The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-05-12
WOOL FROM LIMESTONE,
Revolutionary Procers OF an Indiana
Chemists-It Is FireproOf


Chemists-It Is Fireproof.
There is small but promising fac
tory at Alexandria, Ind, that is en-
gagged In the queer business of max
ing wool out of limestone. The chem
lst who discovered the process is E. C.
Hall, young man who came from St.
Louis with the Union Steel company.
In apartments to which there is no
admittance he has a strange looking
, furnace, into which he feeds pieces of
Alexandria limestone. Out of the
other end white wool-like substance
is blown. The wool has not the
| qualities which make it desirable for
| weaving, but as a nonconductor it has
no equal, and at the same time it has
the principal qualities of asbestos.
The process is secret one. The stone,
however, is of peculiar chemical for
nation, and when subjected to cer-
tain temperature it melts quite readily.
While in molten state it is mixed
with chemical solution, in which
powdered glass is thought to be one
of the ingredients. 1t is then sub
mltted to blowing process which
spins it out into the finest threads of
wool. 1t has the strength for weav-
ing, but the nap is not long enough.
There is also a residue in the shape
of small beads of glr sslike substance,
which the chemist has thus far been
unable to get out of the wool. He
cannot subject it to the combing pro-
cess, and is now at work on scheme
OF chemical dissolution which may
possibly run the beads out and at the
same time have refining effect upon
the texture Of the wool. AS it is at
present it is wool silica. 1t has no
equal for deadening floors, for pack
ing around refrigerators to confine the
cold and for placing around pipes to
confine tho heat
The product has hardly passed be-
yond the experimental stage, but it
has been exhibited before government
experts and given general approval
All Mr.. Hall can make is now being
shipped to the Philippines, where it
will be used as nonconductor in the
storehouses for American troops. The
climate in the Philippines is such that
the government has experienced great
difficulty in keeping stores from spoil
ing, and the experts believe that this
wool will solve the problem.
A firm in Boston is aiding in Halls
with the hope of length
ening the nap so that it can be woven.
If this could be achieved the cloth
would have many advantages over any
now on the market. AS undercloth-
ing it would be soft, would contine the
heat to the body, and being impervious
to the blasts of winter it would be q
capital raiment for Klondikers. When
it had to be washed it could be hung
in the flames of fire to dry. 1t could
be converted into fire curtains for
theatres and screens for other fire.
protection purposes would come with
in the scope Of its many uses.
This is not the first time that rock
has been used in making a species of
silica. Stag has been used to the
same end. But in the past nothing
has attained to the degree of perfec-
ton that marks this. Halls inven-
ton, too, has the distinction of being
free from all sulphur, and this is a
marked advantage. The wool is made
from the refuse of the quarries, and
so far as the rock used is concerned |
there is practically no expense what
ever. With the invention a success
The material in Indiana that could be |
ased to turn out the mineral wool |
would be exhaustless.