The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-04-03

it is laid over the bundle 81 wires thai
form the conductor in acompact form,
while for the telephone and telegraph
wires the paper is twisted lightly
about then, with air spaces left among
the wires running the whole length OF
the cables. With paper insulation ii
is imperative that water shall be ex-
cluded and all the cables in which il
is used are leadencased and this
waterproof covering is carried along
unbroken to the cable heads and here,
in turn, the covering is connected by
soldering to watertight connections
with the Office wires. For submarine
purposes paper could not be used.
The inventor who wished to find q
substitute for rubber and gutta percha
naturally turned toward other vegeta-
bic products for base and consider
able success seems to have been at
tanned by a number Of clever men in
this direction. Some time ago, there
was described in the Sun process by
which linseed oil was turned into d
fair substitute for rubber: made capa-
bic Of vulcanization and OF taking the
place of rubber for many uses. The
: linseed oil in this process was pre-
pared by oxidization, changing its
character just as it changes when it IS
applied to surfaces as paint. The
principal point in this invention was
the method OF ozidiziug the Gil thor
oughly. This was accomplished by
dipping bunches of tow into the oil
and then exposing the oil thus sabdi-
rided on the flaments OF low to the
action of warm air. 4 large factory
was built IN England to manufacture
articles under the patents which cover
this process.
4 later process, which has been de-
scribed recently, uses linsecd oil as q
basis also, but treats it instead with
nitric acid. The product is called
yelvril. It is composed Of mixture
OF nitrated Gil and nitro -eel!ulose.
Either lirseed or castor oil may be
used. The nitrated oil is prepared
first and the nitro-cellulcse is added
to this. ! homogeneous mass is OBJ,
tanned whose final qualities OF hard
ness and elasticity may be altered by
varying the proportions OF tie mix
tuTe. The proportions which yield q
product most closely resembling Para
rubber are two pins OF nitratel oil
and one pin nitro o-cellulose. Castor
oil is sail to be superior to linseed oil
for this purpose. Advocates OF velvril
declare that this mixture has an elias,
ticity OF twenty-five per cent. and that
its durability exposed to the weather
is superior to that of rubber. Sam
Piles in England have been exposed
for three years, it is said. and still
show but slight signs of disintegra-
ton.
velvril. it is said. can be worked
and moulded under hest and pressure
or it can be turned into varnisll bJ
Gissolving it in a suitable volatile sol
vent. In using it for cable protec'
ton, it may be applied IN the form o.
thick paste, each coating being e.
lowed to dry before the application o'
! the next, or it may be applied directly
By the aid Of heat and 3 pressure oi
i:teen tons 10 the square ir-h. [;
NAV also be used as rubber IS. upon
tape windings. It is asserted .tha;
velvril is superior 10 vulcauized rub
Der when used on copper, because il
contains no sulphur, aud hence has nc
ac;ion or the copper. The nse OF vel
| vril is not, however. con9ned 70 cleo