---------------------------------------- ------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,transliterated ,greek words are marked with 's like so3 ,greek4 ---------------------------------------- ------- ,,asbestos ,,its ,,production ,,and ,,use ,,with ,,some ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,asbestos ,,mines ,,of ,,canada ,,by ,,robert ,h4 ,,jones ,illustration ,,london3 ,,crosby ,,lockwood ,,and ,,son #g1 ,,stationers' ,,hall ,,court1 ,,ludgate ,,hill #ahhh ,,preface4 ,the substance of the following pages was originally comprised in a series of ,letters from ,canada to a friend in ,london1 who was desirous of obtaining all the authentic information possible on a subject on which so little appears to be generally known4 ,the use of ,asbestos in the arts and manufactures is now rapidly assuming such large proportions that1 it is believed1 it will presently be found more difficult to say to what purposes it cannot be applied than to what it can and is4 ,under these circumstances1 although much of the information here given is not new1 but has been gathered from every available source1 it is hoped that the compilation in its present shape may be found acceptable4 ,r4 ,h4 ,j4 ,,hotel ,,victoria1 ,,northumberland ,,avenue ,april #bj1 #ahhh4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,introductory #e-h ,,asbestos ,,at ,,the ,,american ,,exhibition #i1 #aj ,,where ,,found #ab-ae ,,italian ,,and ,,canadian ,,asbestos ,,compared #af-ah ,,where ,,used #ah ,,the ,,asbestos ,,of ,,italy #ai-bd ,,canadian ,,mining ,,for ,,asbestos #bd-bi ,,asbestos ,,mines ,,of ,,canada-- ,,the ,,thetford ,,group #bi-cf ,,the ,,coleraine ,,group #cf-db ,,broughton #db-df ,,danville #df ,,south ,,ham #dg-ej ,,wolfestown #ej ,,uses ,,to ,,which ,,asbestos ,,is ,,applied #ee-gb ,,index #ge1 #gf ,,asbestos4 ,one of ,nature's most marvellous productions1 asbestos is a physical paradox4 ,it has been called a mineralogical vegetable2 it is both fibrous and crystalline1 elastic yet brittle2 a floating stone1 which can be as readily carded1 spun1 and woven into tissue as cotton or the finest silk4 ,called by geologists asbestus 7the termination in os being the adjective form of the word71 the name of the mineral in its ,greek form as commonly used 7asbestos71 signifies indestructible4 ,the ,french adopt the same derivation1 calling it asbeste 7minral filamenteux et incombustible74 ,in ,germany it is called steinflachs 7stone-flax72 and by the ,italians amianto 7from amiantos1 pure1 incorruptible72 so-called because cloth made from it was cleansed by passing it through fire4 ,charlemagne1 we are told1 having a cloth made of this material in his possession1 one day after dinner astonished his rude warrior guests by throwing it in the fire1 and then withdrawing it cleansed and unconsumed4 ,as a modern pendent to this well-known legend1 the following is current in ,quebec4 ,a labouring man1 who had left the old country to seek a better fortune in the ,dominion1 found employment at once on arrival in one of the many lumber yards on the ,st4 ,lawrence1 where his energy and activity1 supplemented by great bodily strength1 soon secured for him a good position4 ,it so happened1 however1 that one evening1 on returning from their daily toil to their common apartment1 some of his fellow-workmen saw him deliberately throw himself into a seat1 kick off his boots1 and then pull off his socks1 and having opened the door of the stove1 coolly fling them in on to the mass of burning wood4 ,possibly no particular notice would have been taken of this1 judged as a mere act of folly and waste on the part of the new-comer2 but when1 almost immediately afterwards1 they saw him open the stove door again1 take out the apparently blazing socks1 and1 after giving them a shake1 proceed just as deliberately to draw them on to his feet again1 that was a trifle too much6 ,human nature could not stand that4 ,consequently the horrified spectators1 having for a moment looked on aghast1 fled precipitately from the room4 ,to them the facts were clear enough4 ,this1 they said1 was no human being like themselves2 such hellish practices could have but one origin4 ,if not the devil himself1 this man certainly could be no other than one of his emissaries4 ,so off they went in a body to the manager and demanded his instant dismissal1 loudly asseverating that they would no longer eat1 drink1 or work in company with such a monster4 ,enquiry being at once set on foot1 it turned out that some time before leaving ,england the man had worked at an asbestos factory1 where he had learned to appreciate the valuable properties of this mineral2 and being of an ingenious turn of mind1 he had managed to procure some of the fiberized material and therewith knit himself a pair of socks1 which he was accustomed to cleanse in the manner described4 ,he was1 as has been said1 an unusually good workman1 consequently his employers had no wish to part with him4 ,explanation and expostulation1 however1 were all in vain2 nothing could remove the horrible impression that his conduct had made upon the minds of his superstitious fellow-workmen2 go he must and did1 nor could the tumult be in any way allayed until he had been dismissed from his work and had left the yard4 ,leaving this digression1 however1 it may be said that the peculiar properties of the mineral were known long before ,charlemagne's time4 ,the ancients1 who believed it to be a plant1 made a cere-cloth of it1 in which they were accustomed to enwrap the bodies which were to be burned on the funeral pyre1 so that the ashes might be retained1 separate and intact1 for preservation in the family urn1 an aperture being left in the cloth to allow a free passage for the flames4 ,how they succeeded in weaving this cloth is now unknown4 ,it has been suggested that its accomplishment was effected by weaving the fibres along with those of flax1 and then passing the whole through a furnace to burn out the flax4 ,the lamps used by the vestal virgins are also said to have been furnished with asbestos wicks1 so that the modern adaptation of it to this purpose is only another exemplification of the truth of ,solomon's saying that there is nothing new under the sun4 ,the mineral has been variously described4 ,in general terms it may be said to be a fibrous variety of serpentine1 closely allied to the hornblende family of minerals1 the ,canadian variety of which is called by mineralogists chrysotile4 ,in the local vernacular of the mining districts this is pierre--coton 7cotton-stone71 perhaps as expressive a term as can be found4 ,the ore takes a variety of forms2 much of it 7especially that found in the ,states7 is of a coarse woody character1 of but little value for mercantile purposes4 ,sir ,william ,logan1 in his ,geology of ,canada1 says that foliated and fibrous varieties of serpentine are common in veins of the ophiolites of the ,silurian series1 constituting the varieties which have been described under the various names of baltimorite1 marmolite1 picrolite1 and chrysotile4 ,the true asbestos1 however1 he says1 is a fibrous variety of tremolite or hornblende4 ,in ,le ,gnie ,civil for ,september1 #ahhc1 ,canadian asbestos is thus described3 ,la chrysotile du ,canada n'est pas comme l'amiante ordinaire forme d'un paquet de fils d'un blanc verdtre et remplissant des cavits irrgulires3 c'est une vritable pierre d'une densit comprise entre #b et #c1 qui se trouve en couches de #c #aj centimtres d'paisseur4 ,cette pierre possde la proprit de se reduire en fibres perpendiculairement sa longueur sous un effort trs faible4 ,ses fibres transversales sont plus rsistantes et beaucoup plus facile filer1 tisser1 et feutrer que l'amiante ordinaire4 ,this is as good a description of chrysotile as can be found anywhere4 ,until the discovery of the ,canadian mines1 the variety here spoken of as amiante 7amianthus71 was esteemed the most rare and delicate kind1 on account of its beautifully white1 flexible1 long1 and delicately laid fibres4 ,this variety is generally found buried in the centre of the older crystalline rocks in the ,pyrenees1 the ,alps of ,dauphiny1 on ,mount ,st4 ,gothard1 in ,north ,america1 in the serpentines of ,sweden1 the ,ural ,mountains1 ,silesia1 and ,new ,south ,wales4 ,the most beautiful specimens1 such as are preserved in museums and mineralogical collections1 have mostly been brought from ,tarantaise in ,savoy1 or from ,corsica4#a ,in this latter place it is said to be so abundant that1 its mercantile value being unknown1 it has often been used1 instead of tow1 as a material for packing4 ,in a handbook published by the ,dominion ,government in #ahhb 7before the discovery of the mines of chrysotile7 on the mineral resources of ,canada1 it is said that-- ,what is commercially known as asbestos is really a term used to denote a peculiar fibrous form assumed by several distinct minerals1 rather than to designate any particular species4 ,tremolite1 actinolite1 and other forms of hornblende and serpentine1 passing into fibrous varieties1 assume the name of asbestos1 and the ',geology of ,canada' does not give the mineral as a distinct one1 but recognizes it under these different headings4 ,as yet comparatively little asbestos has been found in ,canada4 ,this is sufficient to show how small was the interest1 even so recently as that1 attaching to this substance in the very country which was so soon to find it taking important rank amongst her natural productions4 ,that singularly beautiful mineral termed crocidolite1 which displays such sheens and radiances of gold and bronze and green as give it the appearance of satin changed into stone1 is nothing more than compressed asbestos4 ,the derivation of its name is not happy4 ,it is said to be from krokos lithos1 simply crocus-coloured or yellow stone4 ,this is doubtless its general colour1 but the finest crocidolite is anything but yellow4 ,having heard that there were some fine specimens of asbestos on view at the recent exhibition of the ,united ,states products at ,earl's ,court1 ,i made a journey there specially to see them4 ,in this1 however1 ,i was disappointed4 ,there was but one small tray of so-called asbestos 7amphibole7 on view2 and this was of a coarse woody character1 very similar in appearance to a sample ,i had had sent to me recently from ,california4 ,it was1 moreover1 of a very poor colour and certainly not of the kind that would readily find a market4 ,i found there1 however1 a piece of unmistakable chrysotile1 grouped amongst a miscellaneous lot of ,american minerals4 ,the exhibitor at once told me1 in reply to my questions1 that this was not an ,american product at all1 but that it was a vegetable matter found in ,canada4 ,he evidently did not know much about it1 and said it was not asbestos at all4 ,it was not by any means a fine specimen3 it had somewhat the appearance of ordinary ,thetford ,no4 #a1 though differing slightly in colour4 ,i could get no further information about it1 except that it had come from near ,ottawa4 ,at this exhibition ,i found a splendid display of crocidolite1 the sight of which well repaid the visit4 ,i secured a good specimen1 but found1 on enquiry1 that like all the superior qualities of this mineral1 it had been brought from ,griqualand 7,south ,africa74 ,the sample ,i secured was of the kind that in the ,states is called ,tiger-eye1 as ,i presume1 from its general tawny-coloured streaky brilliancy4 ,the exhibitor said it was a silicate of iron occurring in asbestos-like fibres4 ,it is of an exceedingly hard1 densely compact nature2 from its hardness difficult to work1 but susceptible of a very high polish4 ,a few years ago it was thought to be a precious stone and accordingly commanded a high price1 but recent discoveries of large deposits considerably reduced its value4 ,it is used for a variety of ornamental purposes1 for which1 from its extreme natural beauty1 it is peculiarly adapted4 ,the grain is very fine and in its rough state the fibres are singularly distinct4 ,there is another very singular substance worth alluding to here1 which is often put forward as a substitute for asbestos1 and which is said by the manufacturers to be fireproof1 frost-proof1 vermin-proof1 sound-proof1 indestructible1 and odourless4 ,this is a good deal to say1 but is in a great measure true4 ,it is largely used in the ,united ,slates1 especially for insulating and other purposes of a like kind4 ,i mean the artificially manufactured material called ,mineral or ,slag ,wool1 which is made from the refuse of the furnaces at ironworks1 by1 it is said1 passing jets of steam through molten slag4 ,this material is manufactured on a somewhat extensive scale by the ,western ,mineral ,wool ,company1 of ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,there is no doubt it is a very useful substance for many of the purposes for which it is recommended1 but it can scarcely be expected to compete to any material extent with asbestos from its total want of elasticity and lubricity4 ,even the finest quality on being crushed between the fingers has a harsh1 gritty1 metallic feeling1 very different from the silky1 springy1 and greasy feel of the natural fibre4 ,in connection with this manufactured article1 a very curious natural production is called to mind1 the origin of which is somewhat similar though brought about by natural causes4 ,i refer to the product of the lava-beds of ,hawaii1 called by the natives ,pl's hair4 ,miss ,c4 ,f4 ,gordon ,cumming1 in her ,fire ,fountains of ,hawaii1 speaks of this as filaments of stringy brown lava1 like spun glass1 which lie scattered here and there1 having been caught by the wind 7when thrown up7 in mid-air in a state of perfect fusion1 forming fine lava drops1 a rain of liquid rock1 and so drawn out in silky threads like fine silky hair4 ,in fact1 this filmy1 finely spun glass is known as ,pl's hair--,rauoho o ,pl4 ,it is of a rich olive green or yellowish brown colour--a hint for sthetic fashions--and is glossy1 like the byssus of certain shells1 but very brittle to handle4 ,sometimes when the great fire-fountains toss their spray so high that it flies above the level of the cliffs1 the breeze catches it sportively and carries it far away over the island2 and the birds line their nests with this silky volcanic hair4 ,sometimes you can collect handfuls clinging to the rocks to which it has drifted1 generally with a pear-shaped drop attached to it4 ,this1 it is evident1 would crumble and break off short in the fingers1 and the mineral wool when handled has just the same gritty brittle feeling one can imagine ,pl's hair to have4 ,returning to asbestos1 however1 its formation or actual origin is at present unknown4 ,in its pure state it is as heavy as the rock in which it is found1 so closely are its fine elastic crystalline fibres compressed together4 ,these have a beautiful silky lustre1 varying in colour from pure white to a dusky grey or green1 sometimes of a yellowish green2 the direction of the fibres being transverse to the walls of the vein4 ,the essential point in which it differs from any other known mineral consists in its being at once fibrous and textile4 ,its quality is determined by the greater or less proportion of silicious or gritty matter with which its fibres are associated4 ,when crushed out from the rock1 these fibres1 which vie in delicacy with the finest flax or the most beautiful silk1 can be corded1 spun1 and woven into cloth in precisely the same way as any other textile fibre4 ,of good quality it is only found in serpentine4 ,one instance of its having been found in quartz is mentioned2 but1 even in that case we are told1 when six feet of the superficial quartz rock had been blasted away1 the inevitable serpentine was found cropping through4 ,according to ,mr4 ,ells1#b the serpentines in which it is found are intimately associated with masses of dioritic or doloritic rocks1 of which rocks certain varieties1 rich in olivine or some allied mineral1 the serpentine is1 in many cases1 an alteration product4 ,they are frequently associated with masses and dykes of whitish rocks1 which are often composed entirely of quartz and felspar1 but occasionally with a mixture of black mica1 forming a granitoid rock4 ,they occur generally not far from the axes of certain anticlinals which exist in the group of rocks called by ,sir ,william ,logan the altered ,quebec group4 ,for centuries asbestos was regarded merely as a mineral curiosity4 ,indeed1 it is only within the last few years that it has developed into a valuable article of commerce1 the first modern experiments in the use of it practically extending no farther back than #ahej4 ,its uses in the arts and manufactures are of a very important character1 and now that it is clearly demonstrated that a fairly abundant supply can be obtained at a moderate cost1 there seems no reasonable limit to be put to the demand1 new uses for it being continually found4 ,these will1 of course1 rapidly increase as its value becomes more clearly and widely known4 ,it is found in most parts of the world1 but in only a few places of a sufficiently valuable kind or in quantities large enough to give it any commercial value4 ,the main sources of supply at present are ,canada and ,italy4 ,a good deal has1 at times1 been found in ,russia2 and ,i remember an incident which occurred a few years ago at some extensive ironworks in that country1 with which ,i was at the time connected1 which amusingly illustrates how little was then known there of the nature and properties of the mineral4 ,the iron ore1 in the district referred to1 is found in bunches or nodules1 near the surface of the ground2 and in order to get it1 the peasants dig out pits about seven or eight feet in depth1 and then burrow1 rabbit-like1 into the surrounding earth in all directions below4 ,when all the ore is got out from one spot1 they dig another pit further afield1 and so they go on until the particular patch of ground they are working on is exhausted4 ,on the occasion referred to1 some of our men1 in their burrowing1 threw out a considerable quantity of asbestos4 ,they had not the slightest idea what it was4 ,in fact1 they knew nothing at all about it1 except that it was not what they were in search of2 and1 consequently1 as it obstructed their work1 they threw it all out in a heap near the piles of ore4 ,presently1 one of the foremen or overlookers saw it1 and wanted to know what all that rubbish had been put there for4 ,here1 said he1 to some of the men1 just clear up all that mess at once1 and fling it into the furnace1 and get rid of it4 ,and this was immediately done1 with what result you may imagine4 ,recently1 however1 it is said that enormous quantities of asbestos have been found in ,russia1 although ,i cannot learn that any use is made of it there at present4 ,its mercantile value must of course depend on its quality and distance from market4 ,i have had a great number of specimens sent me1 but they mostly turn out to be a coarse kind of so-called bastard asbestos1 which would not pay for extracting4 ,now1 however1 we are told that from ,orenburg to ,ekaterinburg the country is thickly dotted with asbestos deposits1 while near the ,verkin ,tagil ironworks there is a hill called ,sholkovaya ,gora1 or ,hill of ,silk1 which it is asserted is entirely composed of asbestos4 ,the ore here is also said to be of the best white quality1 well adapted for all the most important purposes to which asbestos is applied4 ,i should much like to see a specimen of this2 its value could be easily determined on inspection4 ,in the ,gorobtagsdat district of ,perm1 again1 there are said to be large deposits cropping out above the surface1 and also that enormous quantities could be had there for nothing1 as at this moment it possesses no value in the ,ural region4 ,i imagine it would be found of considerable value if a practical man were sent out to see to its fiberization on the spot1 when it might be compressed1 packed1 and exported in the same way as cotton4 ,there can1 however1 be little doubt that if its quality is as good as it is represented to be1 it will very soon be utilized1 and will then form a very important addition to the vast mineral wealth of that region4 ,as might be expected1 asbestos is also found in ,china1 but1 as a matter of course1 the use to which it is put there is one we should little dream of here4 ,for instance1 in the translation of a ,chinese medical book by ,dr4 ,hobson1 of the ,london ,medical ,mission1 asbestos is seen to figure 7of all places in the world7 under the head of tonics1 in company with such heterogeneous substances as dried spotted lizard1 silkworm moth1 human milk1 parasite of the mulberry tree1 asses' glue1 stalactite1 and a few more surprising things4 ,perhaps it may be just as well for us that we are not yet educated up to so fine a point as that1 and that consequently the mineral we are speaking of does not yet find a place in the ,british ,pharmacopoeia1 but is left to exhibit its apparently more natural properties in the arts and manufactures4 ,a correspondent of ,the ,financial ,news1 writing from ,barberton in ,january1 #ahhh1 says that at ,komali ,fields1 fifty miles from that place1 asbestos has just been found1 but that it was as yet too soon to discuss the merits of the find4 ,in sending you an account of the ,canadian asbestos industry1 you will scarcely expect me to give you any very detailed information about its ,italian competitor4 ,any account of the one1 however1 would necessarily be so incomplete without some mention of the other1 that ,i will do the best ,i can with the little information ,i have been enabled to obtain on the subject of the ,italian mines4 ,experiments with the view of utilizing asbestos in ,italy appear to have been first successfully carried on in #ahej by the ,chevalier ,aldini1 of ,milan1 and others1 mainly with the object of turning the mineral to account in the manufacture of asbestos cloth4 ,the ,chevalier had a complete suit made of it--cap1 gloves1 tunic1 and stockings--for the purpose of testing its protective powers for firemen2 and of this ,i shall have something to say presently4#c ,but it was not until twenty years after this that any success was attained in the manufacture of asbestos millboard and paper1 the commercial value of which is now assuming such large proportions4 ,about the same time the manufacture of asbestos into packings for piston glands was successfully accomplished in ,america2 and some two years afterwards a company1 calling itself ,the ,patent ,asbestos ,manufacturing ,company1 ,limited1 was formed in ,glasgow for the purpose of making piston packings according to this ,american invention4 ,in #ahhj this ,glasgow ,company united its business with that of ,messrs4 ,furse ,brothers and ,co41 of ,rome1 asbestos manufacturers1 as well as with that of the ,italo-,english ,pure ,asbestos ,company1 and1 when the amalgamation was complete1 the new ,company1 taking the name of ,the ,united ,asbestos ,company1 ,limited1 became possessed of nearly the whole of the known ,italian mines1 and1 consequently1 of a practical monopoly of the trade in asbestos from that country4 ,italian differs very materially from ,canadian asbestos1 not only in appearance1 but in formation also1 as well as in the mode of extraction4 ,the two are1 in fact1 entirely separate and distinct kinds of the same mineral2 notwithstanding which their intrinsic qualities are practically the same1 and the uses to which they are put are almost identical4 ,an extraordinary specimen of ,italian asbestos1 obtained from one of the mines of the ,united ,asbestos ,company1 situate in the ,valtellina ,valley1 is in the possession of that company1 and is no doubt the finest piece of asbestos ever brought from ,italy1 whether as regards strength or fineness of fibre4 ,any one interested in the matter would1 ,i have no doubt1 be readily permitted to inspect this natural curiosity1 on application to ,mr4 ,boyd1 the courteous manager of the company1 in ,queen ,victoria ,street4 ,just about this time 7#ahhj7 ,canadian asbestos1 also1 was being much talked about and sought after2 and it is therefore perhaps scarcely to be wondered at that the company which first began to work the mineral in ,italy on a large scale1 and which1 at great expense and trouble1 had managed to secure the whole of the ,italian mines1 and so become possessed1 as they supposed1 of a monopoly of the trade1 should have viewed with jealousy the rapid progress made in public estimation by the ,canadian ore when once it was introduced to the market4 ,it is not my purpose1 however1 to enter on the vexed question of the relative merits of the two varieties1 which would be altogether out of place in a letter of this kind4 ,but ,i think we may safely conclude that both possess undeniably good qualities1 and that there is an ample field for both1 inasmuch as the peculiar properties which render one kind unsuitable for some particular purpose are often precisely those which best adapt it for another4 ,each variety will assuredly make its own way and take its proper place in public estimation as further experiments and greater experience in the use of it shall bring its special value more prominently to light4 ,ample proof has been given of the valuable qualities of ,italian asbestos2 and if any proof were needed of the intrinsic value of its ,canadian competitor1 nothing more would be required than to point to such houses as that of ,john ,bell ,son1 of ,london2 of ,wertheim1 of ,frankfort2 or to the ,johns ,manufacturing ,company1 or the ,chalmers-,spence ,company1 of ,new ,york1 whose world-renowned manufactures are made of ,canadian asbestos alone4 ,the essential characteristics of both sorts are alike in this respect1 that they are absolutely indestructible by fire1 or even when exposed to the action of any known acid2 the ,canadian variety possessing in addition1 in a very high degree1 that strange peculiarity 7which is also claimed for one of the ,italian sorts71 and is common also to plumbago and soapstone1 of being a self-lubricator4 ,good ,canadian fibre is known at once by its soft1 greasy1 soapy feeling2 and one of the leading ,new ,york firms claims for its products1 made entirely of ,canadian asbestos1 that they will resist even the flame of the blowpipe2 and further asserts that this mineral transcends all previously thought-of materials for fireproofing1 in that it is not only absolutely indestructible by fire1 but that its power of resistance cannot be worn away or diminished by lapse of time or hard usage1 as invariably happens in the case of such applications as tungstate of soda4 ,regarding its use1 ,germany is a very large consumer4 ,in ,france the consumption is not so great1 although manufacturers in that country are now beginning to bestir themselves1 especially in regard to some very valuable kinds of paper1 which they are making entirely out of ,canadian fibre2 and ,paris has now set the world an example by the adoption of the ,chevalier ,aldini's plan of clothing firemen in a dress of asbestos cloth4 ,america1 however1 is the country where the most rapid strides are being made in the development of every branch of this new industry1 and there also the ,canadian fibre alone is used4 ,a considerable quantity of it is made use of in ,england1 in the manufacture of some valuable kinds of packing for engineering work1 millboards1 felts1 lubricants1 paint1 and the like2 but in ,england we lack in some degree the readiness which is found on the other side of the ocean1 in the adaptation of new materials and new methods of work4 ,whether it be that ,englishmen are influenced by climatic or other causes1 certain it is that they are slow to adopt new systems1 to cultivate novel ideas1 or to move out of old grooves4 ,consequently1 when new materials1 or even novel applications of those long used1 are suggested1 they ponder over them1 hesitate1 and weigh the chances1 and in so doing not infrequently let slip valuable opportunities2 whilst the keener and more enterprising ,american1 once he sees the drift of the new matter1 will1 to use his own expression1 catch hold at once4 ,it by no means follows1 however1 that this is the fault of the manufacturers alone2 they have naturally to gauge the requirements of their customers1 and prefer to limit their make to what they know they can sell4 ,the finer kinds of asbestos1 the strong fibres of which are of a pure white colour and of a fine silky texture1 being at the same time free from silicic acid or metallic oxide1 are comparatively rare2 and1 on account of their lubricating qualities1 are especially valuable4 ,this particular kind1 ,i am told1 is at the present time only to be found in ,canada and some parts of the ,states4 ,whether this statement is correct or not1 ,i am not in a position to say2 but that it is found in ,canada ,i know1 for ,i have there personally witnessed the blasting out of many hundreds of tons4 ,in the ,dominion it is invariably obtained from hard rock somewhat difficult to work4 ,in an interesting paper on ,italian asbestos1 to be found in the ,journal of the ,society of ,arts for ,april1 #ahhf1 to which ,i have been indebted for a good deal of information respecting the ,italian mines1 ,i find a very singular statement given as the result of long observation by the employs of the ,united ,company in ,italy4 ,it is there said that if asbestos be found on the surface of a rock exposed either to the south or south-west1 the product is generally fairly abundant and of good quality4 ,if exposed to the east there is fine quality1 but very small quantity2 whilst if exposed to the north the quantity is plentiful but dry and hard1 and on entering the rock all traces of it are lost4 ,whether this be at all consistent with ,canadian experience ,i cannot say4 ,the lie of the ground and the course of the veins being so different1 it is quite possible the theory may have no applicability at all to ,canadian mining4 ,but it is certainly suggestive and interesting1 and ,i will cause inquiry in this direction to be set on foot at once4 ,in the same paper ,i find the following given as analyses of the two varieties4 ,the first is stated to be by ,professor ,barff1 but by whom the latter was made does not appear4 ,according to these there would be little doubt which was the most valuable for general manufacturing purposes1 but as there is nothing to show what kind of ,canadian ore was submitted for analysis1 or by whom the analysis was made1 you must take it as an analysis only1 quantum valeat4 ,,italian4 ,,canadian4 ,lime and magnesia #cghd #ccbj ,silica #dafi #djij ,oxide of iron #cja #ege ,potash #he traces ,soda #ada #fh ,alumina #beg #ffj ,moisture evaporated at #ajj ,c4 #cjd -- ,loss on heating to white heat1 water of hydration1 and organic matter #ief #abej ,chlorine -- #be ,loss #jc #ab ------ ------ #ajj #ajj ,three distinct kinds of asbestos are said to be found in ,italy1 viz41 ,grey1 ,flossy1 and ,powdery4 ,the grey is a long1 fibrous variety1 possessing1 in addition to strength1 the much-prized saponaceous quality2 and this is mostly found in the two ,alpine valleys of ,valtellina and d',aosta4 ,the flossy1 which has a smooth1 silky appearance1 but a dry feeling when touched1 is found and worked in part of the chain of mountains which bound the valley leading from ,susa to ,turin1 and at an elevation of about #h1jjj feet above the sea level4 ,this is the kind which is mostly used in the manufacture of gas stoves4 ,it is commonly found in thicker seams than the grey1 lying mostly in a horizontal direction1 but dipping rapidly as the rock is entered4 ,the third is a powdery kind1 which1 while possessing all the heat-resisting properties of the two others1 crumbles in the hand when touched4 ,this variety is found in the same range of mountains as that last mentioned1 but at a much lower level2 it appears to have been first brought to light by a landslip exposing to view a seam of it three feet wide4 ,when first seen it is said to have had a pasty consistency1 but on exposure to the air it dried and crumbled into powder4 ,italian ore1 generally speaking1 is won by running driftways1 or tunnelling into the face of the rock4 ,in ,canada the mineral is got out by open quarrywork1 no tunnelling there being possible4 ,the serpentine rock in which the asbestos or chrysotile is there found is so split and seamed in every conceivable direction by the veins and stringers that if tunnelling were attempted the first blast would inevitably bring the whole superincumbent mass down about your ears4 ,you might as well attempt to tunnel through loose sand or gravel4 ,in other words1 the relative difference in the two modes of winning the ore appears to be that the ,italian asbestos may be said to be won by tunnelling into the face of the rock2 whilst the ,canadian chrysotile is found in veins1 running1 it is true1 with the greatest irregularity1 but yet with a distinctly perpendicular declension4 ,the ,italian variety1 again1 seems frequently to be found1 or the seams to end1 in pockets1 some of which have been known to contain a ton or a ton and a half of asbestos1 after exhaustion of which all appearance of its presence ceased4 ,the ,canadian ore1 on the other hand1 generally runs in veins and seams1 which