The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-31

.ah Ictses were held In the Baker
1900. commemorative OF the occasion.
was entirely suspended
NIX FROM WOOD Pulp NOV
Aaausosursd on Commercial sr,.,.
In France.
London Times.
Insre wiz shortly be started IN Ia
ns = new industry Of . character 40
o'ss mai the mention OF 1t may appsar
~ suggestive OF IN aSsursfsfy rxfher
imam OF sober truth II VIII be one for
no.hins less than the manufactur, OF s,lk
ous OF wood pulp. Qusxotia as the idsa
seems, II has already been estabi,shea
that aux. or rather. ARTIFICIAL SIX. can b.
20 made; that II can bs used for the many
purposes Tor which natural siik n used.
s1n others besides: that u is especially
suitable FOR working Cd with natural s,fL
cotton or wool for dress material rshsnas
trimmings. church decorations. yestmrnt.
etc that the ARTIFICIAL silk can scarcely
% distinguished from that fer which W..
nave hitherto depended on the EiIkworrn.
ana that !, can b sold at prices very much
lower and stili leave a substantial prof,t
Dress and other fabrics made from, this
"ooo snk Are. indeed. already being sold
extensively in London a. among thu leaf
ING features OF this seasonal Paris ,ovel.
ties. though the Appearance Of them ii 20
close 10 that Of the ordinary silks. ana N
little has been said Of the new discovery.
that neither the ladies who have bought
them. nor. indeed. the shopkeepers who
hsvs sold Them. have realized the change
mat has been brought about In the process
Of manufacture.
Al present thu wood silk comes from
France. large works having been estab-
hsned at Besancon under patents granted
70 Count Hilairs de chardonne,. eheyaiIer
OF ths Legion OF Honor. who discovered
the process and first established In 1ss3
the TACT that II might be made into a com
mercaai success. Since then the demand
!er inc new commodity had FAR surpassed
the existing powers OF manufacture:
ana some months ago the IDEA was mooted
OF adding to the number OF our own tn
onstries by arranging to mako the artifi-
Gal ssik In England a. well. The project
seemed to be especially desirable in the
interests OF Lancashire. whose commercial
prosperity has been seriously threatened
OF late. while It was pointed out that
Lancashire weavers are much more skill
full than the French in working up tho..
textile combinations for which the artif-
ciai ak In particularly. though not ex-
ciusiveiy, adapted. A number OF silk and
cotton manufacturers met TO discuss the
question, and finally sent GU, to Besaneon
a deputaton consisting of some of their
own number. an engineer. . chemist and
q lawyer. 70 Investigate the suhjec, thor
onghiy. This was done. and the outlook
was found to be so promising that certain
concessions have been secured and n COM
pany Is now in process of formation. aad,
TO begin with. a factory. which VIII cost
ESa.eo. Is to be built near 20 Manchester
for the manufacture OF artificial silk yarn
from wood pulp. for sale to weayers, who
VIII work IL up by means OF their exist
ts4xp ~
firms have already arranged to take the
total output OF tho factory. even before a
single brick has been laid. and a. others
are proposing TO put down plants OF their
own 20 be worked on the royalty system.
there Is evidently good reason for the
expectation that lancashire Is on the eve
OF some Important expansions in her tex
tile trades
The way In which wood pulp can be con-
verted into silk yarn win be hes, explained
by = brief account OF the process a. II
n already at work at Besanoon- A certain
economy of labor In practiced by obtaining
the wood when II Is In its paper or
Cardboard" condition Though waste cot
ton may also be used. and the first opera
ticn IL TO macerate IL in a solution Of nitric
aud salphuric acid. After this the acids
are squeezed out by . hydraulic press and
thu stun II thoroughly cisanSed IN large
watts OF water. II Is then partially dried.
and afserward left Ter some hours IN a
revolving cylinder containing alcohol and
ether After this Il IN passed through a
after, which iesveS II looking very much
Hike thick gum. and II next put IN cyiin-
aers. from which II IS forced by pneumatic
pressure into pipes passing into the spin
nsng department Here the machinery
looks like that employed in Lancashire
spinning sheds. except that one OF the
pipes referred 90 runs along each set Of
machines These pipes are supplied with
small taas. nxed close together. and each
tap has n glass tube. about the size OF
q sas burner. at the extreme point %
which IS an aperture 50 minute that the
niaments passing through TO fewer than
ten OF them woala be required 20 make up
the thickness OF = human hair. These
glass sabes are known as glass silk
worms" and some l.. 900 OF them are "a Use
IN the factory.
Tho effect of the pueumstic pressure ia
the eyliacers referred 20 above u % farce
the rauia raa.ter not only aioag the iron
tubes. bat also. when the small taps are
turned on. through eaeh Of the glass six
worms IL appears there as a scarcely per
ce2,isie sgeoale. This a Eiti touches with
her thumb 60 which IL adseres. and che
4ravs out ar almost trysxaale n.arnsat
which she passes through the guides ana
onto the nobeir. Then. enc by one. she
takes eight. ten or twelve ether snch rla-
meats according TO the thickness CT the
.hrpaS 10 be made, ard passes them
through the Sane guides and orfe the
ss.ua holhin. This done. she presses them
together with her thumb ant fcrefeScr.
AZ a certain point Sss~sen tie glass six
worms ana the guides. Not only do they
aas,-e but therc<f0rNsrs the nisments
vii co-sinae % meek and adhere at that
p,slre. however iorg the machinery may
fs keps running. In this way the whole
srar.,n will soon ~ SET at work, the THREADS
not breaking untsl the eobe.a = fSil ~hSi
they break automatically. sAile they are
ali ~ uniform thieSEess. The remain
snx processes are ,he same as IN tbs o~se
cf ordinary silk. except II sse respects
7. the rest place. the artsacsd silk has
~ be Asni,rifiea - IS 20 render . nH2-
sansrar.Sese sfter the ehsrstcAi processes
I, has undsrgSnes and. n the next place.
the hanks are placed On two resolvtaS
-at,s-s which stretch and sl<o src1' Them
prs~ssciar thst high degree o. inster vhich
i ore OF the chief Characteristics O. the ar
tsHcsai SILK
TIE new rredec, Is sad 70 fAse cye
mach u~ars readily tfsan shs natural s''x.
ana certainly the cossrs and the sxsrs0ss