New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-07
WOODWORK ON WARSHlPS.
FLAMES AND SPILNTERS PRODUCED 81
THE ENEMYS FIRE.
THE LESSON OF TIE YALU-HOW 'hh"
MAY BE QUICKLY DEMoRAIlZED-fho'-
ESSES FOR RENDERING WOOD
INCOMBUs TlBLE-PosSiBLE
SUBSTITUTES.


SUBSTITUTES
One of the most important lessons OF 'he pa'-
tIe of Yalu, in the war between Chiiia al"
japan four or five years ago. was tha' "oou =
xorv undesirable material to have on naval
vessel Decks, wanscotings, furniture ana o'"ei
construction in which wood has been used are
liable to be set on fire by the enemy $ shei's
Iaasmuch as the burning of Cerveras ships was
due 10 some extent II not entirely TO deliberate
rrenara,ions by the Spanish Admiral himself
tho naval engagement off Santiago can hardly
no adduccd rs another illustration OF the same
idea Still it goes without saying that II there
had been no wood whatever on those vesseis
their destruction by fire would not nave peeh as
easy as il was.
Sir George Sydenham Clarke. high naval
authority in Great Britain. has been c'edi'ed
with the prediction that his country "ouid rel!
In i,s next war not on armor-piercng projectilcs,
lu, on the demorali2ng effects and slaughter oil
the common shell And in referring to this iore-
.as, "Cassier's Magazine" recently remarked:
This plan Of action prcsupposes wood u 'n"Ne
destructive splintors. and. on occasions, t. get
on ire
Even before .he battle o. Yalu naval experts
had been asking themselves whether or not il
W.. POSSIBLE t. render wood incombustiblc and
e rot what substitutes for it could hc found
Inn III matter has attracted much more atlch-
.ion since that historic engagement Al leas'
rire or ten different processes designed l" ihdhe
,yood fireproof have been devised. and the hrIt-
ISL and German naval authorities nave tNpeII-
u,ntcd extensively with them. The United states
Nae done less ;han have some other Powers III
inie direction but has introduced non-ihhai"-
., -, ,,,o ar tu.o vessels already. And
,ee, week Secretary Long issued sweeping
orlcr. recurring the use Of such wood on all
new naval vessels in the future
Some Of the process hitherto trltd nave
moved rather unsatisfactory. one increases the
weight Of the wood; second rehoers 'i'' ma
to,.aI rrable so that it will not stand the wear
10 which 4 is subjected; a third does ITS WORK
jncomrlc,cIy: fourth is altogether too eX-
rensivc. and so on. Among the chemicals en-
pIavcd for this purpose by various inventors are
suIphate If iron and muriate Of lime chlofide
Of zinc. tungs,atc OF soda and phosphate Of am
rncniurn. The material used in some Of the
processes has been kept secret.
Referring to these real or imaginary draw
hacks in ccr.aiu pa st trials "Cassicr's' remarks
"Tho attention Of some inventors has. therefore,
been turned to substitutes for wood. 1t IS easy
e. reckon up the ideal qualifications for such "A
material II must be- non-comhusilhl", II must
lo 4 good non-conductor II heat. and must have
tonshnces. lich,noss and endurance under FOOT
If We should assume ly way Of illustration
that q substance could hc discovered which
would have the cohcsiycnoss 81 cement not sub
i,ci.d TO sharing or tensile stress and liz"
cement could bc spread with a trowci; that IT
had tho hardness of compressed paper pulp
such a. IS used FOR ClrWhco centre. that II had
.hc lich;ness &C corn pith and that it had the
t,uehncss and nun-rcsorancc o. wood then We
sh,uld have the IDEAL substance for Warsh.p
noarincs and vair.co,incs. That such sub
stance may set BE- discovered is not beyond the
bounds of possibility.
ALREADY approaches have been made To- II hy
mixtures Of saWdust. magncsitc and chloride OF
zinc in which the latter is the binder. II in THIS
product the quantity If magncsIic could ho IN
definitely diminished and the quantity Of saw
dust indefinitely increased. the problem would
be one step nearer solution. We have reserved
10 the last one Of the most indispensable" quail
Gcations in a nou-iniammablc substitute Tor
rood Naval authorities are SUI" t. b" swayed
j. their choice Of new material 10y the test ~
y not splintcring under shell fire. This at ono,
A1ds t. tn problem the invention Of a substance
which viii be hard enough to wear under FOOT
AMI soft enough moi to plinter. y" modern
aerhaltcd streets have hard SKIN on a softer
foundation. so that even this difficulty may be
overcome.
On land whcre specific gravity and weight are
Of less account than at s,a. metal can be- ufc'
Instead of wood in the construction Of furniture.
ana something 81 that sort has already nc'n
done in pubic and private buildings recently
erected and equipped. Metal desks and lockers