almost invariably improve both in quantity and quality the lower you go down1 but where or how it ends has never yet been discovered4 ,it may possibly be1 however1 that the more correct way to put this would be the very opposite of what ,i have just stated2 because if you stand and face the rock when laid bare in any of the ,canadian mines and trace the downward course and increasing strength of the veins1 it would really seem as if this strange mineral substance1 at some former time1 when in a state of violent ebullition1 had striven energetically to force an outlet into the upper air1 splitting the overlying rock in all directions in its passage upward from below2 and that1 as it gradually cooled off and expended its force1 the rifts in the rock1 which now form the veins1 became narrower and narrower1 until1 when the surface of the ground was at last reached it had only just sufficient energy left to bubble over through the cracks1 where it then cooled off and hardened into thin lava-like ridges4 ,these ridges are to be seen in all directions in the asbestos districts of ,canada1 wherever the peculiar yellowish-looking stone forming the upper crust of the asbestos-bearing rocks is found4 ,and notwithstanding the plainly visible evidence that these rocks1 from centuries of exposure to the elements1 have been worn away on the upper surface until they have assumed a rounded1 water-washed1 boulder-like shape1 the narrow ridges spoken of have apparently always remained in the same state1 alike indestructible and undisturbed4 ,if you will imagine to yourself the mountain masses of almost perpendicular rock1 which contain the horizontally-lying seams frequently found in ,italy1 to be thrown backward and downward so as to lie face uppermost1 and so that you could walk on the face1 you will get a rough idea of the lie of the veins in the ,canadian serpentine4 ,and possibly on further exploration the analogy would be still further borne out by these veins being found to terminate in reservoirs or pockets1 just as it has been said is usually found to be the case in ,italy4 ,no one has yet gone far enough down to test the depth of the veins in any ,canadian mine4 ,it will no doubt presently be done4 ,all that would be required would be to bore until the next series was reached4 ,the experiment1 if expensive1 would be both valuable and instructive1 especially bearing in mind the well-known fact in ,canadian mining that the deeper you follow the veins into the ground the better the quality of the cotton becomes4 ,there is one more point of distinction between the two kinds1 and that is in the surface indications1 which may possibly be due to atmospheric influences4 ,in ,italian exploration the prospector is not guided by any hard lines or ridges on the rock surface of the ground1 as in ,canada4 ,on the contrary1 he finds cracks in the perpendicular face of the rock filled with a white powdery substance which1 when the surface is broken away1 is said to assume a leathery appearance1 after which1 when further entry is made1 the true asbestos is found4 ,thus1 it will be seen that there is not only a considerable difference between the two sorts of asbestos which supply the demands of the market1 but that the mode of winning it is also different2 as are1 moreover1 the natural indications which guide the explorer in his search after the mineral4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,encyl4 ,brit4 ,art4 ,asbestos4 #b ,a member of the ,geological ,survey ,department1 ,ottawa4 #c ,see post1 p4 #ff4 ,,canadian ,,mining ,,for ,,asbestos4 ,and now ,i will leave the subject of the ,italian mines altogether1 and proceed to give some account of the asbestos mining industry as carried on in ,canada2 mainly the result of my notes and observations during a residence at the mines4 ,the main sources from which the supply of asbestos in the ,dominion is derived lie in the province of ,quebec1 in the counties of ,megantic and ,beauce4 ,the serpentine rock in which it is found crops up at intervals all along the belt of what has been previously alluded to as the altered ,quebec group#d 7pre-,cambrian71 throughout a range of over #abj miles in length1 occasionally attaining a width of more than #b1ejj feet1 mostly bearing from north-east to south-west1 and crossing the ,coleraine ,district nearly east and west4 ,it extends almost uninterruptedly from the boundary of ,vermont1 in the ,state of ,maine1 running north-eastward1 to some distance from the ,chaudire ,river1 a little beyond the latitude of ,quebec4 ,large tracts of serpentine1 probably containing the mineral in paying quantities1 occur at ,belmina in ,wolfe ,county1 and in the vicinity of ,brompton ,lake2 but although the work of exploration has been carried on in several places with fair prospects of success1 the profitable working of the mineral up to the present time has been mostly confined to ,broughton1 ,thetford1 ,coleraine1 and ,danville4 ,in the ,shickshock mountain region of ,new ,brunswick1 said to be a detached area of the pre-,cambrian formation1 which constitutes the chief mineral belt of the ,eastern ,townships 7within which the last-mentioned districts are comprised71 serpentine and chromic iron are the only two minerals which have as yet been recognised4 ,looking1 however1 to the fact that these two minerals everywhere accompany the deposits of chrysotile1 as well as the ores of copper1 lead1 and antimony1 with occasionally richer deposits of gold and silver1 in the region to the south-west1 it would scarcely seem unreasonable to anticipate discoveries of asbestos in the as yet unexplored region of the ,gasp peninsula4 ,the range here extends through the northern portion of the peninsula in rear of ,saint-,anne des ,monts1 and further east on the lower part of the ,dartmouth ,river4#e ,indications of asbestos are found at most points throughout the whole serpentine formation4 ,the developments1 so far as is yet known1 are principally1 as we have said1 in the districts around ,thetford and ,coleraine4 ,there can1 however1 be no valid reason why chrysotile of the richer sorts and in paying quantities should not be found at other points1 it being only reasonable to suppose that future exploration will materially extend the area over which profitable mining operations can be carried on4 ,in the ,blue ,book on the ,geological ,survey of ,canada1 #ahhb 7,mr4 ,willimott's report71 published by the ,dominion ,government1 it is stated that there appears to be unlimited quantities of asbestos distributed throughout the entire serpentine belt which attains its greatest prominence in the townships of ,thetford and ,coleraine4 ,its existence is generally made apparent by a whitish shining substance found coating the serpentine1 arising from the decay of the outcropping veins4 ,but this1 he says1 must not be taken as always indicating the presence of workable veins4 ,the character of the rock varies considerably1 and in some places it is even now apparently in the transition stage between the original rock from which it is derived and a true serpentine1 having still almost the hardness of felspar1 while it yet retains the general aspect and colour of the serpentine in which it is found4 ,large masses of dioritic rock1 having the aspect of dykes1 are found in most of the quarries1 possibly representing portions of the original rock not yet altered to serpentine4#f ,it may be taken as a general rule that wherever the true serpentine occurs asbestos will be found1 though it is difficult to say how the veins have been formed1 or how the fact of their existence is to be known with any degree of certainty1 except by the light superficial indication already mentioned1 which seems at present to be the only1 but by no means infallible1 guide4 ,the asbestos traverses the serpentine in irregular veins ranging from mere threads or stringers to a thickness of three or four1 and in some cases it is asserted of as much as six inches2 the fibre always1 unless affected by the dislocation of the containing rock1 lying at right angles to the sides of the fissure4 ,the rock is often impure1 the impurity arising mostly from the admixture of particles1 occasionally of small irregular thread-like veins1 of magnetite or of chromic iron1 which break the continuity of the fibre and cause very careful cobbing of the ore to be necessary in order to get rid of these impurities4 ,this is particularly the case at ,thetford1 as we shall see when speaking of ,messrs4 ,king's mine there4#g ,in other districts the fibre is discoloured 7and the value of it consequently much reduced7 by the infiltration of water impregnated with the oxide of iron4 ,this is especially the case in the ,black ,lake district1 more particularly on the property of the ,anglo-,canadian ,company1 where the serpentine is a good deal shattered by the action of the weather1 or possibly from other causes4 ,this discoloration ceases as a general rule1 or at any rate becomes considerably diminished in intensity1 in proportion as the containing rock becomes more solid4 ,it is1 however1 a most serious matter as affecting the character and pecuniary value of these mines4 ,in the case of nearly all the mines there are large quantities of so-called bastard asbestos found in and about them4 ,this is a woody1 brittle variety of apparently as yet unformed mineral1 for which at present no use seems to have been found2 but1 judging from the course new applications of the mineral are now taking1 there can be little doubt that this inferior article will presently command its price in the market1 a use being found for it in some of the many purposes for which coarse pulverized asbestos is found to be applicable4 ,many other very singular types are also to be seen4 ,some of the pieces as they lie on the ground1 after blasting1 have so much the appearance of a wood-cutter's choppings 7being1 in fact1 in the coarse and peculiar grain of the fibre1 so like chips of wood71 that1 if placed side by side with actual chippings from rough timber exposed to the weather in the woods1 the one could in no way be distinguished from the other1 except of course by handling1 when the weight and stony feeling of the asbestos would make the difference at once perceptible4 ,chrome iron is frequently found1 sometimes as at ,thetford and ,south ,ham1 in very large quantities in close proximity to the asbestos-bearing rock4 ,in the iron1 where this is the case1 although the stringers of asbestos may be very minute1 they will almost certainly be found intersecting the ore1 just as we have already seen that the grains and threads of the chrome iron often cut and spoil the fibre of the asbestos4 ,the marketable value of asbestos is determined in the first instance by the colour1 coupled with the thickness or width of the fibre in the vein4 ,the colour1 it may be said1 largely depends upon the locality of the mine1 and will be distinguished at once on inspection of the rocky gangue4 ,at ,thetford it is of a greenish hue1 being there found in the darker coloured serpentine2 whilst at ,broughton the ore is of a pearly yellowish green1 the surrounding rock being mostly of a grey or pale green colour4 ,this difference of colour in the ore1 however1 in no way affects the value of the mineral1 as when crushed out the fibre is mostly of a uniform whiteness4 ,there are other distinguishing characteristics in the ore even of closely adjacent mines1 of so marked a nature that an expert has no difficulty in determining the locality of the mine1 or even of the mine itself1 from the appearance of the ore4 ,although scarcely within the scope of the present remarks1 it is worthy of note that serpentines of an ornamental character are very abundant in ,canada2 some very beautiful specimens of which were recently shown in ,london1 at the late ,colonial and ,indian ,exhibition at ,south ,kensington4 ,many of these contain small quantities of chromium and nickel1 and are associated with soapstone1 potstone1 dolomite1 and magnetite4 ,a band of limestone also occurs at ,templeton containing masses of a light-coloured translucent serpentine4 ,these1 however1 beautiful as they are1 do not at this moment specially concern us1 as none of them contain asbestos in workable quantities1 the stone being entirely of an ornamental character4 ,they are exploited with some success by the ,canadian ,granite ,company of ,ottawa1 and are used by them for monuments1 mantelpieces1 vases1 and such like4 ,one would certainly think that their importation into ,england would meet with success1 seeing that there is always a demand here for fine marbles and stones for architectural and other purposes4 ,sir ,william ,logan says3 ,les serpentines1 dans toute l'tendue de leur gisement1 fournissent de trs-beaux marbres vert-de-mer souvent ressemblant au vert antique4 ,,the ,,thetford ,,group ,,of ,,mines4 ,although the existence of asbestos in ,canada1 in one at least of the above-mentioned localities1 was known to geologists for many years prior to #ahgg1 it was not until the autumn of that year that a mine was discovered which proved to be of any commercial importance4 ,this was first found by a farmer1 named ,fecteau1 in the township of ,thetford2 and1 true to its reputation1 ,thetford has continued to be the head-quarters and main source of the supply ever since4 ,this1 the first regular ,canadian mine1 was opened up in #ahgh by ,messrs4 ,johnson and ,ward4 ,the demand at first for the produce of this mine was exceedingly limited2 indeed1 great difficulty was experienced in finding a market at all4 ,the output the first year was only about fifty tons2 but the great value of the mineral being soon ascertained1 exploration on the serpentine belt in this neighbourhood was prosecuted on an extensive scale1 which resulted in asbestos being found in workable quantities over a very considerable area4 ,the mine spoken of is now the property of the ,johnson ,company1 of which the ,hon4 ,george ,irvine1 ,q4,c41 is president1 and ,mr4 ,andrew ,johnson1 who now represents ,megantic in the ,provincial ,legislative ,assembly at ,quebec1 is the resident manager4 ,the features of this and the neighbouring mines are very similar4 ,they consist of a massive serpentine1 varying in colour from a dark green to almost white1 intersected by numerous veins of asbestos of varying thickness1 remarkably free 7except in one instance7 from any admixture of foreign substances4 ,a large extent of this mine is now opened4 ,it is being worked with energy and success1 its produce being second to none that has yet been put on the market4 ,according to a statement given in the ,canadian ,mining ,review for ,october last1 its output for #ahhf was approximately #cge tons1 the total output of the mine up to the end of that year being given as #b1ejj tons4 ,i was recently informed by the president of the company that they had now made a contract for the sale of the whole of their output for the next five years4 ,the produce of the mine is nearly all ,no4 #a1 and is worth from #hj to #ajj a ton4 ,adjoining the ,johnson ,company's mine is one belonging to the ,boston ,asbestos ,packing ,company1 of which ,mr4 ,hyde ,rust1 of ,boston1 is treasurer1 and ,mr4 ,t4 ,sheridan1 local resident manager4 ,this mine is being steadily and efficiently worked1 and being practically on the same level with that of the ,johnson ,company1 the produce is of a very similar character4 ,it is remarkably good1 and some exceptionally fine asbestos has been got out here4 ,in a pamphlet published a short time ago by the ,canadian ,government on the mineral resources of ,canada1 it is stated that the yield from this mine 7including of course that last mentioned71 is pronounced by ,european manufacturers to be the finest and strongest fibre of the kind known2 and it is further stated that there is no question at all as to the profitable nature of asbestos mining in this belt of country4 ,the output of the ,boston ,company's mine1 according to the authority just cited1 is about #djj tons per annum4 ,mr4 ,ells1 of the ,geological ,survey ,department1 ,ottawa1 says that in #ahhf the quantity extracted was about #gjj tons1 and the total produce of the mine to the end of that year about #c1jjj tons4 ,there must1 ,i imagine1 be some misapprehension of the figures here1 and ,i feel sure that those given above are nearer the mark4 ,the value of the output of this mine is certainly as high1 it is possible taking it all round1 that it may be higher than that of the last mentioned4 ,steps are now being taken to introduce machinery and prosecute the work on a more extensive scale4 ,the next mine here is one of a more recent date1 worked