The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-06

| toughest and most gritty materials
known. 1t Is really as smooth to the
touch as soap or oil. Seemingly as
combustible as tow. the fiereest heat
cannot consume it, and no known COM
bination OF acids win destructively af-
feet the appearance and strength of its
fibre, even after days of exposure to It's
action. 1t is, in fact, practically inde-
structible. Its incombustible nature
renders it a complete protection from
flames, but beyond this most valuable
quality its industrial value is greatly
augmented by its non-conduction of
heat and electricity, as well as by it's
important property of practical insolu-
bility in acids.
Asbestos has been found in all quar-
ters of the globe. 1t comes from Italy,
China, Japan, Australia, Spain, Portu-
gal. Hungary, Germany, Russia, the
Cape, Central Africa. Canada, New
foundland, Texas and other parts of
this country, and from Southern and
Central America. Scarcely a week
passes without the opinion of experts
being asked on some new discovery of
this mineral substance. Most of the
samples, if not of poor quality, are
| WAY iAQSil iiilSllOi " llC DSot. ilN
asbestos of different countries is as va
ried as the characteristic foliage. The
smooth and white, rocklike form of the
mineral from the Pyrenees is an abso-
lutte contrast to the harsh and brittle
tremolite Of Servia, unpleasant to
handle, with its fine needles like the
particles of Stag wool, which insidiou5-
ly penetrate the skin. The Corsican
variety is long, soft and silky its sill
very white or pale gold tufts resem-
bling skeins newly wound from CO.
coon, while the singular Scandinavian
forms are rough and rugged as the
country from which they come. 1t
may be said here that while the APP
pearance of asbestos is often very de-
| ceptfve as gauge of its commercial
value, the points most sought for in
the mineral are the length and fineness
of fibres, combined with infusibility
| toughness and fiexibility.
The asbestos generally found in the
United States, especially in Virginia,
the Carolinas and Texas also in Staten
Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,
is of the woody FORM in appearance
\ like fossilized wood The veins range
in length from few inches to several
feet, The fibre can be split off like soft
wood, the appearance being Noolly,
and when separated it has no strength
or cohesion. 1t cannot be spun nor
even pulped. At one time it was
thought it might be prof1tably used as
a filler in paper making, but virtually
it is of no commercial value. This and
kindred classes of asbestos have often
been instrumental in the creation of
visions of wealth that were never to be
realized. A sensation was recently
caused by the announcement that a
whole mountain of asbestos had been
discovered in Oregon The fibre was
reputed to vary from one-half an inch
to two inches in length and to be of
excellent quality. The discovery was
made through the herding Of sheep on
a mountain side. The value Of the
find, however, was discounted In the
eyes of experts by the supplementary
statement that where the flock had
trampled the rock, the asbestos threads
showed UP like punches of wool.
Notwithstanding this wide distribu-
ton Of asbestos, the only varieties
which at present appear to demand Sc
| rious consideration, from a commercial
point Of view are the Russian, the
South African, the Italian and the Ca
madam.
Before the development of the Cana
dian fields the italian asbestos was su-
preme in the market. For nearly
twenty years Italy has been looked to
!. for the best grades of the fibre. From
g point on the northern slope Of the
Susa valley is taken the floss asbestos
fibre, the appearance Of which in gas
stoves is so familiar. In the same To-
cality is found fine white powder of
asbestos which serves for paint and
other purposes. The mining is carried
on at height of from six to ten thou
sand feet above sea level.
But the Italian asbestos industry,
once so important, is already on the
down grade. The difficulties of mining
are very great, and unduly increase the
cost Of production. The asbestos it.
self, Judged by the latest standards, is
of inferior quality; 1t is not easy to
spin and it does not pulp well in the
making of paper. The best grade is
extremely rare and its cost of mining
and transportation Is prohibitive. The
supply from the Italian mines Is rapid
ly falling off. AS matter of fact,
Canada contains the great asbestos re-
gion of the world, in the sense that
while it's mines are practically unlimi-
ted in productive capacity, the product
is Of a quality which fully meets the
requirements of the newest and most
exacting of the innumerable uses that
are daily being found for it,
This district lies in the eastern town.
ships. 1t covers an area of about two
hundred miles in length by six or eight
miles wide. Nearly the entire yield is
consumed in America. Out of a total
export of crude ore from the Dominion
of 1886 tons in 1888, no less than 3,612
were taken by the United States.
Since that TIME the output has more
than doubled; indeed, it has been over
eight thousand tons for the last few
years. The rock carrying the maHtet-
able asbestos is generally on fresh
fracture, a serpentine of some shade Of
green, in which are contained numer-
Gus small particles of iron, both mag
netic and chronic. The asbestos, when
separated from the rocks, shows a glis-
tening, gray, dark-green surface. The
fibre, which is easily sebarable by the
fingers, is white and silky and well
adapted to the manufacture of textile
goods.