Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-11-16
ABOUT ASBESTOS.
AS commercial Value and the Many
Uses to Which it is Now Put.

Uses to Which it is Now Put
Inc credit of discovering the CONNER
c cla uses OF asbestos rightly belongs to Fl.
w, w. Jeohns, who, in 1857, having been dis
ond ntI with the perishability Of hemp
anu otner vegetable fbers, which he was
using IN a cement, became alive to the
M 1Ie VI uDer stronger and more durable
tnah any yet known In a search for
eniS ne came across an article in an en-
gyciopedla on asbestos, and Immediately
became convinced that here was the fiber
ne was looking for. He then set about
discovering the deposits which were said
70 exist IN Staten island. These, when
aounu, though brittle and of poor quality,
answered the first purpose; but slight ey-
perlmentlng with the new mineral opened
10 MS imagination wide possibilities of
us us future usefulness, and having a firm
pelleI mat nature provides in sufficient
IuahtltleS all substances needed by man.
ne at once took steps toward bringing to
llght the hidden treasure which he was
sure existed.
In order to elicit information concern
ing other deposits he advertised his as
Destos cement in the leading scientific
anu a: otner newspapers, adding a descrip-
.lon OF the CHARACTERISTICS of the curious
nineral, with the result that letters of
inquiry containing samples of asbestos
began TO pour in upon him from all parts
OF the country. These, however, were
all 100 brittle to be spun or used for the
more valuable purposes. Italian asbes-
los was then tried, but proved very ex-
Rensive and unsuitable in many respects.
Inc interest thus awakened in the sub
Ject led in few years to the opening of
the Canadian mines, which supplied in
abundance the desired quality, and rem
aered possible the many applications of
1t which have been made.
AsDeStoS has become necessity of our
daily life, and it's uses are innumerable.
1t sheathes our houses, covers our fur
mace pipes, appears in the form of rugs
and blowers before our fireplaces, takes
ana nnds its way into our kitchens in the
form OF stove mats, baking paper and
ironholders.
Every theater is required to be pro-
vided with curtain of asbestos. But
It's most important uses are in mechan-
zeal and electrical lines where we find it
as packing in steam engines, a cover
ing Tor steam pipes and boilers, frings-
IN fact, asbestos plays very important
part in railroad equipment. Fire felt for
tagging locomotive boilers and covering
train pipes is the only material upon the
market which fulflls all the require
ments.of these purposes 1t consists of
asbestos hbers formed into felt-like re-
movable fabric possessing the highest
Hedl-lnSulallng power, unaffected by the
excessive vibration, and practically indie
structible by moisture or other injurious
effects. The vulcabeston used IN the
Westinghouse airbrake pumps is COM
posed largely of asbestos, and packings
OF asbestos in sheet or rope form are
very generally employed for railroad,
marine and stationary steam engines.
In combination with other substances
it forms the standard electrical insulat-
ing material of the world Electric car
heaters are in common use-the electro
therm," flexible heating pad for use in
place of hot water bags and poultices, is
one of the latest valuable Inventions
Railroad Gazette.