tell us !?
TRAXI