by the ,brothers ,ward1 and owned by them conjointly with the ,hon4 ,james ,ross of ,quebec4 ,it is turning out fairly good material1 and judging by the indications1 coupled with what has been already done1 there is no reason to suppose that this mine will not presently be as remunerative as those already mentioned4 ,the output of this1 on the same authority1 is #aej tons1 which is1 ,i believe1 the extreme limit of what has yet been done4 ,this mine has been opened now about four years1 and in that time has produced1 as near as ,i could learn when last there1 about #djj tons4 ,it is said to be worth from #gj to #hj1 but ,i did not hear of any of it fetching more than #gj1 which is doubtless its present value4 ,the same gentlemen own some very promising-looking land on the other side of the railway1 which1 in fact1 bisects their property2 but as this is on a lower level it looks very much as if they will be troubled with water when they begin to open4 ,the only other mine now opened at ,thetford is that owned and worked by ,messrs4 ,king ,brothers4 ,it is in the same vicinity and bears much the same character as those already mentioned4 ,the output is given at #age tons per annum4 ,these four mines form the ,thetford group1 and are at present by far the most important in the province4 ,they are on a lower level and are consequently worked at a greater depth than those next to be described4 ,the output for this reason moreover is of a more uniform character1 and does not require such close classification as some of the other mines farther on4 ,practically1 ,no4 #a and ,no4 #c are the only divisions here1 the produce being mostly available for ,no4 #a4 ,no4 #c is a very inferior kind1 merely the refuse in fact1 which is sold and shipped in bulk at #aj a ton1 without being bagged up at all1 and is mostly used for cement1 boiler covering1 c4 ,the ,thetford river marks the western limit of the serpentine on these properties1 the rocks on the other side of the water being mostly altered slates and sandstones4 ,to the east of the railway1 which cuts directly across the area1 the serpentine forms a knoll with an elevation of about #ij or #ajj feet above the line of rails2 all the workings at present being confined to this portion of the area4 ,they consist of open cuttings on the face of the hill1 apparently very little having as yet been done to ascertain the value of the ground between the railway and the river4 ,there are certainly good indications there1 and when ,i was last at ,thetford ,i found ,mr4 ,ward prospecting in this part with some success4 ,here1 however1 is the place where the water trouble will first arise1 which will have to be provided for at the outset4 ,the essential peculiarity of the veins at ,thetford is that they are occasionally associated1 as already mentioned1 with grains and threads of chromic iron and also of magnetite4 ,the magnetite forms rather conspicuous masses between the veins of asbestos in ,messrs4 ,king's mine1 where it sometimes entirely replaces the latter4#h ,as a general rule1 however1 the surface veins at ,thetford are nearly as pure as those lying deeper in the rock1 the reason being that the surface is mostly naked rock only scantily clothed with vegetable mould1 moss1 or other foreign element1 contact with which deteriorates1 by discolouring1 the fibre1 as is found to be the case in a very marked degree in the mines next to be described4 ,it is a peculiarity of the veins of asbestos that they are never continuous4 ,they vary very much in size1 and1 in precisely the same way as other mineral veins1 they are affected by faults or slides1 which not infrequently cut off completely a valuable working face4 ,where this occurs the slicken-sided character is very marked4 ,sheets1 also1 of imperfect or immature asbestos1 having a long coarse woody fibre1 are frequently to be seen lying all along the sides of the fault2 but1 although there is a good deal of this1 the general quality of the produce of all the ,thetford mines is excellent4 ,the fibre is fine and of a smooth silky texture1 very easily worked4 ,the veins are mostly1 especially in the lower cuttings1 more free from impurities than those of ,coleraine4 ,no steam power is at present used in this district1 the whole of the proprietors at present continuing to rely upon hand labour2 the ,boston ,company are1 however1 as just mentioned1 now seriously turning their attention that way1 with a view of increasing their output4 ,the ,thetford mine-owners are one and all kind and hospitable men1 always ready to give every information and to facilitate an inspection of their works by anyone who will take the trouble to visit them2 a trouble which ,i always found very amply repaid by the courtesy with which ,i was received1 and the candour and obliging readiness with which all my inquiries were immediately answered4 ,the workers in the mines here are mostly resident on the spot1 sufficient accommodation having been provided for them in the immediate neighbourhood of the mines2 the proprietors1 who appear to act with a liberal consideration towards their men1 deeming it incumbent on themselves to look after their welfare2 and they find their account in so doing1 in not running short of hands at critical times4 ,the practice at ,thetford is to close down entirely for the winter months1 it not having yet been found advantageous1 in view of the limited market1 coupled with the difficulty of outdoor quarrywork1 to encounter the extra expense of working at this season4 ,some of the owners1 ,messrs4 ,king in especial1 being largely interested in the lumber trade1 to which they devote themselves in the winter1 are able to find plenty of employment at that season for their men and others1 who then go off into the woods4 ,at ,thetford1 as elsewhere1 great mistakes1 arising mainly from inexperience and want of the knowledge now possessed1 were made when the mines were first opened up1 which will inevitably entail serious loss in the future2 as an instance1 much valuable ground is now seen to be covered up by the dumps1 which will unquestionably have to be moved presently when the land is wanted for working4 ,the same want of foresight1 for which there was less excuse with the ,thetford experience to guide them1 will inevitably cause trouble in the near future at ,black ,lake1 on the property of the ,anglo-,canadian ,company1 even to a more serious extent4 ,the parties who first opened up the ground here evidently knew what they were about1 but their immediate successors1 being destitute of all practical mining knowledge1 have1 by their neglect of professional assistance1 committed such errors of judgment as will presently occasion very serious expense to the company4 ,at their main pit many thousands of tons of waste rock have been dumped on to some of the richest part of the ground1 and this must be again moved before that ground can be worked4 ,from the peculiarity of the work1 there probably exists no class of mining which so absolutely necessitates the services of a practical mining engineer1 in marking out the land in the first instance for mining and dumping1 as that for asbestos does4 ,the cost of extraction varies in different localities1 depending mainly on the mass of barren rock to be encountered and removed4 ,at ,thetford the cost may be put at from #bj to #be per ton1 the latter probably being nearer the average4 ,on the ,anglo-,canadian ,company's property at ,black ,lake it is a more serious matter4 ,there the quantity of barren overlying rock and earth is enormous1 and detracts immensely from the value of the mines4 ,the minimum cost here is #bh4 ,in addition to asbestos1 it is worthy of note that the whole of the ,thetford district is rich in minerals4 ,among others some large and valuable deposits of chromic iron are found in the immediate neighbourhood1 within but a short distance of the asbestos mines4 ,,the ,,coleraine ,,group4 ,four miles farther down the line of railway from ,thetford we come to the ,coleraine group of asbestos mines1 situate at ,black ,lake4 ,the pioneer of these mines was a ,mr4 ,noel1 now resident at ,richmond1 near ,sherbrooke1 in the same province1 who1 in #ahha1 discovered and opened up a mine of a promising character here1 which in #ahhb he sold to ,mr4 ,charles ,lionais1 who was until recently the resident manager of the mines owned by the ,scottish ,asbestos ,company1 at ,black ,lake and ,broughton4 ,the mine first opened here was called by ,mr4 ,lionais the ,eureka1 and some time afterwards he opened another on the same estate which he named the ,emelie4 ,the property on which these two mines are located subsequently came into the possession of the late ,mr4 ,sncal1 and was by him transferred to the ,anglo-,canadian ,asbestos ,company1 ,limited1 on the formation of that company in ,london1 in the autumn of #ahhe4 ,the estate owned by the ,anglo-,canadian ,company comprises #cbe acres1 and has a frontage of #a1cej feet extending backwards over the hills as far as ,lake ,cariboo4 ,until recently this was the only place in the district where machinery was employed to get out the ore4 ,the peculiar characteristic of this property1 as distinguished from the mines forming the ,thetford group1 is that much exceedingly heavy work1 necessitating of course great expense and showing very poor results1 must of necessity be done before the good veins1 if any such exist1 as it is believed they do1 are reached4 ,much of this has already so far been done at the ,emelie1 that at length this portion of the property bids fair1 in capable hands1 of proving to be a moderately paying mine4 ,great results were prophesied from it at first1 but so far it has by no means realised expectations4 ,the surface veins1 not only at the ,emelie but all over the property so far as yet proved1 are not only thin1 but are much discoloured by the infiltration of water which is so strongly impregnated with the oxide of iron as almost to destroy its value4 ,it was thought1 and as it would appear with some show of reason1 that the output would greatly improve in value as a lower depth was reached2 but although there has undoubtedly been a sensible improvement in quality1 the general result is disappointing4 ,started as a ,no4 #c mine1 as such in all probability it will continue4 ,the output from this ,company's mines for #ahhf was #ccj tons4 ,the ,no4 #c quality of asbestos1 which has hitherto been the main produce of this mine1 fetches so low a price in the market that alone it would not pay for working4 ,this1 as already explained1 is mainly on account of its bad colour and general coarse quality4 ,this latter having somewhat improved1 a considerable proportion of the produce would cease to be classed as ,no4 #c if it were not for the bad colour4 ,it therefore occurred to me that it might be possible to remove this defect without injuring the fibre1 and in consequence ,i had some experiments made with this object in view1 and ultimately succeeded beyond my expectations1 in replacing the discoloured fibre by one sufficiently bright to enable it to take rank as ,no4 #a4 ,these experiments1 it is true1 were only conducted on a limited scale1 but1 so far as ,i am aware1 there is no reason why it should not be done on a large scale1 which would very materially increase the value of the article4 ,there is ample room for opening up in a more judicious way on other parts of this property on what seems likely to be good paying ground2 and a mode of doing this without incurring any further expense might easily be devised1 and1 if this were done1 other seams of better quality might be hit upon4 ,another point in the company's favour is that1 if judiciously selected1 there is abundant room for dumping without encroaching on the ore-bearing grounds--a most important matter when consideration is taken of the enormous quantity of waste rock to be here encountered and removed4 ,the buildings on the estate are well constructed1 and are in an efficient state of repair1 but at present there is an insufficiency of dwelling-houses on the property4 ,these are a necessity in the district1 for securing and retaining a better class of labour4 ,no great expense would have to be incurred in supplying this deficiency4 ,lumber and labour are both comparatively cheap1 and the buildings in themselves1 moreover1 would always return a fair interest on the outlay4 ,the property on which the ,martin ,mine is located closely adjoins the last mentioned4 ,this has recently been acquired by ,the ,scottish ,asbestos ,company1 of ,glasgow1 with the intention of working it in conjunction with their mines at ,east ,broughton4 ,judging by the elaborate preparations for work which are being made1 and the expenditure which is being incurred in buildings and machinery1 it is evidently the company's intention to carry on work vigorously in both places4 ,their property at ,black ,lake covers #ajb acres1 and is described as being a mile long by #ebj feet wide4 ,the output is given as #cjj tons1 but ,i should doubt very much if it has yet reached this figure4 ,the ground here and in front of the ,anglo-,canadian ,company's land rises very rapidly1 from the level of the ,quebec ,central ,railway1 until it attains a height of nearly #fjj feet1 being then about on a level with the ,thetford mines4 ,the great serpentine belt crosses both properties1 and is bounded along its northern margin by quartzose granulite1 separated from the serpentine by a narrow belt of soapstone4 ,it is claimed for property of the ,scottish ,asbestos ,company1 that not less than three-quarters of it consists of the rock formation that seems to be the asbestos matrix4 ,this property is well laid out1 and has a considerable number of dwellings already erected on it for the workpeople4 ,it is also traversed by a good road leading down to the line of railway4 ,on a narrow strip of land1 dividing the properties of the last two mentioned companies1 is a small mine called the ,frechette-,douville ,mine1 which 7working the same seams of ore71 was doing very well when ,i was there4 ,the output of this is not large1 but the quality was very good1 and this in consequence is no doubt a very paying mine4 ,these are the only mines at present being worked at ,black ,lake1 but from indications on other properties lying on the same line1 there can be little doubt that other mines will presently be opened up in this locality4 ,capital is all that is wanting at present1 but1 as the demand for the mineral increases1 the necessary capital for producing it in larger quantities will no doubt be forthcoming4 ,the companies working at ,black ,lake when ,i was last there were working at a great disadvantage as compared with those at ,thetford1 in the want of a station on the line4 ,the ,post ,office arrangements were also of a very primitive character1 nor was there any wire nearer than ,thetford4 ,all this1 however1 has been remedied1 and there is now at ,black ,lake not only a station but also a post and telegraph office1 in addition to many new houses for the accommodation of the workpeople4 ,the cost of mining1 for the reasons already given1 is1 and must of necessity be1 greater at ,black ,lake than at ,thetford1 and cannot be put at less than #bh a ton4 ,after removal of the surface earth and rock1 the proportion of refuse rock is about twenty-five tons to one of asbestos4 ,in regard to communication1 ,black ,lake is #hj miles from ,quebec1 and about #fj from ,sherbrooke2 the latter being a rising place1 where all stores1 c41 needed for the mines are obtainable and from whence lines radiate to all parts of the ,states4 ,there are several other places in the vicinity of ,black ,lake where1 although all that has yet been done may be called simple exploratory work1 the indications are such as to warrant the expectation that valuable results may be looked for4 ,this is especially the case in what are known as the ,reed and ,haydon properties which extend over about #bjj acres4 ,on ,dr4 ,reed's land1 or rather on that part of it known as the ,coleraine ,mines1 which is about #ajj acres in extent1 the ground has already been opened up in ten different places1 each of which shows good ,no4 #a asbestos in quantities sufficient for profitable working4 ,the outcroppings here1 moreover1 are far superior to anything that can be seen on the ground lower down where work is now being carried on4 ,a practical mining engineer who was recently sent to examine and report on this property says that it is #ajj per cent4 better than that at ,black ,lake2 that #ge per cent4 of the whole is veritable asbestos-bearing land1 and that he knows of no other asbestos mine so well situate for