Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01

I irm is the surface which the edges of the
paper thus prepared presents that a sharp
| flint pebble, passed through the rolls, Will
be ground to pieces without making the
| slightest mark. Thus in a literal sense, is
| paper made to make paper.
With the wood pulp thus prepared, II hap
| pens that 1t Is impossible to secure the same
| strength and texture of rag-made paper, and
! for a long time at the beginning rag and
straw pulp was mixed with the wood pulp,
| in order to obtain this desired strength for
high grade papers, But at this point the
chemists took up the problem and discov-
cred two processes by which the wood was
reduced to the required state without de-
stroying the fiber is the case in grinding.
| These processes consist simply in the treat
| ment OF the wood cut in small chips, with
alkaline or acid solutions. The wood is cut
up into bits about an inch thick and thrown
into watts containing one of these solutions,
and then boiled at high temperature. This
process reduces the wood to a soft, sapona-
ceous mixture, when it is readily handled
for the making of paper or any other desired
article. This is of course much more eX-
pensive than simply putting the wood in a
grindstone, and at the present time the
ground-up wood pulp and the chemically
prepared wood fiber are usually mixed, in
certain proportions, to make the different
grades of paper.
CAR WHEELS FROM PAPER.
But as already indicated, paper is now
only one of countless forms in which this
wood pulp or word fibre is now made up.
Probably the next and most important en-
ployment is that for car wheels. These
are, as rule. made from straw pulp and
directly from straw board. solid disk
or wheel, made up of a number of layers,
much in the same way as the calendar rolls
are made, is forced under strong pressure
into steel tire. Then into the center Of
this disk an axle box is thrust, under SINH
lar pressure. When first the straw board
discs are put together, they are thrust under
a hydraulic weight of 5000 Kilograms, for
an hour, and a pressure of ninety to 100
tons is employed in fitting the tires. In
this way q wheel is made that is about
three times as durable as those made Of
steel, and furthermore, far more elastic.
This elasticity not only greatly increases
ease OF railway travel, but It dlmlIishcs
the vibrations OF the axle and bearings, the
effect of these vibrations being to crystallize
iron or steel, where the wheel Is made OF
these latter substances. At Pullman, ILL.,,
the chief seat of manufacture in this Coun-
try, pair OF paper wheels have recorded
run of almost l500,OO0 miles. record
which is exceptional foc any kind OF metal
This same wonderful hardness which IL
obtainable with paper, has very recently
been turned to account in Berlin, Germany,
In the making of paving brick. These latter
are made from ordinary wood or straw pulp,
to which sulphate of zinc is added as a
! oughly mixed, 1t is put into vat where
| other chemicals are added aud then sub
jocted to II pressure OF 1000 pounds TO the
square inch. The bricks thus formed are
placed in a kiln and baked for forty-eight
hours, much as bricks OF clay. These wood
pulp bricks weigh about three pounds,
where those Of the same size OF clay weigh
ten pounds, ana are practically indest:uCti-
I BILE. Furthermore, they are said 10 make
very little noise. Under this same process
/ alI ltf Of 81
cables are now being made, ana drain tilns
as well. Among the advantages claimed for
the latter Is Its exceeding hardness, its light
weight. Its nonconductivity Ct Ecat or sound
and sufficient elasticity 10 meet ell require
ments. The dampness, experienced usually
In the case OF stone, Is also absent, and in
price and appearance. the tillng takes rank
over that made Of clay. Similarly dentist
In Lubbock Is a maker OF paper or wocl pulp
teeth, said TO be Of fine quality.
CRoWDING OUT STEEL.
A slightly diHeren. process is employed