The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-14

ing upon novel phases new methods of
treatment and special machinery have TO
De devised. IL viii suffice 10 say that the
ASBESTOS Is graded in the bins. according
20 its length of fiber. No. I. which is the
highest grade, IS used for cariing. spin
mug ana weaving. No 2 Is used 10 some
extent for carding, as well as for cement.
and for pipe covering. and as q substitute
Tor No j, where the material permits of
a shorter hoer. No. 3 is used largely In
paper, and for many kinds OF filters.
one Of its special uses IS for wall plaster.
mis- is a new application which VIII nave
distinct effect i'm modifying the practice
Of indoor piastering. Instead of the ordl-
nary tedious and elaborate preparation OF
studs and strips, and the use OF inferior
and dust-creating mortar, with its after
scoring, which Is necessary 10 give ,eohe-
sion to the final coat Of plaster OF Paris,
a single coating Of the asbestos is la-d on.
It has glossy surface that viii not crack
as, while firm, il is perfectly flexible. 1t
can be put on the raw brick; and room
Of which the walls have been built in the
morning can before night have smooth
~ nnlsned interior surface, SHINING IKE
glass and hard as a rock. a kindred appl-
| cation Of asbestos is now coming into
vogue in the shape Of uninhammable de-
coratiOns for walls and ceilings. These
are used a great deal for the saloons of
steamships. They are embossed in very
| beautiful designs, and can be treated with
gold, varnish, lacquers or any other sub
stance for the enhancement Of their or
namental effect.
The applications of asbestos are now so
infinite that it is impossible to enumerate
them here; but a few of the more impor-
tant of them may be mentioned.
Firemen clad in asbestos clothing and
masks, as are those of London and Paris
can walk through the hottest flame with
| comparative impuntty. Asbestos hreproot
curtains have reduced the mortality OF
theater fires in a very appreciate degree.
In tOrpedOes, the difficulty of dealing with
the charges of wet gun cotton is overcome
| by inclosing them in asbestos, the employ
ment Of which has also, in great meas
ure, brough the dynamite shell to its pres
| ent eihclency. Asbestos IS made INTO
cloth available for aeronautlcal purposes.
A balloon made of this uninhammable ma
terial escapes one of the most terrible dam
gers to which an ordinarily constructed
balloon is liable Probably one of the first
applications of asbestos . in this country
was i'm roofing. To building covered with
this material the shower of sparks from
q neighboring contagration involves no
danger. one Of the largest branches Of
asbestos manufacture is that of sectional
cylinders for pipe coverings, for retaining
the heat of steam and other pipes, felt
protective coverings for boilers, FROST
! proof projections for gas or water pipes,
and cement telling, which can be laid
| on with a trowel, for the covering of
| steam pipes, boilers or stills.
An interesting innovation in this class
| Of manufacture is asbestO-sponge. 1t is
not generally known that sponge has great
! powers of fire resistance. The discovery
| was made accidentally not long ago,and
/ the result was that consignment Of
scraps of sponge picked up on the south
/ ern coasts was ordered for experimental
purposes The sponge was finally COM
| minuted and mixed intimately with as
bestOs fiber. The combination was found
| so successful for any covering which had
to be hre-prOOf as well as heat-proof
] that the material has become standard.
/ Being full of air cells, II necessarily makes
/ an excellent non-cOnductOr. Another
| very extensive department in asbestos
| manufacture is that OF packings. or
/ these there are an infinite number Of
10 the electrical engineer asbestos is
| absolutely Indispensable. Many parts or
| electrical devices and machinery ana
/ wires through which the electric current
| passes become heated and were it not
| for the electrical insulating and heat
! resisting qualities which asbestos possess
| es, the apparatus would be completely de-
stroyed, particularly i'm the case known
] to electricians as short clrcuiting. For
| such purposes it has been found advisable
to combine asbestos with rubber and
other gums, and this combination is now
used universally for not only electrical
| but also steam and mechanical purposes.
A considerable part of an asbestos fac
! tory is devoted to weaving, the asbestos
| being first drawn into thread for that
! purpose. Here again is an apparently
/ endless diversity. There is the fireplace
| curtain bower which, with an automatic
| spring roller attachment, takes the place
| in the frame OF the fireplace OF the less
! slightly sheet IRON DlOWers and nlterlng
cloths for many purposes, from Stralning
molten metal to clarifying saccharine
| Juices in beet root sugar refineries. A
4
| acids and alkalies in chemical laborato-
ries This is specially useful when the
! liquid to be treated is of a caustic or
| strongly acid nature. The filter can be
! thrown in the fire, and after the residual
matter has been consumed the web is as
! good as new. For hltering purposes gen
| orally asbestos has a unique adaptabilty,
| and in tropical countries it is held in
! grateful estimation as a cooler and puri-
/ fer of water.
! The newest departure in the asbestos
! field is the construction of electrothermic
| apparatus. The heating effect of the cleo
! trio current is utilized by imbedding the
/ wire in an asbestos sheet or pad. The
! pad is used by physicians and nurses for
| maintaining artificial heat in local APP
! plications. and is said to be already large
! iy used in hospitals. Another application
/ of the same principle is to car heaters.
| A sheet of asbestos, with the imbedded
wires is clamped between two thin steel
| plates. and the portable heater thus pro-
! vided or a series, if need be, is con-
nected to the car circuit quickly and cas-
lily. 1t gives an even and healthy heat,
and can be so regulated as not to over
! heat the car.