Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-21
PLASTIC SLATE ROOFING.
Report of tiac Committee iEs IElc Dee
Par1ment Of Science of tsae AgricuI-
tural and Mechanical Association
of TcTs1a,sssec


Report Of tiae Committee iD the Dee /
ParIment Of Science of tsae AgricuI-
tIsral and Mechanical Association
of Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Nov. 10 Dr. il. C. Eos
ter, Superintendent Department of Science,
Agricultural Association--Dear
Sir: We have submitted to careful and
lengthy examination the specimen of Com
position Roofing exhibited by James Walk
er & Sons
We find il TO be composed of base OF an
Argillaceous slate which reduced to an
impapable powder is mixed with sufticincy
of coal tar 10 bring it TO a pastry coz
sistency.
This paste is now saturated with the
compound, another layer Of felt is placed
upon this, Tor 'Burlaps1 may be used and
another layer Of the paste is spread npon
that Its mastic nature causes IT to adapt
itself at once to any portion of the surface
to which it is applied, and being adhesive
it requires no further nails to secure 1t.
1t now forms a smooth surface perfectly
inaBergious to water, and having no seams or
irregularities, there isno possibility of water
settling upon If, nor even should it do so,
would it produce the slightest effect upon
it.
We have exposed it in various expert
ments TO very high degrees Of heat. TINS
will soften it, but will not cause to run,
and We find that 1t will, especially in the
older specimens, ignite with great difficulty
and requires considerable of the flame to
cause it to burn. And even when appa-
rently consumed, we find that the ground
work of slate is but little altered. Exposed
on the roof of building to such climate
as ours, its nORerpdnsige nature gives 1t the
utmost value, as the changes oftemperature
will not affect it.
The solar heat will at first cause evapora-
ton OF some of the tar, and the olls en-
ployed in dressing il, as the heat continues,
the compound will more and more gradu-
ally assume the structure and appearance
of slate, or rather shale, and the older 1t Is,
except for the slight loss by the rubbing OF
falling rains, it will become the harder,
and lose all trace of its eombustible proper
ties. The material is supplied at cheaper
rate than tin, or other composition for
roofing.
We therefore, agree in recommending
this Composition Roofing for the premium
offered by your association, as we find
that its Gd5ea06neSS, its aOperpGnSi6Itity,
its bad conducting pOloer, its imper0iOas
nature, its durability, its cleanliness, its
ease of applications, its cteGpneSS and
above all, its p0loer Of lettering itself 6y
age, are readily ard plainly demonstrable,
and the article is worthy of receiving the
communication and patronage OF our eltl-
| Zens.
(Signod,) GEORGE S. BLAcKIE, NJ D.
| If w D. KLINE
The plastic slate referred to in the report
of the committee, is for roofing and other
purposes, and was patented Feb 81, 1863.
II is made of fine pulverized arglllaceouf
rock. mixed to a paste with coal tar. Ii
solidifies by solar heat, and becomes res
slate again without any changeSm ITS III
mansions 1t is pronounced by lar the
cheapest roofing ever discovered, POSSESSING
qualities endurable as quarried slate itself
1t is impervious alike to the corrodlng tootl
of time. and to the destructive element o
fire. All scientific men affirm its fire-proo
qualities without equivocation or hesitancy
Abundant and incontroyertible testimonaii
can be furnished upon this point by thos'
who have subjected it TO the most rIgit
tests, through all of which it passed like tn,
Hebrew children through the fiery furnace
unscathed and unsinged. This fact, com
bined with its durability and cheapness, l
sufficient to bring it into general use. /
is endorsed by scientific men, editors, oil
vines and underwriters OF insurance com
panies everywhere. The following lette
from Scion Robinson, agricultural edlto
of the New York IritUae, speaks for itsel
upon the merits of this wonderful dis
covery:
..AT HOME. NEAR YoRK, Nov 4, 1867
, To A. NJ Lewis, Indianapolis, Ind
/, Dear Sir-Your letter of Nov. l, IS
,, hand, and will be as promptly answered a
your other would have been if it had bee
, in hand. never saw that letter; it wa
, opened, as all my letters are inmy absence
: by \. c. Meeker, who now reports III
6 farmers club.
: So much by way of explanation. Now
: cannot answer your questions because d
! | not know what they were.
But this do know. That Plastic Stat
! | does make the best roof of any material yt
/ discovered.
Every failure that has eoccurred Is th
fault of the application and not the mate
: rial. There has not been one failure to
thousand successes OF what other Ne
discovery entrusted to inexperienced hand
6 can this be said 4?
/ have the Oldest Plastic Slate roc
around New York. 1t was perfect the da
, it was put on, over two years ago and
has been perfect every day since, and bic
fair to be perfect long after am gone.
The same truth can be said Of Otht
! roofs. They are waterproof and fire-prot
and indestruetible. What more does an
; man want? have from the first, and
! hope l shall TO the last, advocate this roo
: ing, solely because 1 look upon It's disco
= ery us one of the greatest blessings to Il
, people at large Of any one Of this remarl
able age. Does this look like ''reticenct
/! on my part, or belief in any failure:
. tell you and am willing for you to tell Il
: | whole world and the rest Of mankind tn
| everything that have said IN favor
= Plastic Slate, 1 say again after all my exp
>. rience Of years and there Is not mont
:. enough on earth to induce me to say vii
= 10 not believe.
am respectfully, &c,
u SCION ROBINSON.
,e The very highest testimonials from ms
II Of undisputed veracity as to its cheapnes
o durability and tire-proof qualities, could
Ia furnished 10 an indefinite length, but Il
,e foregoing, with the report Of the COMM
" tee. we deem sufficient to satisfy the ml
re- | Rkeptical