Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-11
structure and not stuck on, as is lone al
the present time.

the present time.
All of Reinforced Concrete.
1t is an important fact about this house
that 1t will be entirely of reinforced con-
crete, including the roof. floors, bath and
laundry tubs.
The doors and window frames will be the
only parts Of wood or metal, so it will be
practically flreproof. The mixture compos-
ing 1t is both water proof and vermin proof.
The inside walls. stairs and partitions
will be concrete also, and no plaster win
be used. The surface left by the molds W.,
be perfectly smooth and can be painted or
tinted II desired.
Details of Construction.
Now we come more to the details of con-
struction. AS has been indicated, cast iron
molds will be used, set up on a concrete
foundation or footing.
Some time before the molds are set up
this footing and the basement floor Will
be placed in order that they may be thor
oughly set before the moulds are erected.
The molds will be placed on this footing,
and the cast house will include the base
ment walls. Regulation reinforcing rods
can be used In the molds. The stack for
the bathroom and all gas pipes will be
placed at the time the molds are set up.
Mr.. Edison allows four days for the cree
tion of the molds, For this house several
hundred pieces will be required. Each will
be fitted to be assembled with the others
and locked readily.
The time necessary for the pouring of
the liquid he says will be only six hours.
Four days after the pouring the dlsmant-
ling can be done. Six more lays are al
lowed for the hardening Of the concrete.
The inventor thus makes fourteen days
as the time necessary for the completion
of a house.
This time may be reduced under specially
favorable weather conditions.
1t is estimated that with six sets of
molds IA houses can be built In a year.
AS the same forms are used indefinitely
the cost is reduced to a minimum. Con-
crete residences at the present time and
under the conditions that require the use
Of wood for forms are prohibitive on &C
count Of the expense for lumber.
All the decorations and ornaments will
be cast with the house ana in every case
Will be a part OF the wall which it adorns;
in fact, the entire house will be in one
piece, as If hewn or carved out of a solid
piece OF stone. The cost of the house
Al,1O' MT. Edison says, includes heating
and plumbing and a structure ready for
occupancy. He lays special emphasis on
the fact that this price is based on the
building OF houses in large numbers where
materials can be purchased In large guam
titles and where the gravel excavated on
the site can be used in the mixture.
Cost of the MOIds.
A complete set OF molds will cost approx
imately 325, 900, while the necessary plant
will cost $1,000 more. Successful operation
will require six sets OF molds to keep the
men and the machinery constantly en-
ployed.
So 1t will be seen that a large capital VIII
be required, and on that account building
operations with the Edison molds VIII be
carried on only by responsible men, but
the inventor himself will not be com
mercially interested In the molds'
With the problems involving the Industrial
world that surround the adoption OF the
forms and the building Of any very great
number OF houses after his methods neither
Mr.. Edison nor the men engaged In the
cement industry have any concern.
A certain thing he aims 70 accomplish,