The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-04-24

earth0ssnians Made Aqus-
duct of Volcanic Ash.

| One hundred years AFRO. whom Ahx.
NAM Lincoln, a lad of fifteen was
rorklng on ferry on the Ohio river
-o1 20 month, an English brick
mason named Joseph Aspdin. boxing
an inQuisltive finger Into the realm Of
seientine research, brought ont an ,daa
,na. revolufionized the building world.
in tns nlss of the English patent once
Aspulns Idea u listed as patent No
oos1 and the record shows that II was
issued Dy His Majesty King George
tas Fourth In 1924. The patent covers
an Improvement In the modes OF nro.
aucing an artificial stone" What /,
.Ssily meant was that the bricklayer
nad Invented portland cement for he
gave TO his material the name SNORT.
iand' because when il hardened II ra-
ssmoled popular building stone found
ON the island Of Portland. The name
nas stuck ever since. and from Asp.
oins discovery the modern portland
cement industry has been developed.
Aithough Aspdin was the original
dlscoVerer Of portland cement he
lacked score OF centuries of being
the first user of cementing materials.
Inc Romans and Egyptians were past
masters In the art of constructing with
natural cements. Long before the
holy Roman empire was even thought
OF. the Carthagenians had constructed
I0-mile aQueduct In northern Africa.
using natural cement IN the course of
their work. The Romans were espe-
ciafiy familiar with the use of this
material, and the dome Of The Pan
fneon 10 probably one of the best exist
Ing specimens Of their concrete work
On many of these old structures the
marks left by the wooden forms are
still visible.
Inc cement used by the ancients |
was really gift of the gods. 1t was
prepared for them by nature, and they
were not aware of the chemical |
changes the raw materials went
through that gave them their cement
ng qualities. What they did was to
nix Stacked lime with volcanic ash.
There were large quantities Of this lat
er material in southern Italy. The
yoleanoes did for the Romans what
he giant kilns do in modern cement
manufacture. They burned the rock,
orming volcanic ash, and when this
turned material was mixed with
lacked lime 1t made natural cement.
'itruvius, architect for Augustus,
peaks of this material In number Of
is writings, while Pliny discourses at
ength on the use of cement.
During the Dark Ages the secret Of
be Romans was lost, along with 10
1any other priceless treasures II
In the United States deposits of rock {
uitable for the manufacture of nat
raj cement were discovered about 6
518 in New York state The building /;
the Erie canal, which was COM !.
leted the year after Aspdin's discov- ,
", uncovered further deposits and
atural cement was soon being used
| various ways
Another pioneer, Thomas Millen Of J
outh Bend, Ind, was in the cement t
,wer pipe business when he de- c
ded to attempt to make portland CO. /
emit At the time he was importing l.
8 cement from England. He would I
i've into the country with his horse
Id buggy and dig few pals of mari :
ON the lake region near Notre Dame. p
pail OF blue clay would be secured c.
ON the bed of the st. Joseph river, c.
ID Millen would drive back to his c,
pc plant with this material and mix 81
by hand. He would then burn it In o:
piece of sewer pipe-probably the II
st embryo use of a rotary kiln. Later a,
would grind the burned product In !,
coffee mill. John K. Shinn, investi-
ting in Pennsylvania, used bent
r axle, suspended from a spring 81
lie, to hammer and crush his raw 10
sterials. A crude grinding machine, q
/ II served its purpose for the time ne
ing m