The morning call., 1893-08-13
THE MAZE.
Market, Taylor and Golden Gate Avenue
SUBSTITUTE FOR SILK.
A Process by Which 1t Is Made of
CObwebs and of Wood.

Philadelphia Press.
prominent revenue officer Of Montpelier,
France. named Bon, conceived the idea of using
cobweb as substitute for silk. The notion
was not new one. In 1865, when, one day.
near Merseburg, Germany the fields, meadows
and trees were coveted by masses of ocular
blue cobwebs the women of that town, both
married and unmarried, wanted to preserve
souvenirs Of the strange phenomenon. They
therefore. by spinning. made ornamental
strings aud similar trinkeiS OF the cODwebs.
Bon had gloves and stockings manufactured
of common cObwebs. and sent these articles.
together with treatise on the raising OF spl-
ders TO the Academy OF Sciences at Paris In
1903. A commission WAS appointed for exam
iuIny these propositions. to which commission
the famous naturalist Reaumur belonged. The
name He showed that BOn's plan was imprac-
ticsble because not enough f1rs could be
cured Tor feeding tn spiders Kept for breeding.
This seems to be credible. II one considers that
yearly 100000 spiders would yield only one
pound of silk. Bons idea was repeatedly re-.
vived. and particularly American spiders.
yielding more compact thread, were recon-
mende0; but cloths made OF cObweb silk
always remain curiosities. Thus. the French
naturalist d. Orbiguy had pair of solid trOus rs
for which South American spiders had fur
nished the raw material.
Reaumur, however. went further than Bon.
"Why shall we borrow from animals?" he
asked. "lf common worm Is able TO change
the foliage eats into silk, man, with his higher
u
similar things" Yet Reaumur failed when he
attempted 10 prepare silk of gums or resins.
In the meantime manhind has advanced. chem
istry has been greatly improv d, aud at Paris.
France. they manufacture silk of wood.
In this respect, even two methods have be.
come known OF laie-that of CnardOnnet and
another OF Du Vivcr. which both, in reality,
are based upon the same contrivAnces.
IL one pOurs nitric and suphuric acid
not particularly concentrated and In a
limited quantity upon cotton, consisting Of
CeIlulOse woody substance), one secures
kind OF W. ok guncOttOn. that. placed In a
mixture OF ether and alcohol. becomes mucous
mass known as cOllodiOn. Exposed TO the air
this mass becomes solid again by vOlaiilizatiOn
Of the ether and the alcohol. Tho two French
chemists named prepare OF wood mass similar
TO cOOdiOn, that, placed III water, becomes
solid nearly instautaneOusly. From this mass.
under water, threads are spun that are called
artificial silk.
1t Is well-knOwn fact that artificial products
always are Inferior to natural products. This
Is also the case with the artificial silk just de.
scribed. II Is glossy, II is true, but II differs in
some drgrte from natural or genuine silk par.
tlculary by Its combustbility. IL burns with
a brighter flame tnan silk proper, wool OF even
cotton. Ladies, therefore, wearing such stuf
will do W II particularly 10 beware OF coming
III con act with fire.
Neve,t heless the beginning has been made OF
producing artificial silk at the laboratory. Per-
baps the time will com when man will excel
the sill worm in the production OF silk. For the
present. however, The silk worm still exceIs man
In this respect.