Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-01-25
TERRA GOTTA 1UMBfR.

One of the most important of recent
inventions is that of the manu-
facture of lumber from fire clay, patented
by Mr.. G. g. Gilman, of Eldora, Iowa.
The process Is fully described in his let
tiers patent, of which the following is an
extract: The composition consists Of kaolin
clay, free from grit, one part; resinous
sawdust, from one to three parts, as porositY
may be required; water sufficient to
thoroughly incorporate the above, by aid of
machinery, into a plastic mass.
Removed from the grinding tubs, where
it has been ground, the spongy product is
forced by plungers driven by steam through
iron or steel cylinders to express superfluous
moisture therefrom, and issues forth in the
shape of long blocks logs, oflength, form
and size best fitted for handling, usually
eight to twelve inches in thickness and four
to six feet in length. When sufficiently
dry to render handling safe these logs are
moved into kilns or clamps calculated for
the purpose. After the steam and vapors
are driven out by slow, steadily increas.
ing fire the temperature is rapidly raised
to nearly a white heat, which not only con-
sumes the sawdust, but brings the clay
itself into the first stages of vitri6cation
On cooling, the logs are removed to the
mill and sawed into planks, boards, and
dimension-stuff as lumber from wood i.
manufactured, and subsequently fashioned
in the workshop into such forms and articles
as demanded by purchasers. This mater
ial, being free from grit and tough in tex
ture, can be cut, sawed, bored, planed, and
carved with edged tools, and before and
after such treatment can, after slipping and
glazing, be submitted to a second firing,
with fine results IN ornamentation obtained
Kaolin IS the upper startum of fire Or
|fedspathic clay beds, and owing to thu
absence of sand or free silica is unsuited
to common POETRY uses, as its warpage in
drying and firing units it for moulding pur
poses,
Mr.. Gilman's invention overcomes thii
trouble, inasmuch as the material is reduced
to form with edged tools subsequent to. firing
New York's greatest present want is 8
6re-proo6ng, cheap. and undoubted in it,
capacity for every emergency. Her stately
ten-storied buildings can in conaagrati0r
Terra Gotta lumber is indestructible by
fire, gases, or acids; Is a poor conductor
of heat, sound, and electricity; and poss-
esses molecular attraction 10 an extent
which allows Of plastering without first
lathlng.
Its weight is one. half less than CON-
| mon building brick, and Is erected with
nails instead Of cement or mortar, virtu-
ally rendering fire. proofing work OF car.
pentry, instead of masonry, as heretofore.
Mr. G. G. Gllmsn's present address is
room II, No. II Broadway, New York.
Scientific american, Nov. 26.
We have seen and examined the Terra
Gotta Lumber, and agree with the Scienti'
fc american as to the importance of the
discovery, as important IN architecture,
perhaps, as the discovery of the Bessemer
steel process was to the iron interest.
The often asked question, what will the
country do for lumber when the forests
are gone, is here answered.
Mr.. Gilman claims that he can build
without the use of any wood whatever,
and that, too, with high order of 1nish.
Window and door frames. and even the
doors themselves, latter framing and fitting,
are taken apart, slipped with any desired
color, and submitted to second firing,
which results in flne glazed work.
Verify Mother Symptoms prophecy of
"glass house" is nearer verification than
one might at first admit.
Fifteen additional claims for patents.
on the same material are beng prosecuted
by Mr.. G.
There should be twenty manufactures
of Terra Gotta Lumber in the vicinity Of
New Y ork.-Real Estate Chronscle, Noo 29
Gilman's Fire Lighting Brick are made