San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-14
What is Portland cement?

What is Portland cement?
Every man thinks he knows all
about it for he comes in contact with
it every day in walking, and riding
over it. But not one man in thou
sand really knows anything about
the cement industry, says Charles
Baumberger, president and manager
of the San Antonio Portland Cement
Company. Mr. Baumberger gives some
of the history Of this industry as well
as of his plant and company, and
tells of the many interesting facts
concerning Portland cement. He
states:
The average person will tell you
that the reason for the high cost of
building is on account Of the high
price of. cement. Now if the public
only knew just what percentage of ce-
ment went into the construction of a
building probably it would not lay the
blame on cement. For example, less
than 8 per cent Of the building ma
terial in the Frost building is Port
land cement.
The whole country is in dire need
of the truth about this industry. Ce-
ment is factor in the lives of every
one, and it is not too much to say,
perhaps, that our whole civilization
of today is based on a cement foun-
dation. That is the way in which
an editor of the Real Estate News Of
Chicago, describes it.
Cement Builds Cities.
Settles rely on cement for construc-
tion Of factories, large office build
ings. schools, homes, streets, bridges.
On farms it is indispensable, for it is
used in foundations, silos, stock
houses, fertilizer pits. dipping watts
and numerous other things.
But the average American knows
but little about this building material
which is so essential in the growth
Of the United States and the world.
Cement was discovered in HOG by
an English engineer, John Smeaton,
who constructed the Eddystone light,
off the coast Of Cornwall, in the Eng
lish channel on islands which were
submerged at high tide and were bare
ly above water at low tide. Ships
were constantly running into them so
Parliament decided to avert any more
wrecks there. Smeaton was employed
to construct the lighthouse. The task
was most formidable one. The
question arose, that if he constructed
the lighthouse with stone and lime
mortar that it would melt when the
tide came in.
"He went TO an old quarry at Aber-
THAI, and began experimenting to pro-
duce what was known as hydraulic
lime. that is, lime that would harden
under water. He succeeded, but in
doing so he also produced some hard,
fused ingots of limestone and clay
which he threw away as worthless.
Made Artificial Stone.
Forty years later. Joseph Parker,
an English brickmason of Norfleet.
discovered that these same fused peb-
bles, when ground to powder. formed
a composition that would turn to
stone, within a short time. upon be-
ing wet. The artificial stone made
from Parker's product was the color of
the famous blue limestone from the
Portland quarries, of which West
minister Abbey is built. and was
therefore called Portland cement.
Portland cement never was patented
in America and anybody can make it
that wants to.
"The first Portland cement ever
made west Of the Mississippi river was
made here in Breckenridge Park,
where the Sunken Garden now is. In
1870. William Lloyd, an Englishman,
who had had some experience in max
ing cement in his native country, came
to Texas and to San Antonio.
"He visited the old quarries here