The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-06-22
SAILS MADE OF PAPER.
Pressed Pulp Found to BE an Improvement,
on Canvas.


1t is now quite certain that a paper
pulp composition will be employed in
making sails for light vessels. Build
ers of racing boats have lately expert
mented with the application of rubber
to balloon and other light sails. The
value of a big spreading sail in going
before the wind is known to yachts
men, which, together with a bullying
balloon jib topsail, utilities every ounce
of wind In force. The idea in view in
making these sails of rubber is to OBJ
tain an elastic material which will al
low the sails to increase in area. and
consequently in propulsive power in
proportion to the force of the wind.
Canvas sails have heretofore been used
exclusively, but as a lighter, more
elastic and air-tight material is de-
sired, the proposition at present is to
make the sails of gossamer weight
from rubber, rope them strongly
along foot. huff, and reach, resulting,
it may be, in superior sails.
Even rubber has its drawbacks. A
sudden increase of wind power eX-
pands the sails too much, and difficult
ty is experienced in governing the
cours of the boat; so attention has
been turned to that unfailing source
from which so many things are now
made-paper. A chief reason for the
employment of paper stock for this
purpose is lightness, a matter which
counts for considerable in fast sailing
vessels: but there are other points of
superiority, one being hat the COM
position stretches just about enough
to favor both wind power and vessel,
while another is that the paper sails
are a~ir-tight. Besides this, practical
tests have shown hat the paper, prop.
eriy prepared, is very durable, and is
less liable to tear in case of high winds.
The sails made on this new plan are
not woven from strands or threads,
but are made up from compressed
sheets, these being cemented and rivet-
ed together in such a way as to form a
smooth and strong union. The first
process of manufacturing consists in
preparing the pulp in the regular way.
to a ton of which is added one pound
of bichromate of potash, twenty
five pounds of glue, thirty-two
pounds of alum, one and a half pounds
of soluble glass and forty pounds of
prime tallow, these ingredients being
thoroughly mixed with the pulp. Next
the pulp is made into sheets by regular
paper-making machinery, and two
sheets are pressed together with a glu-
tinous compound between, so as to re-
tain the pieces firmly, making the
whole practically homogeneous.
The next operation is quite impor-
tant, and requires a specially-built ma
chine of great power, which is used in
COMPRISING the paper from a thick,
sticky sheet to a very thin, tough one.
The now solid sheet is run through a
bath of sulphuric acid, to which ten
per cent. of distilled water has been
added, from which it energies to pass
between glass rollers, then through 4
bath of ammonia, then clear water, and
finally through felt rollers, after which
it is dried and polished between heated
metal cylinders. The paper resulting
from this process is in sheets Of ordi-
nary width and thickness of sail stock;
it is elastic, air-tight, durable, light
and possessed of other needed qualif-
cations to make it available for sail.
making.-Paper Trade journal.