practical work1 or showing such advantages in timber1 water1 and1 dumping ground4 ,the timber is sufficient for all practical purposes for at least twenty-five years4 ,and ,mr4 ,ells1 in his ,annual ,report to the ,minister of the ,interior1 for #ahhf1 speaking of his visit to the asbestos district and of his inspection of these properties1 makes special mention of them as follows3 ,in the vicinity of ,black ,lake several other areas occur1 in which the exploratory work done1 though not very extensive1 shows indications that fully warrant the statement that a valuable and profitable output may be expected4 ,these properties are known as the ,reed and ,hayden properties1 and are situated on lots #bg and #bh1 ,range ,b of ,coleraine4 ,in various open cuts in the side of the hills numerous veins are disclosed1 ranging upwards to a width of two and a half inches1 with surface indications apparently in no way inferior to those of the adjoining properties now being worked at this place1 or even of those of ,thetford mines1 not only as to the number and size of the veins1 but also as to the quality of the fibre4 ,these indications appear at many points on both the ,hayden and ,reed properties1 which embrace a total of #bjj acres4 ,between these properties and ,cariboo ,lake the serpentines extend in an apparently continuous ridge1 and show1 at intervals1 very good indications of asbestos4 ,this area1 however1 has not yet been sufficiently explored for much to be said1 from actual observation1 of its value as asbestos land1 though it seems reasonable enough to suppose that this portion of the serpentine belt will be presently found equally valuable with that of the adjoining section4 ,in the vicinity of the ,coleraine ,station of the ,quebec ,central ,railway 7the next station to ,black ,lake71 serpentine also occurs2 but the main ridge1 extending south-west1 keeps to the north-west for about a mile and a half1 where it forms a conspicuous hill feature4 ,an opening recently made on this south-west extremity by ,mr4 ,kennedy disclosed the presence of a number of asbestos veins1 one of which1 occurring near the surface had a width1 it is said1 of nearly four inches4 ,sufficient work has not yet been done to determine the persistence and value of these veins1 though when ,i was last leaving the district ,i was given to understand that energetic operations would commence immediately on the opening of the working season4 ,a peculiarity here is the occurrence of a considerable quantity of mica in direct contact with the asbestos1 a circumstance which has not hitherto been found to be the case anywhere else4 ,,broughton4 ,the finest vein of asbestos ever yet worked in ,canada was discovered at ,broughton1 when the ,fraser ,mine was first opened and worked by ,dr4 ,reed2 although doubtless the largest1 most continuous1 and consequently best paying veins have been found at ,thetford1 some of which1 it has been stated1 were over six inches in thickness4 ,i confess ,i have not been fortunate enough to see anything like this1 but ,i have seen many veins there1 the produce of which was of surprising beauty1 and specimens of which ,i have before me as ,i write1 which are broad enough and good enough for any purpose to which the fibre can possibly be put4 ,it must1 however1 be borne in mind that the same rule obtains with many other things as is noted in the vegetable world--namely1 that the largest specimens are not necessarily the best4 ,the broader veins of asbestos do not1 as ,i have already remarked1 yield as a rule fibre of so fine a quality as those of a medium1 or even of a small size4 ,the length of the fibre1 moreover1 cannot be determined with any absolute certainty from the thickness of the vein4 ,on the contrary1 the broader veins are not seldom found to be separated at right angles to the length of fibre by minute bands of serpentine1 chrome1 or magnetite1 sometimes even by a separation without any perceptible layer of rock1 the only indication of this being an irregular1 scarcely visible line1 readily detected by the expert4#i ,under the hammer the big veins1 in which the separation exists1 are at once divided into two1 or it may be into three lengths of fibre2 but if the cotton be pure and clear1 this is no very great detriment4 ,veins of an inch or an inch and a half extracted from compact rock seldom have these intersections4 ,the veins1 moreover1 are extremely irregular in character1 a small vein at the surface frequently developing into one of considerable size lower down1 or breaking off altogether4 ,this is the special characteristic of the veins in the ,coleraine district--notably at ,black ,lake--at the mines of the ,anglo-,canadian ,company1 and at ,danville4 ,at ,thetford1 on the other hand1 where the ground is of a more uniform character1 and at a lower level than at ,black ,lake1 fine veins are frequently met with just below the surface1 which continue for a considerable distance with very little change4 ,it will clearly be seen1 therefore1 that it is not possible properly to appreciate the value of such a mine as this without inspection and thorough examination by an expert4 ,fine specimens can at any time be obtained1 and have before now been exhibited at a distance as being the produce of some particular mine for which a purchaser was wanted1 when anyone visiting the spot would at once see the utter impossibility of such having been the case2 and even if it were proved to be true that the specimens exhibited came from the place indicated1 it would be important to know at what depth they were got1 with the nature and general disposition of the mine1 as well as the proportion of superincumbent rock requiring to be removed before the valuable veins could be worked4 ,without a knowledge of this it is self-evident that no practical estimate of expense to be incurred could possibly be made4 ,the discovery at ,broughton made a great stir at the time2 but the big vein there was to all appearance soon worked out1 the supply thought to be exhausted1 and work in consequence discontinued4 ,that1 at any rate1 was the view taken by the gentleman who then worked the mine4 ,about #acj tons1 ,i was told1 were got out1 which fetched from #ajj to #abj a ton4 ,it would now be worth a much better price4 ,the ,scottish ,asbestos ,company have since then purchased this property1 and from the extensive preparations they are making for work1 and the great outlay they are incurring for machinery1 buildings1 and plant1 it is clear that they do not by any means coincide in the view above expressed4 ,the stratification at ,broughton is peculiar1 and different from anything that is found either in ,thetford or ,coleraine4 ,it is quite possible1 therefore1 that the ,company's advisers may be right1 and that the surface deposits will be found to continue in richness and volume lower down4 ,the developments at present consist of an open cut #ae to #bj feet deep by #h feet wide following the vein and the serpentine reef is laid open for a length of about #ijj feet4 ,when ,i last visited ,broughton1 in the autumn of #ahhf1 ,i went over the ground in company with the late ,mr4 ,fraser1 who was then resident on the property1 but was unable1 from the quantity of water in the cut1 to trace any of the big veins which had previously been worked4 ,it was evident1 however1 that in consequence of a sudden dip downwards considerable expense would have to be incurred1 and much very heavy work done1 before the seam could be reached again4 ,the belt of serpentine here is very narrow1 and the veins of asbestos are closely pressed together4 ,the strike is east and west1 and the dip #cj4 ,there are prospects here to the north-east1 apparently of as valuable a character as those of the mine already opened4 ,a few days after my visit1 ,i was shown some fine samples from the surface work of this place1 where the ground had just been stripped1 and these bore the precise characteristics of the fine vein already spoken of4 ,the ,broughton ore has a pale yellowish hue1 as distinguished from the greenish metallic lustre which distinguishes the finer samples from ,thetford4 ,this does not1 it must be observed1 in any way deteriorate or injuriously affect the clear whiteness of the fibre when crushed out1 although it at once identifies the locality of its production4 ,there are1 in fact1 as ,i have already mentioned1 certain peculiarities1 even of colour1 attaching to the ore of each locality of so marked a character that an expert can at once tell1 on inspection1 from what locality it was obtained4 ,there is great abundance of soapstone 7steatite7 at ,broughton2 much of it of good quality1 and some of it is remarkably pure4 ,i brought away a singular specimen1 having all the grain and even the fibrous markings of asbestos1 which was nevertheless pure and unmistakable unfibred steatite4 ,at present no use is being made of this material at ,broughton1 but at ,wolfestown1 in the same province1 there is a manufactory for its use1 and here slabs of very fine quality can be procured4 ,a workable bed of very superior quality has been found also at ,potton1 and there is another at ,south ,ham1 near the antimony mines on the ,lake ,nicolet estate4 ,reduced to powder1 the softness and unctuosity of steatite have caused it to be used1 in the same manner as plumbago1 for lubricating purposes1 and when finely ground it is employed for giving a surface to some kinds of paperhangings4 ,the substance called ,venetian or ,french chalk1 used by tailors and others1 is nothing more than steatite4 ,it can be readily cut with a knife1 and is infusible in any ordinary furnace heat4 ,slaty varieties1 of which there are many1 are comparatively useless4 ,,danville4 ,there is a mine at ,shipton1 about four miles from the village of ,danville1 contiguous to the line of the ,grand ,trunk ,railway1 which has been for some time worked by ,mr4 ,jeffery1 whose acquaintance ,i had the pleasure of making in ,montreal1 but ,i much regret that time did not permit of a visit to this mine1 so ,i can give no details of my own personal knowledge4 ,the outcrop of the serpentine here1 ,i am told1 is quite limited1 with steep sides till round it4 ,it however contains numerous veins of asbestos which1 though mostly of small size1 are of good quality4 ,faults are numerous1 and these considerably affect the value of the property1 some of the good veins1 with a thickness of two inches1 for instance1 being cut off completely at a distance of fifty feet from the surface4 ,in a pamphlet published at ,ottawa1 by the ,department of ,agriculture of the ,dominion ,government1 ,i find it stated that the whole output of this mine has been contracted for the next ten years4 ,this is said to amount to #ajj tons per annum1 and its value is given as #fj per ton4 ,,south ,,ham4 ,this mine1 the property of ,dr4 ,reed of ,reedsdale1 ,megantic1 is situate on the ,nicolet ,estate1 in the township of ,south ,ham1 #g- miles from the ,garthby ,station on the line of the ,quebec ,central ,railway4 ,it was first described as being situate on ,big ,island1 in the centre of ,lake ,nicolet1 where the serpentine rocks rise very abruptly to the height of seventy feet1 forming precipitous cliffs on the western side of the island4 ,recent exploration1 however1 has shown that the main body of asbestos is on the hill-side1 and is of such extent as altogether to eclipse that proved to exist on the island1 which was at first thought to be the chief source of supply4 ,the mine on the island is not being worked1 but has been fully proved by numerous openings which have been made at the most promising points1 revealing in every case veins of asbestos of remarkably good quality and in great abundance4 ,these1 as mentioned1 are now known to pass under the lake1 and can be seen cropping out in many places on the shore and the hill-side4 ,the mineral as seen on the island presents many points of difference from that at ,thetford and ,coleraine2 and in the ,geological ,survey of ,canada1 ,i find it is stated to consist of four varieties1 viz43-- #ast4 ,small veins1 rarely exceeding half an inch in width1 the fibres not easily separable4 ,this1 however1 does not detract from its commercial value4 #bnd4 ,apparently occupying a position at right angles to the veins above noticed1 is a coarse fibrous mineral1 resembling rope1 and evidently derived from the associated picrolite4 ,the extreme length which these fibres may attain could not be determined1 but judging from exposed portions1 it cannot be less than three feet4 #crd4 ,veins somewhat resembling the latter in aspect1 but much finer in texture4 ,the fibre can be separated with great facility1 though firmly attached at one end to the parent rock4 #dth4 ,a steatitic asbestos rock1 resembling ,mountain leather1 forming important masses1 which enclose small concretionary pellets of asbestos1 the centres of which contain a nucleus of serpentine4 ,very little 7the report says7 has yet been done on the island to develop these asbestos veins1 perhaps owing to the difficulty of transport across the lake4 ,this1 however1 would probably be more than counterbalanced by the magnificent returns which this locality promises to afford4 ,dr4 ,reed at present is altogether neglecting the asbestos and devoting his attention to the development of a very promising antimony mine on the shore of the lake4 ,indeed this estate might very justly be termed a typical ,canadian mineral estate1 and is1 in its way1 unique1 for comprised within its #b1jjj acres1 there are found to exist not only rich veins of antimony and asbestos1 and1 as was stated in the notice of ,broughton1 enormous quantities of soapstone1 but there are also immense deposits of iron1 magnetic1 chromic1 and bog ore1 as well as copper and sulphur4 ,silver to the value of #d per ton of ore is found with the antimony1 and reefs of auriferous quartz run through the entire property1 from which a practical miner from ,australia1 who was examined before the committee appointed in #ahhg by the ,dominion ,government to investigate the gold-fields of ,canada1 stated that he had taken samples which on assay gave #b- ozs4 gold to the ton4 ,nickel also is found on the property1 and cobalt4 ,everything necessary for the working of those valuable deposits already exists on the ground--unlimited water supply1 and timber for building and mining purposes1 as well as for charcoal for any furnaces that may presently be erected3 sufficient1 if judiciously managed according to the rules of forestry such as obtain in ,germany1 ,austria1 and ,russia1 to last until a new growth matures4 ,in regard to transport1 the roads are good1 and a line of rail connecting the ,grand ,trunk with the ,intercolonial will touch the property next summer1 and will1 it is expected1 have a station there just below the antimony mine4 ,in regard to steatite1 the quantity here is so enormous that an expert 7,captain ,a4 ,m4 ,evans1 of the firm of ,blakemore and ,evans1 the well-known civil and mining engineers of ,cardiff71 who was lately sent by me to report on this property1 speaking of steatite1 says1 ,all ,i can say is1 there are mountains of it4 ,this mineral is a more or less pure and compact talc4 ,when pure and of close hard grain it is used as a refractory for lining furnaces1 especially those designed for anthracite4 ,it is in demand also for gas burners1 not being liable to rust or corrosion1 and also for the construction of small portable furnaces and open stoves4 ,it is used also in the manufacture of paints4 ,when very strongly heated1 steatite loses the small portion of combined water contained in it1 and then in consequence becomes much harder4 ,,wolfestown4 ,the description of the asbestos area of ,wolfestown is given by ,mr4 ,ells4 ,it is situate on the north-east extremity of a serpentine ridge which extends south-westerly1 with many interruptions1 from the road leading from ,coleraine ,station to ,wolfestown1 in the vicinity of ,lake ,nicolet4 ,it belongs to ,mr4 ,john ,bell 7,john ,bell ,co41 asbestos manufacturers1 ,london71 and considerable sums have been expended on the property in the way of exploration4 ,the surface indications are said not to be equal to those at ,black ,lake1 but show at several points numbers of veins1 some of which are from one and a half to two inches thick4 ,a very fair showing of workable veins has been exposed on the upper part of a deep cut1 which it is proposed to intersect at a considerably lower level4 ,should the same rule of increase which holds good at ,thetford and ,coleraine obtain here1 there should be good paying ground exposed when the lower level is driven in past the cap of barren