The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-21

in the sick room, as they keep noises | Of any kind at a distance. Indeed, If | Carlyle had lined his "cell' inside and out with asbestos, he need not have gone into fits of despair on account of a crow ing cock or tolling church bells. Other Uses for Mineral. Asbestos varies much in quality, but | all kinds no matter where found, stand | the crucial test; In quantity; asbestos is | inveriably freproof. I have seen tests up to, and above, 5000 degreess Fahren- | heit. The heat made the water in the | strains evaporate, but the fabric itself did not suffer. The contention of the Iro- quofs managers that their curtain, though asbestos, was destroyed by the fire, may, therefore, be dismissed without argument. If the curtain had been asbestos it would be there to tell the story.
 This being the age of electricity, as- bestos'' resistance to the electricity fluid cannot be too highly appreciated, particu- larly with respect to hotels, theatres. and. above all. the stage.
 "1f' the curtain had been asbestos- there Is the rub. The market is full of fake asbestos articles, and the sooner the government takes action, preferably in conjunction with other governments, the more lives will be saved. If it is mean to adulterate whiskey and criminal to IorestaIl the price Of food, 1t is un- speakably iniquitous and vicious to sell a shild against fire that may cause the purchaser to be devoured by fire. It's like filling supposed cork life preservers with sawdust-by the way, how many saWdust cork life preservers do you sun pose are carried by excursion steamers. ferryboats in all parts of tho world? There is asbestos cardboard, so-called that contains less than per cent asbes- tos, while the real article contains at least 90 to 95 per cent pure asbestos fiber Just now a lot of investigation and still more talking is going on in all big cities Of the States. but lest the authorities or legislature makes it a criminal offense pie in gilded firetraps called theatres and hotels will continue as before.
 Those having the welfare of the public at heart should insist upon the criminal offense clause. The mere imposition of a fine would be quite useless to frighten off persons determined to mako money, even at the cost of jeopardizing peoples lives.
 Ancients Knew of Asbestos.
 Writes Plinnius in his Natural History CFirst century A. D.:
 "In the fiery desert of India, the land that knows not rain, and where the sun
 
 grass that develops in the flame of fire It is utilized to weave precious white fabrics, which if thrown into the fire emerge only whiter and moro beautiful. |"
 Herodotus. the Father of History" (born ASA B. co tell of living linen used by the people of Asia to wrap up the bodies of their kings, when they are burned after death." The living linen" ne says, prevented the ashes of the dead l from miXiOpr 70 | Herodotus first used the name that gain co such awful significance since the Iro- guols hre. He calls tho living linen
 dspestos' i. e., indestructable.
 Asnestos garments have been found in egyptian graves that existed 5,OOO years before Christ.
 .nIL Marco Polo, the globe-trotter of the tn1rseehth tron. century. brought back asbestos rom the land of the Tartars and Charle- magne once amused a dinner party by throwing tablecloth Into the fire and drawing 1t forth uninjured.