The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-02-22
ASBESTOS SLOW
IN DEVELOPMENT
Ancients Knew Of Qualities but
Technical Difficulties De-
Iayed Its Use.
REDUCES HORRORS OF FIRE
Used by Rymans for Funeral Dress OF
Bodies Which Were to Be Gre
mated - Asbestos Curtains
Comnsoa in Theaters.

Comrr,O1 in Ihedters.
New YOrk.-1t is not so very lOnl
ago that a fire on the stage of
theater. was an ever present menace
to the audience. Today most play
houses possess an asbestos curtain
which can be dropped at a moments
notice and which will absolutely con
fine any fire to that part of the thea
ter. Asbestos is a mineral, found in
the earth just like coal and iron, and
mined. A few years ago it was merely
a curiosity to be found only in the lab
oratory of the chemist. Today 1t is
used in many ways and forms an i'm
pOrtant factor in the industrial mar
ket of the world.
This mineral is not a modern dis
covery. Asbestos was known to the
ancients. The Romans used the sub
stance, deriving their supplies from
the Italian Alps and the Ural m0un-
tains. One of the uses to which as
was to wrap bodies which were to be
cremated. In fact, 1t was called the
funeral dress of kings as so much
difficulty was found in making the
cloth that only a king or the extremely
wealthy could afford it. The slowness
of the modern development of the as
bestos industry has been caused by
the technical difficulties of weav-
ing the short silky ibers into
cloth or combining them in other ways
to produce articles of commercial
utility.
Comes From Canada.
The asbestos used in the United
States M almost entirely from
Canada. There are deposits of the
mineral in Arizona, California, Georgia
and other states, but this is not of
the high quality of the Canadian as
There are various types Of
asbestos, and the sort that AN be
spun and woven in a manner
to wool, flax or silk is found
mainly in the Thedford mines of
Quebec. 1t is this property Of the
mineral that fooled the Roman his
torian, Pliny, in thinking it to be of
vegetable origin and that has given
rise to it's designation as the mineral
vegetable" and the physical paradox
~Nonburning Qualities Known.
The raw asbestos is subjected to a
PRESSING process which consists of
separating the asbestos from the rock
n which it is imbedded. In the low
product machines are used for
his, while in the high-grade material
land dressing is resorted to.
The fact that asbestos will not burn
vas known ages ago, and while that is
.esponsible for a very important and
'aluable application of the substance
oday, it does not constitute the sole
Sc pf this product. The theater cur
aims are spun from asbestos fiber Of
ne best quality. About 1000 of these
are made each year The
asbestos curtain in the world
found in the Hippodrome. In some ;
heaters asbestos cloth is also used as
lining for walls and ceilings and
lere is also a tendency to make ali
ne scenery on the stage and the
from this material.
Has Many Uses. !
Asbestos cloth coated with rubber is
in making gaskets and peckinps s
II high pressure steam pipes. The :
9th is ais used in laundries. hotels. Z
le automobile, the Innings of brakes :
Tor a host OF other purposes. Per
APPS the most interesting use of as +
cloth is in the manufacture Of
The firemen clad in as I
'stos boots, trousers, coat, gloves and I
'adgear would be ireproof to a high
gree, and could fight fires with much +
ore comfort and effectiveness. Most :
us are familiar with asbestos table T
vers and pads, ~flatiron holders. bak- ,
e sheets. stove mats and other ar =
common in the household.
The asbestos fiber can also be woven :
to a rope useful in fire fjghtino F
lese nreproof ropes are nor heavy. :
hot become slippery and are NOT =
by water. Asbestos Irvine Is
lde for use in the laboratory. sew :
thread and incandescent lamn F
read.
Asbestos, being also heat INSULATING N
IN covering steam pipes. boil r
and all sorts of heating surfaces
prevent the loss Of heat by radia- e,
Not only will an asbestos coat
keep the heat within the pipe but :,
will also keep heat from entering
res. and it is used in covering 70, M
pipes and apparatus. G,
Asleep, That Was All.