The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-26
WOODEN LArnIra DooxED.
A Growing Demand for Iron amt Steel
Device.


Laths made OF wood are used less anh
less every day, und the Industry Is on
the decline. II Is not OWING to amy gen
rral dcCrcaeo OF building, snya the New
York SIM. nor to business depression,
but 10 the growing demand from nearly
all architects for metallic lnthlng In the
construction OF the partitions OF modern
buildings Metallic llthing Ii used less
with view TO making the building hrc-
proof than to muking the walls and par
tltlOn5 stronger ana less likely crack
Ordinary wooden lathA are nailed TO the
Sluddlngs while Stlll green or wet nom
exposure TO the weather. II would
make no difference II they were perfect
~ dry, for the mortar would quickly
mOlstcn them. Chen comes the drying
out process AS the lllhs dry they
twist and turn, cracking the mortar and
weakening the wall. The wooden lnth
~ doomed except for the construction nr
the cheapest kind OF buildings. The all
vaDtnDGs OF any form OF metal lntha
are 10 great that architects have no DIM
Guilty In pcrSunllnE prospective builders
TO use them 10 the exclusion Of wood.
The evolution OF the lath Is rather In
tcrstlng. In IN" early days. just after
the log cabin era IN this country, plaS-
t"rrd wall was looked upon ~ luxury.
Studdlng were hCwn from hard wood
and tho baths Were rlven by hund from
the stralghtest.grainrd timber OOtllnR-
bic, and occasionally dressed with the
draw'knifo or spoke-shuVr when too
thick fOt' u6e, They vert fastened 10 the
GtuddlnE with hlnd-mp.lc nails. costing
two or tire" HhillinGs a pound, and be-
fore the rough coat OF mortar and hair
was put on, the lGthed wall presented
rugged appearance. having no straight
lines anywhere. and showing chunks va
ryln6 from Il mere crack up 10 fully an
inch when n crooked Hath came In lux
tUpOHiiIpn to Il moderately straight one.
Then came the sawed lAths. each one
Ripped from the edge Gt an inch and Il
quarter plank with Il hAnd-saw, Mex;
came the laths. made one nj at time
with circular save, and then came the
GAns'snw machine. which made scores
OF lIthB At one cut. These lRths were
cut from the log with Bhaving-k
and chopped into widths az toGthplcks
and cIEar-lIgh;ers are.
The next innovation was q metal lath,
made OF thin 9hcct-iron strips, ribbed or
having the edges turned over to give
strength. Perforated sheet-lrou. with
ragged puncturcs. III which the mortar
would Cllnch, succeeded the strips, and
wire netting lathlng WAS introduced. II
was generally strengthened with ribs OF
coarser wife. and ls SILL extensively used
not only for partitions. but for concrete
floors az well.
Withlna few years scores OF patentG
have been granted FOR metallic lathInH.
and IN almost evecry instance they have
been for making sheet steel plates pro-
rtdcd with Sits or perforatlons TO hold
The mortar. Several varietlse are de-
signed to get more service out Of the
metal sheet then by mere perr1ratlnr
and are known as expanded metal Iuth-
Ing. One company has had almost u
monopoly or expanding metal In this
manner BY the use Of an ingenious ma
chine, upon which It has patents here
and abroad. The sales run up 80 con-
SIderlbly more thAno one million dollars
year In the United States. Il Ia said.
This ath Is said fully TO double the width
OF the original plate from which II is
cut. Recently another company has
produced Il machine by which even more
expansion IL gained by an Ingenious
form o. cutting and corruGat!ng. All
this - clear gain. and the efforts being
directed 10 getting III" greatest stiffness
with the Highest metal. which means
mNFh gain to the makers