Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-17
HOW MEERSCHAUM IS MINED.
where IL II Found--The Process Of Max
ing n Into Pipes.

whore IL IL Found-The Process Of Max
ing u Into Pipes.
Scientific American.
Despite our familiarity with meer-
schaum, as used in pipes, it is safe TO
say that few of us have more than a
vague idea Of the peculiar properties
of this substance, or the condition in
which 10 occurs in nature. The
ancients believe the substance TO he
petritied seafoam, hence the German
name Meerschaum, meaning seafoam (;
and very aptf name it is, for the
mineral is very white and so light that
IL Will float when dry. Pieces of
meerschaum have been found floating
in the Black Sea which we're evidently
washed out Of their matrix by the
waves. This may also have had its
influence on the sea foam theory of its
formation.
Meerschaum is found in best qual
ity and most abundant quantity in
Asia Minor, though it also occurs in
Greece, Spain, Moravia and Morocco.
and even in this country in South
Carolina. The richest mines are on
the plains Of Eskishshr, $50 miles
southeast Of 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 l50 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 5000 pits, only 100 of which
are being worked.
The material is mined by the inhabi-
tants of the surrounding villages and
transported in the rough to Eskishehr.
The meerschaum is soft when mined,
but soon hardens when exposed to the
air. For this reason the lumps are
roughly scraped off at first and then
laid aside TO dry. When dry they are
subjected TO thorough scraping and
cleaning, and are finally waxed and
polished. The Jumps are now sorted
according 90 size in four Glasses and
packed IN boxes. In this condition
the meerschaum is shipped TO the pine
manufacturers.
In a meerschaum pipe factory the
larger pieces are cut with a band saw
TO a convenient size, after which the
meerschaum is soaked in water until
10 becomes quite soft. Meerschaum
when wet becomes very soapy, and
will produce quite lather il rubbed.
In fact, the material serves as a verv
good substitute for soap, and is thus
used in Morocco. Meerschaum dust
makes an excellent cleaning powder
for removing spots from fabrics.
After being thoroughly soaked the
meerschaum can be cut like cheese.
and It is then roughly shaped with a
knife TO the form of a pipe. When dry
the bowl and stem shanks are drilled.
and then, If the pipe is of a PLAIN pat
! tern, it is turned on a lathe to the
desired form. III a square stem shank
is desired, it is shaped with a file.
The shank is now shouldered and
threaded TO receive the amber stem
piece. These stems are out from plates
OF solid amber, most of which is i'm
/ ported from Germany.
Amber occurs in many parts Of
Europe. and America, but in largest
| quantity along the coast OF Germany.
! This fossil gum is found in lumps or
grains and is melted at $50 degrees f..
There are two qualities Of amber.
/ the transparent and the opaoue or
cloudy the latter being much. tougher
| ana, therefore, more Rerviceable The
pipe stems, after being fooled ont arc
bent TO the required shape. They are
first immersed in oil and heated until
they Hose much Of their brittleness
Then they are held over an alcohol
flame and bent as desired. The
threaded ends Of the stem are protected
while bending by an arbor screwed
therein.
The pipes are now carefully sfnoothed
with pieces of American rush. or shave
grass. The stem Of the grass. OWING
TO the natural deposit of silica. has a
hne roughness which PERFECTLY adapts
10 Tor this service. After the pipes
have been properly finished with the
rush, they are Immersed in melted wax
LOT snort time, depending on the
density OF the meerschaum, and then
they, are given a high polish with
chalk precipitate.
Meerschaum is an excellent material
Tor artistic carving, and some carved
TOBACCO pipes are perfect gems of art.
In the selection Of n meerschaum
pipe, one should be careful not to nick
dead white specimen. That which
is OF slight creamy color will soonest
take ON that beautiful rich yellow
brown shade which so deliphts the
smoker. Nor should the meerscbaun,
he too light, as that Is an Indication
that 10 rs too porous 10 color properlv.
while on the other hand a verv heavy
meerschaum may be almost too dense
TO absorb the coloring nicotine.
great many so-called meerschaum
pipes are made from artificial meer
schaum, material composed Of the
chips and dust Of meerschaum bonded
with some solution and moulded into
blocks. The artificial product is some
what heavier than the genuine. There
are still other ways Of Initiating meer.
schaum, and a novice will find much
difhculty IN successfully selecting a
genuine meerschaum pipe of good
quality.
Rheumatic Pains Relieved.