El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-21

Chicago, ILL., Feb. 2l.-Nearly all of
the big manufacturers Of cement. ce-
Matchmaking machinery and cement
products are taking part in the fifth
annual western cement show in Chi
cago beginning today. Two Of the
sights which will greet the eye Of the
cement men in Chicago are furniture
made Of reinforced concrete and the
work, now in progress, Of taking up
granite paving blocks, grinding them
up into material for concrete and lay
ing them down again in that form. to
serve as the base on which wooden
paving blocks will rest. The contract
or uses a crusher hitched TO a steam
road roller 1t is said that the new
form of paving IS greatly superior to
the Old-fashioned granite block.
Few OF the industries of the United
States have enjoyed such a remarkable
growth as the cement industry The
returns for 1910 showed that u 600 900
barrels OF cement were manufactured
that year. Reduced to weight. this
means upward OF 100000 tons. In
dicattons are that when the reports
for 1911 are checked up they Will re-
veal an even greater output The pro-
ductiOn of cement in the United States
has more than quadrupled in a single
decade.
One of the developments Of the ce-
ment industry last year was the re-
auction In price at the eastern mills
duction in the price OF cement has re-
suited in a great boom in concrete con
structlon- Prior to this reduction il
was found that the cost Of concrete
construction on large buildings and
other structures was about one-half
the cost Of brick construction In the
Work or building su6ways concrete IS
practically king When the New York
city OFFICIALS we're considering the
building Of subWays last fall the
TRENDS II sls OF brick were urging the use
concrete It was found, however, that
the use Of brick would have entailed
an additional expenditure OF more than
100000.
Its Versatility Surprising.
The versatility OF cement as a struc-
tural material Is surprising, and It is
being used today for purposes thar
were undreamed Of a decade ago. For
instance, several bridges IN Hamburg,
Germany were found recently to be
crumbling from age They had been
built OF stone The bridge engineers
decided that they could repair the
portland cement They filled an o.
the crevices and cracks with the LIQUID
and the result was that the bridge was
made as strong as ever.
That there is nothing new under the
sun again has been illustrated BY the ;
discovery Of pieces OF concrete in the
ruins Of Ephesus- The material was
used for facade decoration in some OF
crete makers are now engaged in
turning out similar designs and they
are also producing columns, which in
many cases are quite as attractive a.
marble, and even more durable
Telegraph poles, fence posts and I
railroad ties are now being made from I
cement and sand. With the fence-post l
machine six OF the posts may be man
uIacLured at a time, and when com /
Pietely cured they are as durable /
as stone Telegraph poles ana rail
ROAD ties are made "a
crete, A railroad tie made of this ma /
set1al rs practically indestructible The /
- -s5+s are Attached to metal block /
Iesung on a wooden cushion deeply I
seated In the tie 1t Is said that tho I
SSp-seoinS or rails Is rendered next to Z
impossible BY the use OF such ties II /
CnS type OF these ties Is used, II is
Claimed that an old rail NAV be taken
minutes
Furniture OF Cement.
Oi course the last word IN the con
crete world Is the utilization OF cement I
IN the building OF furniture. It Is as
RED that large easy chair. made /
% Ie-entorced concrete, may be built \
70 pc as light In weight as one OF oak.
ana, OF course, much stronger. A IL
pay Iaole Of the same material Is
pictured In one Of the cement maya
1ines as possibility in cement con
toonists has seized upon the humorous
aspect or the substitution OF concrete [
LOT wood IN household furniture. He
pictures Norah, the cook sharpening
her meat knife on a concrete piano:
me head OF the house using a pick-axe
70 recover collar button from be-
neatn concrete chiffonier. while [
grandpa employs q crowbar to push l
MS concrete easy chair up to the con
crete fireplace.
It's Use on the Farm.
Inc use OF cement on the farm is in !
creasing rapidly. The farmer finds ii
IS aFallanie for a thousand and one /
purposes, even down to rat-proofinE
ne floors OF his stables and graneries.
many farmers are using concrete for
Duudlng stlos A cooperative silo
. ullding circuit has been established
Ior the bentfit Of the farmers OF GER
tain sections. The organizer Of this
circuit rents forms or moulds for the
Dulldlng Of the s.los and furnishes
student instructors. who 20 to the
Farms and superlntend the construc-
ton work This has been so arranged