Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-19

Cheap Fireproof Homes Cast From
 Cement.
 Orange, N. J., Oct 19.--Wearing a yachting cap and pepper and salt flannel suit aAd asserting that he was not an imitator of Mark Twain in 1 dress reform, Thomas A. Edison in his 1 laboratory here said he was about to 1 bestOw gift upon the workingmen 1 of the world in the form of a new house, which would cost $1,000, would be built in twelve hours and would endure for all time. He said:
 My house is built of concrete. It is the building material of the future. have designed iron frames for the casting of a house large enough for three families. These frames will cost a builder $30,000, but they are good for 30,000 houses. They can be ! raised in few hours, and then there is nothing to do but pour in the liquid concrete until the frame flows over at the chimney top. The maximum time LOT IulS NOtk SuOulu De LNelNe uOuIS.
 Will Do Away With Insurance.
 The frames are kept in position for six days, to permit the concrete to set tie and harden. Then they are taken to a new site and another house is run into the molds. These molds give house with the roof, heating pipes, stairs. window sasheS. mantels, plumbing, floors and bathtub all of concrete. The only wood used will be strips on the sides of the floor, to take tacks for carpets, and the front stoop. I have tried to avoid the wood in the stoop and am still experiment. ing to that end
 These houses will do away with all fire insurance They cannot be dam aged by children nor by the use of axes. These houses will stand for ever We are on the eve of the age of concrete
 Some of the best architects in New York have contributed their ideas to the model which Mir Edison showed It is of a house that in full size will be three stories high. twenty-five feet frontage and forty-fve feet from front to rear The style is a combination of colonial and Queen Anne and it does not look at all like any concrete house that any one ever saw.
 Will Build One Next Summer.
 There is no reason" said Mir. Edi. son as he stood before his model why a concrete house shouldn't be as pretty as any other kind. The house of the future will be artistically attractive as well as practically d perfect dwelling Now that my model is completed I am having a set of molds made for the 1 construction of a full sized house on ! this plan. and l shall build the first one from these molds next summer.
 After the cellar is dug the contract ! or will bring bis sand, cement and i crushed stone, together with his con crete mixing machinery. the molds and . a derrick, to the spot As fast as the . concrete is made it is poured into the mOlds, which fit together from cellar bottom to roof tree. The workmen keep. on pouring in the concrete until it overiows at the top. Then they gc away and six days later they go back and take off the molds. piece by piece
 Roof and floors will be solid con crete. When the work is finished you will have a house that is fireproof vermin proof and waterproof. and you can let the children chop the bansters with hatchets all day if it gives them any pleasure: it won't hurt the house
 Tt was buildings constructed on that formula that came through the San Francisco fire unscathed. and such q building will last forever and get more and more solid as time goes on"