The Democratic advocate., 1909-09-03
EpIsON,s CEMENT EDrFIoEs.
Invention Of Great Benefit to People
IN Moderate Circumstances.

AMEentAOH VI UE6hb OcucHb 10 feOpAc
IN Moderate circumstances.
Greater than he who builds ships
and guns of war is the man who shows
how to build homes-builds them
cleaner, cheaper, roomier-E Emerson.
The wizard of East Orange has
prepared his paraphernalia, his black
cloth, his magic table. Soon he will
wave his wand, and presto
A house springing out of nothing.
Edison will pour molten cement
from a hose-just pour 1t out with
no more effort than the iron master
pours red fluid iron and produces bars
his plaster figures
The poured cement house. after
eight years of experimenting, and
two years Of uninterrupting hard
work, Is ready.
the house as It will come from the
mould:
Size 25x30 feet ground plan.
Rooms-Big living room and kitch-
en- on first floor, two big bedrooms,
wide hallway closets and bath up
stairs, front and back porch.
Material--Light gray reinforced
concrete.
Time to mould-Fourteen days.
observation-disclosures and orna-
mental work along porch. carved stone
pillars in Railways, window seats and
paneled doors, with NEUROLOGICAL fig
uring, gabled roofs.
Special advantages--FiTe proof and
yermin proof; no repairs
The Edison home, n II accomplishes
half what It's creator expects will rev.
olutionize house building.
Several great objections which arose
two years ago had 20 be overcome by
Edison in HIS later plans.
0ne--a pratlcal builders objection
was that the cement could not be
forced through an intricate set OF
molds and be OF the same consistency
and strength throughout. Also that
the surface would not be smooth.
But Mr.. Edison has produced ce-
ment of q consistency almost like
water, which holds the stone and az
gregates equally throughout. II will
also secure a surface so smooth that
II can be painted or frescoed or tinted
Another objection was that Il would
be impossible to build molds which
would make inner rooms and closets
This, too, has been overcome.
Still another-thia time from archI-
tects-was that all the houses would
be alike. necessarily; that people
would not like 10 live In them on that
account
But the Edison moulda are adapted
10 number OF variations. With aix
sets OF moulds. which the inventor
reckons as the right number for n
good working arrangement. an Inn
mensely wide variety of houses can
be constructed.
Now for description Of an Ediaon
one family. two story house. 25xs0
feet outside, 10 go on lot 40xe0. This
gives a lawn and n small garden room.
The front or living room IL large,
i4x23 feet. while the kitchen IL but 2
feet narrower The ceilings are 9M
feet high.
The stairway extends both ways
70 the living room and the kitchen.
The second floor contains the two big
bed roomB--one i6xi4, the other Z
feet narrower. The upper hallway ls
nearly 20 feet long. leading from the
back Of the house 10 the bath room,
WHICH ~ ~ ttNA nHuANN-
The attic IN 27x23. which with a
dividing partition, would make two
rpotnA
There are many windows The
downstairs rooms have four each
The material throughout Is reinforc-
ed concrete The only woodwork are
the window frames, which makes Il
impossible for fires 70 break out
The decorations are cast with the
rest OF the house. 80 are all appil-
anceE. such as bath and laundry tubs.
steps and coal bnnkeTH
Ediaon's estimate OF the cost IL bas-
cd on the builder having the equip
ment and trade 10 keep six months
busy all the time. and on being able
TO use the gravel taken In digging the
foundations.
One set Of molds will cost s25 900
The rest Of the plant would come 20
$4,000 Successful operation. Edison
figures. would require six sets Of
moulds kept busy all the year. Such
an outfit would turn out ib houses
a year.