rock1 provided the veins already disclosed are not cut off by faults1 whose presence is noted here as at other points4 ,the total amount of asbestos taken from the ,belmina district ,mr4 ,ells puts at about twenty-five tons4 ,considerable quantities of chromic iron are found on the hills in this area1 which embraces about six hundred acres4 ,the foregoing are all the ,canadian mines now in work1 as far as ,i have been able to learn1 certainly all of any importance4 ,there can be no doubt1 however1 that as the demand increases further explorations will be made1 and new mines discovered1 as well as that increased capital will be put in to further develop those already at work4 ,at the present time the supply scarcely keeps pace with the demand1 and capitalists are beginning to wake up to the importance of this industry2 it having been now conclusively proved that mining for asbestos1 properly conducted1 shows a more steady return for the money invested1 with less elements of risk1 than mining for any other known mineral4 ,i am unable to say1 with any degree of exactness1 what is the amount of the aggregate output of the ,canadian mines2 but ,i saw it stated in a local paper that1 in #ahhe1 it was under #a1ejj tons1 and that in #ahhf it had reached #b1jjj tons1 giving an increase of over #ejj tons for the year4 ,this is quite sufficient to show the rapid strides the business is making1 and is probably near about correct1 judging by the rate of progression in the imports to the ,states1 for instance4 ,the value of manufactured asbestos imported into the ,united ,states from ,canada1 in #ahhj1 is given in the ,government ,returns as under #aj1jjj dollars4 ,in #ahhd it had risen to #dh1gee dollars1 and it has been increasing yearly ever since4 ,that the demand is rapidly increasing is unquestionable1 not only for the present articles of manufacture1 but for the new purposes to which it is being daily applied4 ,more capital will1 doubtless1 soon be put in1 and then new lines1 which almost indicate themselves1 will prepare the way for continued success4 ,as regards the progressive output of crude asbestos at the mines1 since its introduction in #ahhg1 the following may no doubt be taken as authentic1 being extracted from the ,statistical ,report on the ,production1 ,value1 ,exports1 and ,imports of ,minerals in ,canada during the year #ahhf and previous years1 by ,eugne ,coste1 ,m4,e41 published by authority of the ,dominion ,parliament4 ,in this ,report the production and value is given as follows3-- ,value at the ,mines4 ,tons4 ,dollars4 #ahgi #cjj #ai1ejj #ahhj #chj #bd1gjj #ahha #edj #ce1ajj #ahhb #haj #eb1fej #ahhc #iee #fh1gej #ahhd #a1ada #ge1jgi #ahhe #b1ddj #adb1dda #ahhf #c1deh #bjf1bea ,the mode of extraction in all ,canadian asbestos mines is by open quarry work4 ,whether the drills are worked by compressed air1 or by hand in the old-fashioned way1 the effect is the same4 ,when a sufficient number of holes of the proper depth are drilled and duly charged with dynamite or powder1 they are linked together1 and fired by a battery in such a way that the face of rock shall be thrown outward on to the floor of the pit4 ,the asbestos is then picked out1 the adhering rock roughly broken off1 and the ore piled into boxes or tubs1 which are loaded on to trolleys1 and run off on tram-lines to the cobbing-sheds4 ,the refuse rock1 of which there is always an enormous quantity 7probably as much as twenty tons of rock to one ton of asbestos71 is loaded into cars1 run off and shot over on to the dumping-ground4 ,boys are employed in the cobbing-sheds to chip1 or cob1 the rock cleanly from the ore1 an operation which is much more troublesome with thin veins than with those of the better sort to which1 as ,i have already said1 the waste rock is less firmly adherent4 ,this cobbing is a very troublesome and expensive process1 costing about #e dollars a ton4 ,after cobbing1 great care is required in sorting the ore into the respective grades of ,nos4 #a1 #b1 and #c4 ,it is then put up in bags of about #afj lbs4 each1 marked1 and stacked away in the bins ready for shipment4 ,all this is done in a very rough and ready style1 and the waste is simply enormous3 there is no doubt1 however1 that as the ore increases in value more scientific appliances will be adopted with good results4 ,at present thousands of tons of rock containing only thin veins of asbestos are dumped on the refuse heaps as waste which would all be crushed if a proper machine were at hand1 and the valuable material saved4 ,in the cobbed state ready for market the ore is worth at the mines at the present time from #ej dollars to #ee dollars for ,no4 #b1 and from #hj dollars to #ajj dollars for ,no4 #a4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 on a comparison of the cost of extraction with the price realised for the raw material1 that there is ample margin for good profit4 ,wages run from #a dollar to #a dollar #ge cents a day1 according to the nature of the work performed1 for men1 and from #ej cents to #a dollar for lads and cobbers4 ,the comparison of the cost of production1 therefore1 with the value of the raw material1 shows a very large margin of profit4 ,there is no scarcity of labour1 a sufficient number of hands1 mostly ,french-,canadians1 being always forthcoming2 but at those mines where there is an insufficiency of houses for married men1 accommodation has to be found in the barrack-like building for single men2 the married men1 who cannot be accommodated1 residing frequently at a long distance from their work1 which causes them to be of a migratory disposition1 and gives considerable additional trouble to the management4 ,a disadvantage in the employment of ,french-,canadian labour lies in the great number of festivals incident to their religion1 with consequent loss of work at the mines1 but apparently there is no remedy for this at present4 ,the greatest curse of the place1 however1 is gin4 ,although the district is under the ,scott ,act1 and the sale of liquor consequently prohibited1 like every other place where the sale is interdicted there is no difficulty1 if you know how to go about it1 sometimes even if you don't1 in getting as much as you please4 ,at any rate ,i never yet was in any such place where ,i did not find it to be so4 ,here is an instance3 ,on one occasion ,i had been out driving in the pouring rain for several hours1 had got drenched to the skin1 and was bitterly cold4 ,i pulled up1 therefore1 at a likely-looking house1 went in and called for some brandy1 but to my disgust was told no liquors could be supplied1 as it was against the law4 ,as ,i turned to go out again1 in no very cheerful mood1 the man1 seeing the state ,i was in1 evidently took compassion on me1 and said1 ,better try some bitters2 so calling to mind the old saying that all bitters are warm barring a bitter cold day1 which only proves the rule1 ,i assented4 ,he then pushed over a tumbler and a black bottle1 when ,i at once poured out and swallowed a pretty strong dose1 feeling when ,i had done so as if ,i had swallowed a streak of forked lightning4 ,as soon as ,i had recovered my breath ,i muttered my thanks and paid up4 ,have another8 says he1 with a twinkle in his eye4 ,no1 thanks2 ,i replied4 ,guess you'll remember our bitters1 he then laughingly said1 prefixing the name of the place1 which ,i afterwards found was in a district where prohibition was very strictly enforced1 and which ,i therefore purposely omit1 his breach of the law having no doubt saved me from the dangerous effects of a chill4 ,the hip pockets in the men's pants form very convenient receptacles for the bottles1 and are always pretty well filled after pay days and holidays4 ,the liquor most in favour is a vile compound called gin4 ,it is supplied in the regular square ,dutch bottles from the familiar green-painted boxes in which ,hollands is exported1 and which are labelled ,de ,kuyper2 but the vile stuff is not much credit to that gentleman's manufacture if it be so1 which is much to be doubted4 ,,footnotes3 #d ,ante1 p4 #ac4 #e ,geol4 ,hist4 ,can41 #ahhj4 #f ,see ante1 p4 #ab4 #g ,see post1 p #cc4 #h ,geographical ,survey of ,canada4 #i ,ante1 p4 #bg4 ,,uses ,,to ,,which ,,asbestos ,,is ,,applied4 ,in regard to the many varied uses to which this mineral is now put1 foremost must be placed the numerous valuable articles manufactured for engineering purposes4 ,were ,i to attempt to enumerate the various kinds of packing1 mostly in the shape of millboard1 in use for all kinds of engines1 for steam joints1 cylinder and steam chest covers1 pipe flanges1 c41 this part of my little book would have the appearance of a manufacturer's catalogue4 ,the rapidly increasing favour with which high pressure steam is now regarded by engineers1 recently necessitated the introduction of a packing capable of resisting the higher temperatures and pressures2 as a consequence manufacturers of asbestos goods had to devise improved methods of manufacture in order to meet the new condition of things1 and this they succeeded in doing in a way to give universal satisfaction4 ,for washers asbestos has many advantages over rubber2 its weight is less1 they can be frequently used1 and half the thickness of rubber is mostly sufficient4 ,the fibre1 ,sir ,frederick ,abel says1 is as effectual for closing the breeches of big guns so as to prevent the passage of gas1 as for ensuring safety1 in the same way1 for miners' lamps4 ,in these last1 it had for a long time been found very difficult to get a good joint between the metallic and the glass parts of the safety lamp1 and a great many different materials were tried for filling these joints in such a way that air should not be able to pass through4 ,in many cases1 the air was contaminated with a certain amount of gaseous material which would be likely to render the whole explosive1 and if this got through the joint between the glass and the metal1 there would be very serious risk of explosion4 ,after a great number of substances had been tried and found unsatisfactory1 some hundreds of experiments were made by ,sir ,frederick ,abel and ,sir ,warington ,smyth1 with asbestos washers1 which1 in the end1 were found to maintain their condition most admirably4 ,with regard to closing the breeches of big guns1 we are informed also on the authority of ,sir ,frederick ,abel1 that the only contrivance which could be called an approach to a perfect arrangement1 was one devised by a ,french artillery officer1 ,m4 ,dubange1 which consisted of a kind of pad of asbestos fibre attached to the breech-closing arrangement4 ,this1 from its mineral nature1 was nearly indestructible1 and1 consequently1 lasted without material deterioration for a great length of time1 notwithstanding that it was subjected to the enormous pressures which are now developed in the bores of very heavy guns4 ,in connection with the ,whitehead torpedoes1 we learn from the same authority1 that in these and other similar receptacles1 within which charges of wet gun cotton are enclosed1 the use of asbestos is now found to overcome a great difficulty4 ,the vessels containing the damp cotton have to be soldered1 in order to keep them perfectly air-tight1 and thus prevent the water from escaping2 and in order to do this1 with anything approaching safety1 the space between the gun cotton and the metal surfaces which have to be soldered1 were formerly filled with damp felt wads or discs4 ,this answered the purpose2 but ,sir ,frederick ,abel states that it was found after they had been stored for some time1 that the effect of the moisture on the felt was to cause it to undergo a kind of decay or fermentation1 resulting in the formation of gas to such an extent that the vessels were distended1 and threatened to burst1 and sometimes actually did burst with considerable violence4 ,asbestos millboard was then substituted for the felt1 and the difficulty and danger were then removed2 gas was no longer evolved1 whilst the operation of soldering could be performed with safety1 the material remaining perfectly unaltered4 ,in the manufacture of time-fuzes again1 asbestos washers are found most valuable4 ,washers of india-rubber and wash-leather were formerly used1 but these in time became hard1 and acted on the metal surfaces with which they came in contact in such a manner as to cement them together1 instead of keeping them mobile1 and it was not until the introduction of asbestos washers that difficulties in connection with the proper action of these ingenious contrivances for the explosion of shells in a given time after their discharge1 were removed4 ,one of the latest uses to which asbestos has been proposed to be applied in connection with warfare is as a coating for ironclads4 ,it is alleged by the inventor of the process that if asbestos be packed between the armour-plates it will arrest1 or certainly minimise1 the inflow of water after the penetration of a ship's side below the water-line4 ,this has already been tried by the ,admiralty1 and an interesting account of the trial may be found in the ,army and ,navy ,gazette ,supplement1 for ,august #bh1 of last year1 and in the ,globe of the previous evening4 ,should the results of further trials corroborate the success of the first1 it is manifest that a great impetus will be given to the asbestos trade1 whilst it will1 at the same time1 raise confidence in our fighting ships1 by practically preventing them from becoming waterlogged in action4 ,an eminent firm of manufacturers in ,new ,york have recently supplied1 under contract with the ,united ,states ,government1 a quilting for boiler covers for their model warships1 the ,dolphin1 ,chicago1 ,atlantic1 and ,boston4 ,these quiltings weigh about two pounds to the square foot1 and are at all times removable4 ,the same firm make removable pipe coverings a speciality4 ,certainly some of the uses to which this mineral is now being put are sufficiently astonishing4 ,who1 for instance1 could have imagined that a substance of such comparative specific gravity as crude asbestos could have been manufactured into a cloth available for aeronautical purposes in which absence of weight is of such primary importance8 ,yet here it appears to be the one thing wanting to give success to that despair of aeronauts1 military ballooning4 ,many years have now passed away since scientific military men first turned their attention to this subject2 and it is now long since the ,war ,department of the ,government first authorized experiments to be made with the view of utilising balloons in warfare1 and notwithstanding all the time and money which has been expended1 until now the result in the way of practical success has been nil4 ,no use of balloons was made even in the late ,egyptian campaign1 which shows that up to that date ,english military men had no great faith in their usefulness or availability4 ,the difficulties to be encountered are doubtless sufficiently formidable4 ,gas1 it is clear1 could not be carried into a hostile country or into remote and nearly inaccessible districts4 ,even if procurable at all near the battle-field it could only be obtained by a long and difficult process of generation at the very time when speed and simplicity would be the main factors of success4 ,gas1 therefore1 being practically out of the question1 it seems to have occurred to ,mr4 ,spencer1 the well-known balloon manufacturer1 that it would be better after all to revert to the original conception of ,montgolfier4 ,the old-fashioned fire-ball1 which acquired its power of ascension from rarefied air produced by burning straw or something similar1 was1 of course1 of far too dangerous a character1 and had been productive of far too many fatal accidents4 ,it remained1 therefore1 to construct a balloon of some uninflammable material1 in order to obviate this difficulty2 and with the assistance of his friend1 ,mr4 ,fisher1 the ,secretary of the ,united ,asbestos ,company of ,london1 he ultimately succeeded in so doing4 ,a balloon was accordingly constructed1 the whole of the lower part of which was formed of fine asbestos cloth1 and the remainder of canvas1 covered with a fireproof solution4 ,the first trial took place in the grounds of the ,welsh ,harp1 at ,hendon1 and this has since been repeated at ,chatham1 under the inspection of the ,royal ,engineers' ,committee1 and on both occasions1 ,i am informed1 with success4 ,the balloon1 which was a model only1 stood about #cj feet high1 and was suspended between two uprights1 between which it hung down like a limp rag4 ,it was of a cylindrical shape1 having a deep zone at the equator1 and a containing capacity of about #cjj feet4 ,attached to the