The Afro-American advance., 1900-05-19
FIREPRooF CLOTHING.
Timid People In Germany May Array
Themselves In IncOmbustIbIe
Rnimenf.

Consul Liefeld, writing to the state
department from Freiburg. Germany,
tells of new tireproof material com
ing into use there. He says:
As is well known, the substance
usually employed for the manufacture
of fireproof clothing, paper, theater
curtains. etc. is asbestos. mineral
silieate a variety of hornbiende, which
can be woven or otherwise prepared.
and is infusible at ordinary tempera-
lures; hence soiled articles made of
asbestos need only be thrown into a
fire to be cleaned. Asbestos has, how
ever, several great disadvantages, viz
its high price and its great weight the
specific gravity being about three.
"A new method has been introduced
here by which goods are rendered fire
proof when treated chemically by a
very quick process, which does not act
on the fiber. so the goods lose nothing
in strength, nor does the treatment
in any way affect the color or per-
ceptibly increase the weight, and the
advance in the price of the article is
very little.
II procured some samples and tried
a few experiments with cloth which
had been made fireproof by this new
process, and found that no flame or
fire is produced as was the case with
similar goods which had not been so
treated. Only where the candle flame
came into contact with the cloth was
the fiber charred. but there was no
spread of fire. and as soon as the flame
was removed the eharring ceased. |
poured some kerosene oil on a piece
of the cloth and ignited il; the oil
uurned vigorously, but the cloth was
simply charred where it had been
| soaked with oil, and there was no
spread of fire. A piece of wood
wrapped in thick firsproof canvas was
placed for a few moments ON the red
hot anthracite Goals of a furnace, and
when examined was found to be un-
injured, except where it had been in
direct contact with the coal.
There is one disadvantage connect
ed with this discovery, which prevents
the use of these frepeof articles for
outdoor purposes. viz, that water can
dissolve the chemicals and then the
substance is no longer fireproof. but
as such material can be washed and
then reimpregnated very easily and
eheaply and SO again rendered incom-
bustible, ii would seem that this does
not greatly depreciate it's value Steam
and moisture do not affect the fire.
proof qualities. nor does the applica-
tion of heat. 1t is also claimed that
.he manufactured article is not in the
least poisonous.
II have learned that the increase in
price to the consumer of the fireproof
article need not be more than about
three cents PEI square yard over that
of the unimpregnated. and in large
quantities the difference would be even
less, and the difference in weight is
such that piece of flag material
weighing before treatment l3a grams
per square meter would weigh after
impregnation from l40 to $50 grams.
which means only from ten to twenty
grams per square meter more. II we
consider 500 grams to the pound and
one and one-fifth square yards to the
square meter. this would mean an in.
crease In weight of only one pound
for about every so square yards of ma.
terial For other goods the average in
crease might be even less"