Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-06

Kingdom, posse ss.ng some of the charac-
teristics OF both. In appearance it is light,
buoyant ard feathery as thstledown; yet,
IN its crude state, it is dense and heavy as
the solid rock in which 1t is found APP
parently as perishable as grass, 1t is yet
older than any order of anin al or vegeta-
Bile life on earth The dis.ulving Influences
OF tire seem to have 10 effect upon it.
The action Of urnumbered centuries, by
which the hardest rocks known to geolo-
gists are worn away, has left no percepti-
bic imprint on the asbestos found embed
ded in them.
While mitch Of its bulk is Of the rough
est and most gritty materials known, it is
really as smooth to the touch as soap or
oil. Seemingly as combustible as tow, the
hercest heat cam OF consume it, and no
known cor bnatGn of acids will destruc-
lively affect the appearance and strengt h
OF Its fiber, even after days of exposure TO
It's action. 1t is, In fact, practically indie
structble. Its incornbLstible nature rem
ders 1t a complete protection from flames
but beyond this most valuable quality Its
industrial value is greatly augmented by
It's non-coi drction of heat and electricity,
as we'll as by its important property of
practical instability in acids.
Where Asbestos is Found.
Asbestos has been found in all quarters
d,
Japan. Australia, Spain, Portugal, Hun
gary, Germany, Russia, The Cape Central
Africa. Canada. Newfoundland, Texas and
other Tarts of this country, and from
Southern and Central America Scarcely a
week passes without the opinion of experts
being asked On some rev discovery of this
mineral substance. Nest Of the samples
are, II rot OF poor quality, very much in
ferior to the best. The asbestos of differ
ent countries is as varied as the character
iStic foliage. The smooth and white rock
like form Of the mineral from the Pyrenees
Is an abs olute contrast to the harsh and
brittle trcmoi:te of Servia, unpleasant to
handle, with its fire needles like the parti-
cles OF Stag wool. which insidiously pene-
trate the skin. The Cor lean variety is
lSns' sort and silky, Its s.lvery white or
pale gold tufts resembling ske;ns newly
wound from & cocoon, while the singular
SCandiI avian forms are rough and ruSse
as the country from which they come. 1t
may be said here that while the appear
ance OF asbestos is Cften very deceptive as
gauge of its commercial value. the point 5
most sought for in the mineral the
length and tineness of fiber, combined with
infusibility, tou2hEess and fieXib:lity.
The asbestos generally found in the Unit
ed States, especially in Virginia. the Caro-
linas and Texas. also in Staten Island, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. is of the woody
fern, in appearance like fossilized wood
The veins range in length from few
inches to several feet. The fiber can be
split off like soft wood, the appearance be-
ing woolly, and when separated it has no
nor even pulped. At one time it was
thought 1T might be profitably used as a
filler in paper making. but virtually it is
of no commercial value. This and kindred
Classes of asbestos have often been in
strumental in the creation of visions Of
wealth that were never to be realized. A
sensation was recently caused by the an
nouncement that a whole mountain of as
teStOS had been discovered no
FIBER 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 noun
tain 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 ashes
tos threads showed up like punches of
wool.
The Supply In Canada.
Notwithstanding this wide distribution Of
asbestos, the only varieties which at pres
ent appear to demand serious consideration
from a commercial point of view, are the
Russian, the South African the Italian and
the Canadian.
Before the development of the Canadian
fields, the Italian asbestos was supreme in
the market. For nearly twenty years Italy
has been looked to for the best grades of
the fiber. From a point the northern
mountain slope Of the Susa valley is taken
the floss asbestos fiber, the appearance Of
which in gas stoves is so familiar In the
same locality is found a fine white powder
OF asbestos, which serves for paint and
ether purposes. The mining is carried on
at height of from 5000 to 10000 feet
above sea level.
But the Italian asbestos industry once SO
important, is already on the down srade
The difficulties of mining are very great
and unduly increase the cost of production
The asbestos itself, judged by the latest
standards, is Of inferior quality; it Is not
easy to spin, and it does not pulp we'll 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 rapidly falling
off. AS a matter Of fact, Canada contains
the great asbestos region of the world in
5he sense that while It's mines are practical
ly unlimited in productive capacity, the
product is of quality which fully meets
the requirements of the newest and most
exacting OF the tnnumarable uses that are
daily being found for it.
Market In This Country.
This district lies in the eastern townships
1t covers an area Of about 600 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 1898 tons n 1883, no less than
1912 were taken by the United States.
Since that time the output has mere than
doubled; indeed. 1t has been over 5000 tons
for the last few years. The rock carrying
the marketable asbestos is generally, on
fresh fracture, serpeatine of some shade
OF green, in which are contained numerous
small particles Of iron, both magnetic and
chronic. The asbestos, when separated
from the rock, shows a glistening, gray.
dark-green surface. The fiber, which ia
easily separable by the fingers, is white
and silky and well adapted to the manufa O.
ture Of textile goods
The method of mining Is entirely differ
ent from that followed in Italy 1t is. in
fact. quarrying, more than mining, as the
face OF the rock is stripped, and the cut Is
carried down until it reaches the asbestos
carrying serpentine which is then removed
and sent to the top of the quarry. The re-
fuse rock, of which there is always an en-
ormous quantity POSSIBLY twenty or TWEEN
ty-five tons to one Of asbestos), Is Loaded
into cars. run off. and shot over on to the
dumping ground. The rock is passed d.
rectly into the "cobbing" Sheds where bows
chip or cob the ore from it, The ore Is
then put up in bags and stacked away for
shipment.
On arriving at the factory, the crude as
bestos is placed under a huge roller, which
Instantly reduces 1t to a clinging mat-like
fbrous mass. This IL rapidly passed
through q succession Of sifters and sepa-
rators. which tear. strip and clean the fiber
until 1t is ready for the different depart
ments for which 1t - to be graded. It is