neck was a copper spirit-lamp4 ,as soon as a light was put to the spirit the inflation commenced1 and the balloon was fully distended in a space of about five minutes4 ,the immense advantage gained by this method over the tedious and difficult process of inflation by gas1 even under the most favourable circumstances1 is sufficiently obvious1 whilst it is at the same time apparent that the quantity of spirit requisite for an endless number of ascents could be carried about with the greatest facility4 ,another advantage remains to be considered1 in that whilst the large volume of gas required for an ordinary balloon is in itself deleterious1 the rarefied air in the new fireproof balloon is perfectly innocuous1 and it can be raised or lowered at will simply by turning the neck of the lamp a little up or down4 ,it is perhaps somewhat superfluous to say that the ,russian ,government at once adopted these balloons for war purposes4 ,in further continuance of this part of the subject1 that is the application of asbestos to matters connected with warfare1 the particulars of a very interesting experiment1 which may have an important bearing on the carriage of explosive material in time of war1 was given by ,mr4 ,boyd1 the manager of the ,united ,asbestos ,company's works at ,harefield1 of whom ,i have already spoken1 and to whom ,i have been considerably indebted for much practical information1 in a paper read by him before the ,society of ,arts1 on an occasion when1 through his kindness1 ,i had an opportunity of being present4 ,he was referring to the value of asbestos millboard as a lining for fireproof cases and deed boxes4 ,the matter1 he said1 was put to a practical test thus3 two iron rails were supported on brickwork at a height of about eighteen inches from the ground1 and underneath them a strong fire of wood shavings and chips was made1 and when this had well burnt up1 a deed box filled with papers was pushed along the rails to the centre of the fire1 where it was completely enveloped in the flames1 and there it remained for a space of twenty minutes4 ,on the box being withdrawn it unlocked easily1 and the papers were found in perfect preservation1 being neither charred nor discoloured4 ,on seeing this result1 one of the gentlemen present asked if the boxes could not be used for transporting gunpowder or other explosive substances4 ,a quarter of a pound of powder was then put in a small bag1 and placed inside a fresh box1 which was pushed along the rails into the centre of the fire1 to which fresh fuel had been added4 ,those present withdrew to a respectful distance1 evidently1 said ,mr4 ,boyd1 not yet having absolute faith in the heat-resisting properties of asbestos2 and after the box had been exposed to the fire for twenty minutes the question naturally arose how it was to be got off again4 ,the manager himself performed that operation by means of a long iron rod and hook1 after which the box was again opened and the powder found intact4 ,the question was then asked by some one present who was not yet satisfied1 ,why have the powder in a bag8 ,let it be laid on the bottom of the box loose4 ,this was done1 and the fire ordeal repeated1 again with the same result4 ,nothing could well be more interesting or more suggestive to every one connected with the asbestos industry than the foregoing4 ,as a final instance of its applicability for purposes connected with warfare1 it may be interesting to mention that ,i have lately seen it stated that the fibre would be of great value for use as lint in hospitals and on the battle-field4 ,of this ,i am unable to speak1 but if it be a fact that it can be so used in favourable comparison with the best lint1 as stated1 it is certain that its imperishable quality would be of great advantage1 seeing that it could be used over and over again1 only needing to be purified by passing it through fire after each time of using4 ,in regard to the use of asbestos in connection with building operations1 much attention is now being given to this in a variety of ways1 in ,america especially4 ,the building laws of ,boston1 ,new ,york1 and ,philadelphia pay special attention to this1 and many material alterations have been required to be made in consequence in the fittings of several important public buildings1 whilst the use of the mineral is1 ,i believe1 rendered compulsory on those wishing to procure licences for the erection of new theatres1 libraries1 concert halls1 c4 ,at the ,american ,academy of ,music1 in ,philadelphia1 the underwriters went so far as to offer a reduction of one per cent4 per annum provided an asbestos curtain was placed in the house4 ,the ,fire ,apparatus ,committee then1 it is reported1 succeeded in perfecting the only barrier of complete protection to an audience against fire in the world4 ,this curtain1 made of asbestos cloth 7#ig per cent4 pure asbestos and #c per cent4 cotton7 is #ed feet wide and #ec feet high4 ,it is hung on wire lines1 three-eighths of an inch thick1 connecting with a drum located in the apex of the roof1 and can be raised with ease by two men and lowered by one4 ,again1 after the disaster at the ,ring ,strasse ,theatre1 at ,vienna1 when attention was drawn to the great danger arising from the want of some certain and rapidly applicable means of separating the stage from the body of the theatre1 the ,roman ,minister of ,public ,security issued an order that every theatre should be fitted with a fireproof curtain capable of entirely isolating the stage from the theatre1 and he indicated an asbestos cloth curtain as one that would meet the case4 ,all the principal ,roman theatres are now supplied with these curtains1 the material having been furnished by the ,united ,asbestos ,company of ,london4 ,the same company has also recently fitted a similar curtain for use at the ,theatre ,royal in ,manchester4 ,this is formed of an iron frame holding the asbestos curtain4 ,asbestos fireproof curtains are also in use at the ,new ,national ,theatre1 ,washington2 the ,criterion1 ,brooklyn2 and in the theatre at ,cleveland1 ,ohio4 ,they have also lately been supplied to several ,english theatres1 as well as that at ,manchester just mentioned4 ,the terrible calamity at the ,opra ,comique in ,paris1 coupled with that which so recently occurred at the burning of the theatre at ,exeter1 again set men's minds running in the direction of greater security from fire in theatres4 ,as a consequence several varieties of curtains1 all involving the use of asbestos1 have been contrived4 ,for instance1 at the building of that pretty little theatre 7,terry's7 in the ,strand it was resolved to replace the usual heavy1 cumbrous1 slow-lifting iron shield by a single light-grey asbestos curtain1 which moves up and down as easily as an ordinary window-blind4 ,and the authorities agree that this is as valuable a protection to the audience as the former ponderous iron portcullis which1 winding slowly up and down1 was calculated to depress the nerves of the audience in the same way that passers-by in the street are affected by the harsh grating of the iron shop shutters when being wound down for the night4 ,again1 in the proposals for a new ,safety ,theatre1 brought to the notice of the public by ,mr4 ,henry ,irving1 stress is naturally laid on the necessity of sealing the stage1 or shutting it off from the auditorium1 so that in the event of fire its perils might be confined to itself1 and to providing an outlet for the smoke1 which is often more disastrous in its effects even than the flames4 ,this he proposed to accomplish by means of an asbestos curtain which1 on being dropped1 would at once become rigid with the wall on either side4 ,this curtain was proposed to be worked in iron grooves going straight up to the gridiron floor2 and the suggestion was made that this should be used as constantly as the ordinary act-drop1 there being at the same time nothing to prevent its being made as ornamental as the usual curtain4 ,it could also be worked as easily1 and be just as easily lifted for a recall4 ,the audience1 it was said1 would thus have the satisfaction of knowing that every time the curtain was dropped they were effectually protected by a fireproof screen1 which could be lowered with the same rapidity as the present curtain4 ,in continuation of this subject it may be worth mentioning1 as showing the amount of attention which is now being directed to this important matter1 that an experiment was recently made in the neighbourhood of ,oxford ,street to test the fire-resisting qualities of another new curtain for the stage1 said to have been invented by ,captain ,heath4 ,this experiment took place within a specially built hoarding1 within which there was erected a large model of the ,drury ,lane stage proscenium4 ,captain ,heath explained to the company1 invited to witness the experiment1 that the curtain was made of asbestos and canvas1 and was rolled on a block of wood placed underneath the front part of the stage1 where it occupied an otherwise useless space1 and in no way interfered with the business of the theatre4 ,the sides of the model were made of iron plates1 and the front entirely of wood4 ,when certain catches were released counterbalancing weights came into action1 and the curtain was run rapidly up from below4 ,on reaching the top1 it pressed tightly and automatically against the back of the proscenium1 turning on at the same time a supply of water from a perforated pipe which ran along the whole length of the top of the curtain so as to keep it constantly wet4 ,the arrangement of the switch used for communicating action to the curtain was such as to turn on the water and close the curtain against the sides at will4 ,he also stated that communication with the lever of the switch could be fitted to any part of the theatre4 ,a very severe fire test was employed4 ,the model was first filled with inflammable materials such as shavings and large blocks of wood1 over which petroleum was poured4 ,at a given signal the curtain was raised and the fire lighted4 ,the flames at once rose1 accompanied with volumes of smoke1 none of which1 however1 found their way to the front of the proscenium4 ,the interior looked like a furnace4 ,but so effectually were the flames shut off that it was possible to sit on the fore part of the stage without feeling the heat1 the only thing noticeable being the steam arising from the wet canvas4 ,this1 ,captain ,heath explained1 might be obviated by painting the canvas in oils4 ,the fire burned fiercely for half an hour1 and the universal opinion of those present was that the curtain was perfectly fireproof1 and that its construction was as simple as it was useful for the purpose intended4 ,whilst these sheets are still in the press1 yet another theatre dies the apparently natural death of all such structures1 that is1 by fire4 ,portugal is this time the scene of the disaster1 the sufferer being the ,baquet ,theatre in ,oporto4 ,the calamity was caused by the wings catching fire from a gas-jet1 whereby the whole of the stage scenery was almost1 immediately afterwards enveloped in flames1 the furious progress of which it was found impossible to arrest4 ,here1 then1 was a striking instance of a holocaust being caused by the want of such a curtain as has been described2 for1 had such a thing been available1 the stage would have been at once shut off from the auditorium1 and even if it had not been found possible to save the structure1 the fire1 at any rate1 would have been localised for a sufficient length of time1 to have enabled the authorities to clear the building1 and so have prevented the panic and horror which ensued1 and the fearful sacrifice of life which humanity now deplores4 ,it is worth while perhaps recording the foregoing1 because there can be very little doubt that something of this kind will presently be made compulsory even in ,england for use in theatres and music halls generally4 ,and it is believed1 from the course matters are now taking in the ,united ,states1 that the use of asbestos in some form or other will be made compulsory there for the shelvings and doors of public libraries and places for the custody of records1 for sheathings between wooden floorings and below carpets1 for hearthstones1 for the linings and doors of elevators or lifts1 and for the better preservation of ,pullman cars from fire4 ,the premises of the ,american ,watch ,case ,company1 of ,toronto1 have their floorings protected by an asbestos covering1 and ,i saw an announcement recently in the ,sherbrooke ,gazette that this covering had saved their premises from destruction by a fire which had occurred there4 ,in connection with this part of the subject it may be added that various attempts have been made for the introduction of asbestos into the manufacture of lace curtains1 dresses1 c41 but ,i believe that the principal obstacle in the way of success in this line lies in the fact that in its present state1 in the shape of curtains1 for instance1 it is found to be an obstinate holder of dust4 ,this objection will1 no doubt1 be presently got rid of2 and soon we may hope to have heard the last of those fearful scenes which have at times occurred from the firing of ladies' dresses at the footlights in theatres4 ,the ,chevalier ,aldini's idea1 previously mentioned1 has been recently revived in ,paris1 the firemen there having been furnished with asbestos clothes4 ,immediately after this was done it was reported in the papers that on a conflagration occurring in the basement of a building there1 the firemen arrived1 clad in their asbestos suits1 and were thereby enabled to descend at once into the basement1 where they extinguished the fire in a very short time1 and so prevented what might have been a great calamity4 ,and according to the papers it appears that the same course is now about to be taken in ,england1 and the ,london firemen at any rate protected in a similar manner2 and there can be little doubt that this course will presently be universally adopted for the protection of the men engaged in saving life and property from destruction by fire4 ,nothing has yet been discovered that will equal asbestos for this purpose4 ,it will neither burn nor smoulder1 and is as impervious to fire as well made mackintosh is to water4 ,manufactured into cloth and paper1 it is in use in sugar refineries1 chemical laboratories1 c41 for straining and other purposes1 especially for filtering acids and similar fluids4 ,a coarser kind of cloth is used for stokers and furnacemen's aprons1 for salvage blankets1 and gloves4 ,a special quality of glove made of asbestos cloth1 lined with rubber1 is supplied for electric light work4 ,a further development of the industry is indicated by the announcement that a ,new ,york manufacturing firm has recently taken over a large contract for the manufacture of mail bags out of asbestos cloth4 ,it is also proposed to be used as an inner sole or lining for boots and shoes with the object of keeping the feet warm in winter and cool in summer1 the material possessing the double advantage of being at once a preserver of heat and a protector from cold4 ,for cold storage buildings it will doubtless be found invaluable4 ,there are buildings in ,new ,york1 principally for fish preservation1 which are built with double walls surrounding the cold chambers1 having some kind of non-conducting material between the walls by way of lining4 ,for this purpose asbestos would be unsurpassed1 and the cheap ,no4 #c quality would answer perfectly well4 ,mr4 ,boyd1 in the lecture before referred to1 says that some years ago1 when resident at ,genoa1 he was one of the members of a committee for procuring a new floating chapel for the use of seamen4 ,the old chapel was built on the deck of a hulk1 but the extremely high summer temperature caused the repairs to be both frequent and costly4 ,the committee therefore wanted the new chapel to be built of iron1 but were deterred by the fear that its roof and sides1 exposed to the sun1 would get so hot as to render the interior unbearable4 ,he therefore proposed to fill up the space between the outer skin and the inner boarding with asbestos ground to a rough powder2 and this suggestion was adopted1 the powder being tightly rammed in by the carpenters4 ,the result1 he informs us1 was so successful that whilst the outside temperature stood at #ajj1 the temperature inside1 when doors and windows were kept shut1 did not exceed #gj4 ,and he therefore suggests that asbestos powder might be used in a similar way for rendering the deck cabins of steamers navigating the ,red ,sea and ,suez ,canal more comfortable for the passengers4 ,for wall and ornamental