The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
HOW MEERSCHAUM is MINED.
Where 1t Is Found-Process OF Making 1t
Into Pipes.
From the Scientific American.

From the ScteEtHc American.
Despite our familiarity with meerschaum.
as used in pipes, II is safe to say that few OF
us have more than a va que idea OF the pc
culiar properties Of this substance. or the
condition in which 4 il occurs In nature. The
anclents believed the substance to be petri-
fed seafoam, hence the German name Meer-
schaum, elning seafoam: and a very apt
name it is, for the mineral IL very white and
so light that it will float when dry. Pieces
OF meerschaum have been found floating
In the Black Sea W which were evidently washed
out of their matrlx by the waves. This may
also have had its influence on the seafoam
theory Of its formation.
Meerschaum is found in best quality and
most abundant quantity in Asia Minor, though
II also occurs in Greece. Spain. Moravia
and Morocco, and even in this country In
South Carolina. The richest mines are on
the plains OF Eskisf chr. ESQ miles southeast or
Constantinople One of these mines is said
to be a thousand years old. and consists OF
about two thousand pits within an area OF
six miles. all but about $50 OF which have been
exhausted. The mineral occurs In noduleS
or Jumps of various and irregular sizes, buried
in the alluvial deposit of the plain. Another
mine comprises 1900 pits. only loo OF winch
a g being worked.
The material Is mined by the inhabitants
of the surrounding villa ges and transported
in the rough to Eskishehr. The meerschaum
is soft when mined. but soon hardens when eS.
posed to the air. For'this re lson the Jumps
are roughly scra ped off at first and then laid
aside 10 dry. When dry they are subjected
to a thorough scraping and cleaning. and are
finally waxed and polished. The Jumps are
now sorted according to size In four classes
and packed in boxes. In this condition the
meerschaum is shipped TO the pipe manu-
facturers.
In a meerschaum pipe factory the larger
pieces are cut with a bnnd saw to a.conventent
size, after which the meerschaum is soaked
in water until 1t becomes quite soft. Nicer
schaum when wet becomes very soa y. and
will pr duce quite u lather If rubbed. In
fact. the material serves as a very good sub
stitute for soap, a d Is thus used in Morocco.
Meerschaum dust makes an excellent clean
ing powder for removing spots from fabrics.
After being thoro ighly soaked. the meer-
scha I'm can be cut like cheese. and II is then
TO Ighly sh ped with n knife to the form Of a
pipe. When dry the bowl nd stem shanks
are drilled. and then, If the pipe Is OF a plain
pattern. II is turned on a lathe to the desired
form. II a square stem shank Is desired, it
is shaped with a file. The shank is now
sho ilderei and threaded to receive the amber
stem piece. These stems are cut from plates
of solid amber. m ST of which is imported
from Germany.
Amber occurs In many parts OF Europe and
America, but in largest quantity alorg the
coast OF Germany. 1his fossil gum is found
in Jumps or grains and is melted at $50 de-
grees L. and refined.
There are two qualities of amber. the trans
parent and tho opa Tue or cloudy, the latter
being much to lgher and, therefore,. more
serviceable. The pipe stems, fter being
fooled odt, are bent 10 the renqired shape,
They are first immersed in oil and heated
until they lose much Of their brittlenesS.
Then they are held over an alcohol lame and
baa, ne InairaI 1ha fhraalnI anHS 80 tkn
stem are protected while bending by an arbor
screwed therein.
The pipes are now carefully smoothed with
pieces of American rush, or shave gra IS.
The stem Of the grass, owing to the natural
deposit OF silica. has n fine roughness which
perfectly adapts IL for this service. After
the pipes have been properly finished with
the rush. they are immersed in melted wax
for q short time. depending on the density OF
the meerscha I'M, and then they are given IL
high polish with chalk prccipitate.
Meerschaum is an excellent material for
artistic carving. and some carved tobacco
pipes are perfect gems OF art.
In the selection OF a meerschaum pipe, ona
should be careful not to pick a dead white
specimen. hat which is OF a slight creamy
color will soonest take on that beautiful rich
yellow brown shade which so delights the
smoker. Nor should the meerschaum be too
light, as that is an indication that II Is too
porous to color properly, while on the other
hand n very heavy meerschaum may be
almost too dense to absorb the coloring nico-
tine.
A great many so-called mecrschaum pipes
ar" made from artificial meerscha lm, a ma
terlnl composed or the chips and dust Of
meerschaum bonded with some solution and
moulded into blocks, The artificial product
is somewhat eavier than the genuine. There
arc still other ways of initiating meerschaup,
and a novicn will find much difficulty In sue-
c~essfully selecting a genuine mecrschadm pipe
Of good quality.
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