The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-01

cesses to whiten. cleanse, straighten
and make it ready for the weaver 1t
took many years to perfect this, and
it is reasonable that 1T will take some
time to perfect the minor processes
through which this mineral wool must
pass. Though in appearance they re-
semble each other, there is a very
wide difference at present. This has
to be met by a. new kind of machinery
to prepare it for the weaver. There
are certain impurities which have to
be freed from the wool. There is, how
ever, no oil to do away with, as in the
Sleeps product. Moreover, when once
the fiber is heightened out and by
chemical solutions still further
strengthened. it will be more easily
handled than the sleeps wool, and will
do away with the delay that all cloth
manufacturers experience in letting the
oil dry out.
Though at a first guess it would be
supposed that water would affect this
wool and cause it to slime, the con-
trary Is the case. water having abso-
lutely no damaging effect. Another
point in its favor is that fire has less
effect than water. A handy garment
Of underclothing would be one that
could be washed and thrown in on the
fire or stove for a hasty drying.
Clothed in garments Of this wool there
would be no danger Of woI king around
fires. There would be a decrease in
the death rate of women and children,
many OF whom are annually destroyed
by having their clothing catch fire
from CRATES and lamps.
Another point in it's favor as a wool
for winter clothing lies in the fact that
it is one of the best nonconductors
known. It is impervious to heat and
cold and for that reason would make
nCf 6nCiro dow 10fI III
dikers. 1t could not be worn in sum-
mer, as it would retain all of the heat
of the body, and this would become in
tolerable.
Its Strongest Point.
But the greatest point in favor Of
wool made from rock lies in the claim
that 1t will outwear the sheep product.
1t is to bring out all of these qualities
that the Boston firm is now lending
every energy and expense to still furth-
er carry this discovery into the mer-
camille world. Once converted into
cloth it would find all kinds Of uses.
Having the noncombustibIe qualities
Of asbestos, the weaving qualities Of
wool, the soft and warmth of cameps
hair. and the insulating properties of
silica fiber, it is difficult to set any
point at which the new fabric would
IfOC TedCn. IneaCer curtains for fire
protection, lining for fine garments,
carpets and for wrapping conduits, hot
and cold water and air pipes, packing
engines and deadening sound, all come
within the scope Of its possibilities
Firemen could use such a cloth and
Adventures might attain the north
pole if encased in g. garment which
would keep out the wild north winds
and retain all of the heat the heart is
capable of generating. The wool as it
stands now and even if 1t should never
be carried further, can be used for all
Of these purposes in general Placed
under floors, an inch of it will deaden
all sound as effectually as four inches
Of clay will. Placed around refrige-
rator cars it will retain the cold more
effectually than the coke now used.
Being absolutely free from sulphur, it
is the best wrapping yet found for
pipes. Thus far silicate fibre Mas all
ways contained a percentage of sui
phur, which causes it to disintegrate,
to corrode on the pipes and eventually
not only spoil the pipes, but waste
away. There is not trace of sulphur
in this new wool and not even a trace
comes in contact with it in the process
of manufacture.