The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-05-10
llG0InbuStible Wood.
BILL ARR.

lnG0mbuStible Wood.
Many attempts have recently been
made to deprive wood of one Of It's most
dangerous properties, it's too great liabil.
ity to complete destruction by fire. Ia
this end fro proof paints. artificial pet.:
hcatlon aud filling of the pores of the
woca with inconlbust;5le subsisnccs have
been employed; none Of these attempts
have 30 far, however, had satisfactory
result, and ell hopes had nearly been
given up Of ever producing incombustible
wood. The high price Of the material
employed was likewise q reason for do.
sisting from further attempts. (See Boil.
ley's Technology of Wood and Gollge.
trew's Building Materially
Mr.. Is. Hof, Professor of Chemistry at
the State College in Jaroslaw in Galicia,
has occupied himself since 1878 with the
production of iucombustib!e wood, and
hls unceasing trials have resulted in ena.
bling him to produce in cheap and easy
manner wood not only uninflammable
but even incombustible.
We enumerate in the following the
excellent qualities Of tits wood: Incom.
bustiblity at high degrees of heat item.
perature when glass melts), whereby it
neither burns with flame nor brightly
glows, generates no suffocating gases or
smoke, and gives out but little heat; o
glow on the surface in the open air, as
well as in strong current, without burn.
ing or ing thereby, but extinguish.
ing m~.Aontarily. When exposed to
great heat for length of time there re-.
main no ashes, but compact coal which
does not burn. At the same degree of
heat wherein the uncomfortable wood
shows the above mentioned properties
zinc sheets melt in seven seconds; slate
breaks into pieces,a tiles become glazed,
and felt for roofs burns with q bright
fame. Besides this the last mentioned
roofing materials offer no protection
whatever In case OF fire breaking out
from the inside, because they are fasten.
ed upon boards.
The chemicals necessary for the pro.
duction Of the uncomfortable wood con.
ssts of the cheapest refuse Of industrial
establishments, which the present. indus.
try absorbs. The process of manufactur.
ing is simple and cheap, whereby the
price of cubic meter of incomhnstible
wood will be raised only . small part OF
a traction, and may be produced in all
dimensions. This makes it accessible to
all classes of the population.
| The shingles made from this incom.
bustible wood have o pleasing appear.
ance, resembles tiles, are cheaper and
safer against fire than felt, zinc sheets,
&C., and since the process preserves the
wood, last from twenty, FIVE to thirty
years.
On considering the qualities of Hofi7s
incombustible wood and its beneficial re.
suits for the safety of life, property
buildings, manufactures, ships, furniture
and Instruments, the invention NAV
Justly be regarded as one of the most use.
! iul OF our century, and we can only hope
| that incombustible wood will soon be
| rendered accessible to US in any desired
quantity.
In another article it is said: The arti.
Gle which appeared in No. ii of our ia.
per, headed "Incombustible Wood" gave
| us occasion to have specimen of this
wood, which was sent US, examined by
an authority and the following was the
opinion which We received:
| have made trials to-day with the
.incombustible wood and must confess
that 1t answers the purpose in every re.
spect. When exposed TO the fame of a
| blowpipe it proved to be uninhammable,
and it was only with difficulty that the
edges could for time be brought to a
glow. The production of smoke is ex.
cesdingly small, aud the turning to coal
taxes place very slowly. 1t is greatly to
be desired that this excellent invention,
In the interest Of life and property.
should find its way into the widest cir.
cles.-C. B."
We warc slao nreaens y. Eli sza:nins-
ton OF Hoffs wood made by an expert of
European fame in the presence of lead.
ing engineers, and must own that the
results obtained regarding incombusti-
biiity and power Of resisting heat sur
passed our expectations, especially when
we saw that this wood, when exposed to
heat wherein glass melts, generated
scarcely any combustible or suffocatine
gases. In spite of all exertions it could
not be brought to flame, and the heat
which II gave out was so little that we
were able to hold orE finger close to the
spot exposed to the fame. It surpasses
in this respect, although an organic body,
severa! metals, the melting, temperature
OF which is from 600 degrees to 800
degrees.
| Comparative trials with other roofing
materials employed until now, as for in
| osouSo HiuCs aiaLo, ieIL du0 tiles, c0nnrm
the destruction of the materials by the
heat, and in time when Hoff7s wood
showed but slight changes and remained
as hard coal after exposure to q long
glow.
The various consequences which the
application Of Hof7s wood will have
upon building In general space forbids US
to enumerate, but we hope sincereiy that
aimee HofFs wood has passed the ordeal
by fire SO we'll, showing itself to be an
inestimable and indispensable building
material, public authorities will have
their attention drawn towards it and
make It's adoption law wherever securi.
" Of life and property appear threa tened
Gy wood. After the days labor we may
then sleep without fear.~- Translation Of
an article appearing in the Ger,oerbe lei.
tung Of Tenna, dated July 16, 1882.
= "Uncle John" said little Emily.
"do you know that baby that was fed
on elephant's milk gained twenty pounds
In one week?" Nonsense impossible i''
exclaimed Uncle John, and then he ask.
4 ed "Whc1a bsbv svea IL 7D uTbo olo