St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-22
A MARVELLOUS INVENTION
Brought to Perfection by West Side
Bohemian Stonecutter.
IT DISSoLVES SOLID STONE,
Which Is Resolidified Into a Trans
parent Rock as Durable
as Flint.

Wonders will never cease! At least
it seems so. Something new IS con-
stantly being invented, and if things
continue the same way for another CEN
fury nothing will be impossible. and it
will not be necessary for people to work
at all-simply sit by and see some me-
ehanical contrivanee perform every
function in the labor world. However,
for inventions and discoveries, it is safe
to say that st. Paul man carries off the
palm. His name is August Boorfried,
and he is Hungarian about
forty-nine years of age. He has
lived in comparative poverty on tn
West side tor several years, earning
poor living by working at his trade of
stOnemasOn; but, if his new discovery
proves a suceeSs-Of which there is no
dOubt-he will count his wealth by the
millions. The discovery is this: By a
combination of chemicals, the nature of
which he refuses to disclose, he has dis
covered liquid which will dissolve
stone with incredible rapidity. The
dissolution is not the crumbling kind,
or diSintegration OccasiOned by treating
marble with Sulphuric acid, but COM
plete transformation from solid to liq-
ulUs liii0 anu SdIlO-
stone are alike dissolved by the mere
submergence In vat filled with dis
solving liquid. No matter what kind
or how hard the stone is. the effect is
the same. What is the strangest
part of 1t all is that the
stone, after being dissolved, forms
into sort of Syrupy substance, which
can be applied to anything having
stone or glass surface with a brush, and
Immediately hardenS so that to make an
impression on it even with a chisel is
almost an impossibility. By applying
some other chemical BOOrfried has dis
covered that the liquid thickens into
heavy mass, which can be run INTO
mOldS and baked like bricks. After 1t
has been subjected to the heat for GER
tain length of time it becomes harder
than flint, and almost as transparent as
glass, and by polishing it assumes
brilliant luster, 1t varies in colors ac-
cOrding to the kind of stone used, and
can be had from bright red to beau
tiful azure hue. Now, BOortried's idea
is that this liquid of his can be used in
making substance for the construction
of residences, floors, and even windows.
By taking this liquid and sprinkling it
on street previously coated with
asphalt pavement as glossy and
smooth as a toboggan slide can be pro-
duced. This would hardly be profit
able, however, yet the idea is good
one, and by further research some
process for rOughening the surface will
be discovered. Just imagine a resi-
dence built of transparent stone, so that
when lamp is lighted in the interior
its rays. SOftened and changed into
roseate hues, can be seen shining
through from the street. The effect
would be marvellous and beautiful. Mr..
Bloomfield claims that car wheels can be
made from the stuff, also rails: and
there is no reason why it should be
doubted, If the other Is true. He ex-
poets to go East in few days, and en-
deavor to interest wealthy capitalists to
take hold of the matter with him. He
refuses to state what the stone-melting
liquid is composed of. as he says he does
not intend that other people shall take
away from him what has taken him
nearly his whole life to perfect.