Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-11-12
ABOUT ASBESTOS.
Its Commercial Value and the Many
Uses to Which it is Now Put.

Its Commercial Value and tho Many
Uses to Which it is Now Put.
The credit of discovering the CONNER
clal uses of asbestos rightly belongs to IL.
w. Johns, who, in 1867, having been dis
satisfied with the perishability of hemp
and other vegetable fibers, which he was
using in cement, became alive to the
need of fiber stronger and more durable
than any yet known. In search for
this he came across an article in an en-
cyclopedia on asbestos, and Immediately
became convinced that here was the fiber
he was looking for. He then set about
discovering the deposits which were said
to exist in Staten island. These, when
found, though brittle and of poor quality,
answered the first purpose; but slight eX-
perimenting with the new mineral opened
to his imagination wide possibilities OF
its future usefulness, and having firm
belief that nature provides in SUFFICIENT
quantities all substances needed by man,
he at once took steps toward bringing to
light the hidden treasure which he was
sure existed.
In order to elicit information concern
ing other deposits he advertised his as
bestos cement in the leading scientific
and other newspapers, adding descrlp-
ton of the characteristics of the curious
mineral, 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 too brittle to be spun or used for the
more valuable purposes. Italian ashes
tos was then tried. but proved very eN-
penSlve and unsuitable in many respects.
The interest thus awakened i'll the sub
Ject led in Il few years to the opening of
the Canadian mines. which supplied in
abundance the desired quality, and rem
dered possible the many applications of
it which have been made
Asbestos has become necessity of our
daily life, and its uses are innumerable
1t sheathes our houses, covers our fur
mace pipes. appears in the form of rugs
and blowers before our fireplaces, takes
the place of paper for covering the walls
and finds its way into our kitchens in the
form of stove mats, baking paper and
irOnhOlderS
Every theater is required to be pro-
vlded with a curtain of asbestos. But
it's most important uses are in mechan-
lcal and electrical lines where we find it
as packing in steam engines, a cover
ing for steam pipes and boilers, firings-
i'll fact, asbestos plays a 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 fbers formed into felt-like re-
movable fabric possessing the highest
Notwithstanding 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.