papers it is being largely used1 and a superior quality of asbestos writing paper is now being made in ,paris4 ,one can easily imagine a great future in this line for asbestos paper written or printed on with asbestos ink for all kinds of registers and permanent records1 bankers' and merchants' books1 and the like4 ,one of the leading manufacturers in ,new ,york already prints his price lists on asbestos paper4 ,and another has on show fine papers as susceptible of receiving good impressions from type as any in use in modern books4 ,coloured wall papers also are manufactured in great variety1 which are not merely incombustible1 but practically indestructible by fire2 and which retain1 even after severe heat tests1 their colourings1 markings and letterings as clearly impressed and as vividly visible as before4 ,boards also are made of asbestos1 varying from the thinnest and lightest card to heavy shelving1 fit either for partitions in safes or for use in large libraries4 ,in a recent number of ,l',industrie ,moderne ,i found an account of a new process invented by a ,mr4 ,ladewig for manufacturing pulp and paper from asbestos fibre1 which he asserts will not only resist the action of both fire and water1 but will absorb no moisture2 this pulp1 he says1 may be used as a stuffing and for the joints of engines4 ,he further proposes to use it in the form of a solid cardboard as a roofing material for light structures4 ,the process of manufacture consists in mixing about #be per cent4 of asbestos fibre with about #be or #ce per cent4 of powdered sulphate of alumina4 ,this mixture is moistened with an aqueous solution of chloride of zinc4 ,the mixture is washed with water and then treated with an aqueous solution of ammoniacal gas4 ,the mixture is again washed and then treated with a solution composed of one part of resin soap and eight or ten parts of water mixed with an equal bulk of sulphate of alumina1 which should be us pure as possible4 ,the mixture thus obtained should have a slightly pulpy consistency4 ,finally1 there is added to it #ce per cent4 of powdered asbestos and #e to #h per cent4 of white barytes4 ,this pulp is treated with water in an ordinary paper machine1 and worked just like paper pulp4 ,in order to manufacture a solid cardboard from asbestos which shall be proof against fire and water and capable of serving as a roofing material1 sheets of common cardboard1 tarred or otherwise prepared1 are covered with the pulp4 ,the application is made in a paper machine1 the pulp being allowed to flow over the cardboard4 ,among other uses1 the asbestos paper has been recommended for the manufacture of cigarettes1 though its applicability for this purpose is not so readily seen4 ,manufactured into paint1 the demand for it is continually increasing4 ,it is used in the ,houses of ,parliament1 as it was in very large quantities at the several recent exhibitions at ,south ,kensington4 ,in the form of cement there is nothing equal to it as an efficient covering for boilers1 steam pipes1 hotblast furnaces1 stills1 c4 ,for this purpose it is made of about the consistency of mortar and spread on with a trowel in the ordinary way4 ,certain chemical ingredients have to be added1 which1 while not injurious to the metal1 cause the asbestos to adhere firmly to the plates1 so that when dry it becomes quite hard and can be walked over without being injured4 ,with a boiler carrying say #hj lbs4 steam pressure1 the application of from #a- to #b inches of this composition so well retains the heat in the boiler1 that a thermometer with the bulb held close to the outer surface of the covering will not indicate more than #hj to #he ,fahrenheit4 ,boilers1 steam pipes1 c41 covered in with this composition will1 it is asserted by the manufacturers1 effect a saving of as much as #cc per cent4 in fuel4#aj ,this cement1 which is made from a very cheap quality of asbestos1 is now in common use in ,canada and the ,states1 where1 as already shown1 it is found to operate with a twofold effect1 viz4 by lowering the temperature of the boilerhouse1 to the great comfort of the engineers and firemen1 and also1 in a very marked degree1 economising the expenditure for fuel4 ,it seems1 therefore1 strange that its use in this country has as yet made so little headway4 ,in one of the large palatial buildings recently erected in ,london1 where engines are required to be in constant work for pumping water for working the lifts and for general purposes1 as well as for the dynamos1 the heat from the boilers forms so great a nuisance1 and occasions so much loss in other ways1 that very considerable expense is about to be incurred1 with a view to lowering the temperature4 ,when conversing recently with an expert on this subject ,i asked whether the use of asbestos would not effect the desired object4 ,yes1 he answered1 it would1 but it is too expensive4 ,this certainly seems very strange1 as ,i know that the cement composition referred to is made of the very commonest quality of asbestos1 of the refuse1 in point of fact1 which could probably be used for no other purpose4 ,the expense1 therefore1 cannot be great1 and as to its mode of use1 it is simply laid on with a trowel1 like mortar or any similar composition1 and when once done is singularly effective4 ,i have stood in an engine-house where the boilers were covered with about two inches in thickness of this cement1 which then showed a hard1 dry1 firm surface2 and1 when the engines were in full work1 on placing one's hand on the covering there was little more than a gentle warmth perceptible on the outside surface of the composition1 whilst the surrounding atmosphere was scarcely1 if at all1 affected by the heat from the boilers4 ,the boiler quiltings referred to on a previous page as being manufactured by a ,new ,york firm under contract with the ,united ,states ,government1 for use in some of their model war ships1 would no doubt be as effectual for the purpose1 but naturally they would be more costly1 being an altogether different contrivance1 and made so as to be easily removable when required1 which1 of course1 is not the case with the so-called cement4 ,there is little doubt1 however1 that1 although the use of asbestos in this form does not seem to find much favour here1 its use for the purpose of coating boilers and steam-pipes will presently become as general in ,england as it already is on the other side1 where its valuable qualities seem to be so much better known and appreciated4 ,improved stove pipings are now being manufactured in the ,states which in appearance exactly resemble cast-iron4 ,these have the additional valuable properties of extreme lightness1 combined with great strength and a capability of ornamentation unobtainable with the usual cast-iron pipes mostly in use2 paint in the case of the asbestos pipes not scaling off under heat as it will do in the case of ordinary iron pipes4 ,the manufacturers of these pipes claim for them that they combine the strength of steel with the lightness of paper4 ,tubes also are made for electrical engineers which provide them with a non-conducting covering for their wires both fire and waterproof1 so as to preserve the perfect insulation of the wire4 ,asbestos rope is used for fire escapes and similar purposes1 as well as for the transmission of power over places exposed to heat4 ,in dyeing and printing cloth it is frequently necessary to hang the fabric in loops from parallel rods for exposure to steam1 air or ammonia4 ,in order that it should hold upon the rods1 without straining or slipping1 rope or strips of cloth are usually wound around the poles1 but this does not remove1 although it mitigates1 the difficulty1 because the heat and corrosive action of the vapours will rot any covering2 the first notice of the deterioration being generally the appearance of small pieces of rod covering among the cloth which is in process of finishing4 ,asbestos rope and cloth are now largely manufactured and used for this purpose in the ,united ,states with very beneficial results4 ,in commenting on the recent loss of life occasioned by the panic at the fire at the ,exeter ,theatre1 a well-known journal1 speaking of the various modes of providing for escape1 mentions the case of a man of fashion1 a millionaire1 who died not long ago1 and says that he would never go to bed in a strange house without having an apparatus of knotted rope affixed to a ring in the wall1 by which he might lower himself to the ground on an emergency4 ,but1 asks the journalist1 what if the rope itself took fire8 ,the answer naturally is1 let it be an asbestos rope1 then it will neither burn nor rot4 ,the use of the fibre in the manufacture of gas stoves is too well known to need any remark4 ,as a lubricant it is unrivalled4 ,another very important use to which it is now being applied is in the manufacture of filters4 ,these are specially useful where the liquid to be filtered is of a caustic or strongly acid nature1 or where the filter with residue is to be ignited without consuming the filter1 or where the residue is to be subsequently dissolved off the filter by acids or other solvents4 ,in many cases a very finely divided asbestos is desirable4 ,this is accomplished by a process recently patented in ,germany by ,fr4 ,breyer1 of ,vienna4 ,the asbestos is first coarsely ground1 and then mixed with some granular crystalline carbonate1 which must be soluble in acids4 ,the carbonate should possess a hardness between #c and #d1 #e1 according to the mineralogical scale4 ,the mixture is ultimately ground together in a mill4 ,afterwards the mass is treated with an acid until the carbonate has been dissolved out4 ,the escaping carbonic gas causes the asbestos fibres to be loosened and disintegrated from each other so as to render the mass porous4 ,of course it must be thoroughly washed with water before being used4 ,again1 in the purification of foul gas1 as well as for ventilating and deodorizing man-holes for cesspools1 sewers1 c41 its use is found to be unsurpassed by any other known material4 ,mr4 ,boyd1 in the paper so often referred to1 says in regard to this1 that he was some time previously asked to supply asbestos yarn spun in such a way as to have good capillary action1 and1 on making inquiry1 found it was to be used for the above purpose4 ,in describing the mode of using it1 he says that there is placed over the opening rising from the sewer a hood of galvanized wire1 interlaced with this asbestos yarn1 the ends of the yarn dipping into a receptacle filled with liquid disinfectant1 which1 as they become saturated1 form a disinfecting screen1 through the meshes of which the gases rise1 and in their passage through are purified and rendered innocuous4 ,the system hitherto previously adopted for deodorizing sewer gas has been to cause it to rise through charcoal1 but it is found that the impurities soon clog this up1 and simply prevent the passage of the gas1 whereas in the arrangement just mentioned 7which is that of ,messrs4 ,adams ,co41 of ,york71 the gas rises freely1 and is perfectly deodorized4 ,there are1 of course1 very numerous other applications of the material which might be referred to or described1 but probably those already mentioned are the most important and the most interesting2 and these1 it is hoped1 are at any rate sufficient to indicate the great value of this singular mineral product1 as well as to confirm the statement with which ,i started1 that this is indeed one of ,nature's most marvellous productions4 ,,footnotes3 #aj ,there is a ,patent ,removable ,covering now manufactured in ,new ,york which is said to be entirely formed of pure asbestos fibre1 made in cylindrical sections of three-foot lengths of the exact size of the pipes to be covered4 ,in this the asbestos fibres are so interlaced1 that the sections1 whilst possessing strength and flexibility1 afford so large a number of air-cells as to give the covering the very highest non-conducting quality1 whilst at the same time it cannot char or be in any way injured by the most intense heat from without or within4 ,fire ,felt sectional coverings for boilers and large surfaces are made in convenient forms in sheets1 c4 ,the same ,company also manufacture what is called a ,superator ,jacket1 both fire and waterproof1 being in fact a flexible sheet of asbestos strengthened with wire netting1 the asbestos being waterproofed by a special process1 and provided with patent lacings1 so that the jackets may be effectually kept in place1 whilst being readily removable without cutting or loss of material4 ,,index4 ,asbestos1 meaning of1 #e description1 #g1 #i origin unknown1 #ab only found in serpentine1 #ab places where found1 #ac first successful experiments with1 #ae difference between ,canadian and ,italian1 #af1 #bb where used1 #ah analysis1 #bj ,italian kinds1 #ba sources of supply1 #ac1 #bd marketable value1 #bh first discovery of1 #bi profitable nature of mining for1 #ca1 #ea annual production1 #eb aggregate output1 #ea uses of1 #ee ,aldini1 ,chevalier1 #ae1 #ah1 #ff ,amiante1 #h ,anecdotes1 #e1 #ac1 #ed1 #fj ,anglo-,canadian ,company1 #bg1 #cf ,antimony1 #dh ,ballooning1 military1 #eh ,bastard asbestos1 #bg ,boiler coverings1 #eh1 #gj ,boot soles1 lining for1 #fg ,boston ,company's mine1 #ca ,breeches of big guns1 #ef ,broughton mines1 #db ,building operations1 use in1 #fa ,canadian mineral estates1 typical1 #dh ,carriage of explosives1 #fj ,china1 strange use of asbestos in1 #ae ,cement1 #gj ,chrome iron1 #bh1 #cf1 #ea ,chrysotile1 #h ,cloth and paper1 #fg ,clothing for firemen1 #ff ,coating ironclads1 #eg ,cobbing1 #eb ,cold storage1 #fg ,coleraine group of mines1 #cf ,coleraine mines of ,dr4 ,reed1 #da ,cost of extraction1 #cf1 #dj ,coste1 ,eugne1 report of1 #eb ,crocidolite1 #i1 #aj ,curtains in theatres1 #fb ,danville1 mine at1 #df ,deck cabins of steamships1 #fh ,discolouration1 #bg1 #cc1 #cg removable1 #ch ,ells 7,mr471 report of1 #ab1 #ca1 #da1 #ej ,exeter ,theatre1 fire at1 #fc ,exhibition1 ,american1 #i ,extraction1 cost of1 #cf1 #dj ,faults in veins1 #dg ,filters1 #fg1 #gc ,firemen's clothing1 #af1 #ff ,fires at theatres1 #fb ,fireproof boxes1 #eh curtains1 #fb ,frechette-,douville mine1 #ci ,french-,canadian labour1 #ec ,genoa1 floating chapel at1 #fh ,geology of ,canada1 #g1 #i1 #bf1 #dh ,gold at ,south ,ham1 #di ,heath1 ,captain1 experiments of1 #fa ,immature asbestos1 #cb ,impurity of rock1 #bg ,ink1 asbestos1 #fh ,italian asbestos1 #ae paper on1 #ai ,italy1 experiments in1 #ae ,italian asbestos1 three kinds of1 #ba ,iron-mining in ,russia1 #ac ,irving's safety theatre1 #fc ,johnson ,company's mine1 #cj ,journal of ,society of ,arts1 #ai ,kennedy's discovery at ,coleraine1 #db ,king's mine1 #cb ,limestone at ,templeton1 #bi ,lint1 #fa ,magnetite1 #cc ,mailbags1 #fg ,main sources of supply1 #bd ,marketable value1 how determined1 #bh ,martin mine1 #ch ,merchants' and bankers' books1 #fh ,military ballooning1 #eh ,mineral wool1 #aa ,miner's lamps1 #ef ,mining in ,canada1 #bd profitable nature of1 #ca1 #ea ,packing1 #eb ,paint1 #fi ,paper1 #fg1 #fh ,peculiarity at ,thetford1 #cc ,pl's hair1 #aa ,pierre--coton1 #g ,places where used1 #ah ,profitable nature of asbestos-mining in ,canada1 #ca1 #ea ,printing papers1 #fh ,pulp and paper1 #fi ,purification of foul gas1 #gd ,reed ,hay properties1 #dj ,reed's 7,dr471 mine1 #dj ,registers and records1 #fh ,relative merits of ,canadian and ,italian asbestos1 #ag ,rope1 #gb ,russia1 asbestos found in1 #ac1 #ad iron-mining in1 #ac ,scottish ,asbestos ,company1 #cf1 #ch1 #dd ,serpentine1 #ab1 #bd1 #da often impure1 #bg ornamental1 #bi ,shipton mine1 #df ,singular statement1 #bj ,slag wool1 #aa ,soapstone 7steatite71 #df1 #di enormous quantity of1 at ,south ,ham1 #di ,south ,ham1 mines at1 #dg ,steam-power1 #cd ,steam-pipe coverings1 #gj ,stove pipings1 #gb ,theatres1 fires in1 #fb ,thetford group of mines1 #bi district rich in minerals1 #cf ,time fuzes1 #fg ,tunnelling impracticable in ,canada1 #ba ,underwriters1 offer of1 #fb ,united ,asbestos ,company of ,london1 #af1 #fj ,ural region1 large quantities found in1 #ad ,wages at ,canadian mines1 #ec ,wall papers1 #fh ,want of foresight in mining for asbestos1 #ce ,ward's mine1 #ca ,whitehead torpedoes1 #ef ,willimott 7,mr471 report of1 #bf ,wolfestown mines1 #ej ,,printed ,,by ,j4 ,s4 ,,virtue ,,and ,,co41 ,,limited1 ,,city ,,road1 ,,london4 ---------------------------------------- ------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved4 ,typographical errors corrected in the text3 ,page #dj ,haydon changed to ,hayden ,page #ej ,balmina changed to ,belmina ,page #eh ,nary changed to ,navy ---------------------------------------- -------