Part 1 (1/2)
Asbestos
by Robert H Jones
PREFACE
The substance of the following pages was originally comprised in a series of Letters fro all the authentic information possible on a subject on which so little appears to be generally known
The use of Asbestos in the arts and e proportions that, it is believed, it will presently be found more difficult to say to what purposes it cannot be applied than to what it can and is
Under these circuiven is not new, but has been gathered from every available source, it is hoped that the compilation in its present shape may be found acceptable
R H J
HOTEL VICTORIA, NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE _April 20, 1888_
ASBESTOS
One of Nature's most marvellous productions, asbestos is a physical paradox It has been called a etable; it is both fibrous and crystalline, elastic yet brittle; a floating stone, which can be as readily carded, spun, and woven into tissue as cotton or the finest silk
Called by geologists ”asbestus” (the ter the adjective form of the word), the name of the nifies ”indestructible” The French adopt the sa it ”asbeste” (mineral filamenteux et incombustible) In Germany it is called ”steinflachs” (stone-flax); and by the Italians ”amianto” (from ??a?t??, pure, incorruptible); so-called because cloth h fire Charle a cloth made of this material in his possession, one day after dinner astonished his rude warrior guests by throwing it in the fire, and then withdrawing it cleansed and unconsuend, the following is current in Quebec A labouring man, who had left the old country to seek a better fortune in the Dominion, found employment at once on arrival in one of the y and activity, suppleood position It so happened, however, that one evening, on returning from their daily toil to their common apartment, some of his felloorkmen saw him deliberately throw himself into a seat, kick off his boots, and then pull off his socks, and having opened the door of the stove, coolly fling the wood Possibly no particular notice would have been taken of this, judged as a mere act of folly and waste on the part of the new-comer; but when, almost iain, take out the apparently blazing socks, and, after giving them a shake, proceed just as deliberately to draw theain, that was a trifle too much! Human nature could not stand that Consequently the horrified spectators, having for a hast, fled precipitately froh This, they said, was no hu like thein If not the devil himself, this man certainly could be no other than one of his eer and de that they would no longer eat, drink, or work in co at once set on foot, it turned out that soland the man had worked at an asbestos factory, where he had learned to appreciate the valuable properties of this ed to procure some of the fiberized material and therewith knit himself a pair of socks, which he was accustomed to cleanse in the ood workman, consequently his employers had no wish to part with him Explanation and expostulation, however, were all in vain; nothing could remove the horrible impression that his conduct had o he must and did, nor could the tumult be in any way allayed until he had been dis this digression, however, it may be said that the peculiar properties of the ne's time The ancients, who believed it to be a plant, made a cere-cloth of it, in which they were accustomed to enwrap the bodies which were to be burned on the funeral pyre, so that the ashes ht be retained, separate and intact, for preservation in the fa left in the cloth to allow a free passage for the fla this cloth is now unknown It has been suggested that its acco with those of flax, and then passing the whole through a furnace to burn out the flax
The lains are also said to have been furnished with asbestos wicks, so that the modern adaptation of it to this purpose is only another exe that ”there is nothing new under the sun”
The eneral terms it may be said to be a fibrous variety of serpentine, closely allied to the hornblende family of ists ”chrysotile” In the local vernacular of thedistricts this is ”pierre-a-coton” (cotton-stone), perhaps as expressive a term as can be found
The ore takes a variety of forms; much of it (especially that found in the States) is of a coarse woody character, of but little value for y of Canada,” says that foliated and fibrous varieties of serpentine are common in veins of the ophiolites of the Silurian series, constituting the varieties which have been described under the various names of baltimorite, marmolite, picrolite, and chrysotile The true asbestos, however, he says, is a fibrous variety of tremolite or hornblende
In _Le Genie Civil_ for September, 1883, Canadian asbestos is thus described: ”La chrysotile du Canada n'est pas comme l'amiante ordinaire formee d'un paquet de fils d'un blanc verdatre et reulieres: c'est une veritable pierre d'une densite comprise entre 2 et 3, qui se trouve en couches de 3 a 10 centimetres d'epaisseur Cette pierre possede la propriete de se reduire en fibres perpendiculaireueur sous un effort tres faible Ses fibres transversales sont plus resistantes et beaucoup plus facile a filer, a tisser, et a feutrer que l'aood a description of chrysotile as can be found anywhere
Until the discovery of the Canadian mines, the variety here spoken of as amiante (amianthus), was esteemed the most rare and delicate kind, on account of its beautifully white, flexible, long, and delicately laid fibres This variety is generally found buried in the centre of the older crystalline rocks in the Pyrenees, the Alps of Dauphiny, on Mount St Gothard, in North America, in the serpentines of Sweden, the Ural Mountains, Silesia, and New South Wales The most beautiful speciical collections, have ht from Tarantaise in Savoy, or from Corsica[1] In this latter place it is said to be so abundant that, itsunknown, it has often been used, instead of tow, as a
In a handbook published by the Dominion Government in 1882 (before the discovery of the mines of chrysotile) on the mineral resources of Canada, it is said that--
”What is commercially known as asbestos is really a term used to denote a peculiar fibrous fornate any particular species Tremolite, actinolite, and other for into fibrous varieties, assuy of Canada' does not give the nizes it under these different headings As yet comparatively little asbestos has been found in Canada”
This is sufficient to sho s to this substance in the very country which was so soon to find it taking iularly beautiful mineral termed ”crocidolite,” which displays such sheens and radiances of gold and bronze and green as give it the appearance of satin changed into stone, is nothing more than compressed asbestos The derivation of its name is not happy It is said to be from ?????? ?????, sieneral colour, but the finest crocidolite is anything but yellow
Having heard that there were some fine specimens of asbestos on view at the recent exhibition of the United States products at Earl's Court, I made a journey there specially to see them In this, however, I was disappointed There was but one small tray of so-called asbestos (amphibole) on view; and this was of a coarse woody character, very similar in appearance to a sample I had had sent to me recently from California It was, moreover, of a very poor colour and certainly not of the kind that would readily find a market I found there, however, a piece of unst a miscellaneous lot of American minerals The exhibitor at once told me, in reply to my questions, that this was not an Aetable matter” found in Canada He evidently did not know much about it, and said it was not asbestos at all It was not by any means a fine specimen: it had soh differing slightly in colour I could get no further information about it, except that it had come from near Ottawa
At this exhibition I found a splendid display of crocidolite, the sight of which well repaid the visit I secured a good specimen, but found, on enquiry, that like all the superior qualities of this ht from Griqualand (South Africa) The sample I secured was of the kind that in the States is called ”Tiger-eye,” as I presueneral tawny-coloured streaky brilliancy The exhibitor said it was a silicate of iron occurring in asbestos-like fibres It is of an exceedingly hard, densely compact nature; from its hardness difficult to work, but susceptible of a very high polish A few years ago it was thought to be a precious stone and accordingly coe deposits considerably reduced its value