The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1922-03-04
ASBESTOS SLOW
IN DEVELOPMENT
Ancients Knew of Qualities but
Technical Difficulties De-
Iayed Its Use.
REDUCES HORRORS OF FIRE
Used by R3mans for Funeral Dress of
Bodies Which Were to Be Gre
mated - Asbestos Curtains
ComrHoa in Theaters,

ago that fire On the stage of a
theater was an ever present menace
to the audience. Today most play
houses possess an asbestos curtain
which can be dropped at moments
notice and which will absolutely con-
line any fire to that part of the thea
ter. Asbestos is mineral, found in
the earth just like coal and iron, and
mined. A few years ago it was merely
curiosity to be found only in the lab
oratory of the chemist. Today it is
used in many ways and forms an i'm
portant factor in the Industrial mar
ket of the world.
Ihis mineral is not 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 noun
tains. One of the uses to which as
bestos cloth was put in those days
was to wrap bodies which were to be
cremated. In fact, it was called the
funeral dress Of kings as so much
difficulty was found in making the
cloth that only 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 fbers into
cloth or combining them in other WAYS
to produce articles of commercial
utility.
Comes From Canada.
The asbestos used in the United
States comes 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
bestos. There are various types of
asbestos, and the sort that can be
carded, spun and woven in a manner
similar 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 its designation as the mineral
vegetable and the physical paradox"
Nonburning Qualities Known.
The raw asbestos is subjected to
dressing process which consists of
separating the asbestos from the rock
in which it is imbedded. In the low
grade product machines are used for
this, while in the high-grade material
hand dressing is resorted to.
The fact that asbestos will not burn
was known ages ago, and while that is
responsible for very important and
valuable application of the substance
today, 1t does not constitute the sole
use of this product. The theater cur
tains are spun from asbestos fiber of
the best quality. About 1000 of these
curtains are made each year. The
largest asbestos curtain in the world
Is found in the Hippodrome. In some
theaters asbestos cloth is also used as
a lining for walls and ceilings and
there is also tendency to make all
the scenery on the stage and the
draperies from this material.
Has Many Uses.
Asbestos cloth coated with rubber ia
used in making gaskets and packings
1of Mgh pressure steam pipes. The
cloth is also used in 1aundries. hotels
the automobile, the Innings of brakes
and for host Of other purposes. Per
maps the most interesting use of as
Destos cloth is in the manufacture of
garments. The iremen clad in as
bestos boots, trousers, coat, gloves and
headgear would be fireproof to high
degree, and could fight fires with much
more comfort and effectiveness. Most
OF us are familiar with asbestos table
covers and pads, fatiron holders, bak-
ing sheets, stove mats and other ar
tlcles common in the households
The asbestos fiber can also be woven
into rope useful in fire fighting
These fireproof ropes are not heavy.
do not become slippery and are not
injured by water. Asbestos Irvine is
made for use in the laboratory, sew
ing thread and incandescent lamp
thread.
Asbestos, being also heat insulating.
Is used in covering steam pipes. boil
ers and all sorts of heating surfaces
to prevent the loss of heat by radia-
ton. Not only will an asbestos coat
ing keep the heat within the pine Inf
1t will also keep heat from ,enterinp
pipes, and it is used in covering re-
frigeratfng pipes and apparatus