332 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August i, 1901. 



COUNT WALDERSEES ASBESTOS HOUSE. 



IT probably will be remembered by our readers that at the time 

 of the destruction by fire of the imperial Chinese palace at 

 Pekin, it was generally reported that the asbestos house which 

 had been sent to China for the Field Marshal Count Walder- 

 see had also been burned. Such a report was, of course, im- 

 probable, but the facts have not, until now, become available. 

 It appears that the asbestos house was not burned, but was 

 crushed by falling timbers from the neighboring Chinese palace, 

 which, built of wood, was entirely destroyed. Field Marshal 

 Count Waldersee has expressed nimself on the subject in a 

 private letter to Mr. Albert Calmon, managing director of the 

 asbestos works at Hamburg, which company has invented the 

 asbestos slate and built the asbestos house referred to. The 

 letter follows, together with an official report : 



To the Managing Director, Asbestos ami Rnbber Works, Alfred Calmon, Ltd., 

 Hamburg : 



Sir : I beg you to accept my best thanks for your kind ofler 

 to send out another asbestos house, but, having regard to the 

 length of time that the voyage would require, and to the fact 

 that I am not likely to remain in China very much longer, it 

 would appear advisable to give up the idea. I take the liberty 

 of inclosing herewith a report upon the catastrophe here from 

 which you will see that the house was destined to perish in the 

 flames. It certainly deserved a better fate. 



I remain, etc., waldersee, 



Pekin, May 4, 1901. Field Marshal. 



REPORT. 



The asbestos house stood in a courtyard surrounded on three 

 sides by large buildings constructed of wood, at a distance from 

 them of about nine yards. The courtyard was covered over 

 with straw matting, which was spread over a wooden framework. 

 When the fire broke out the three surrounding houses were 

 quickly enveloped in flames and of course the straw matting 

 caught fire instantaneously. In five minutes everything stood 

 in flames. Large pieces of the burning straw matting tell on to 

 the house itself, and all round it. Shortly after that a huge 

 burning log crashed right through the house. The three sides 

 and the roof were therefore enveloped in flames and it was 

 quite impossible that the house could withstand such usage. 

 After perhaps ten minutes the wooden framework caught fire 

 and the furniture in the interior began to burn. After almost 

 half an hour the whole house collapsed. The asbestos sheets 

 had entirely resisted the action of the flames, but they natur- 

 ally were broken up when the structure collapsed. Of the 

 furniture and fittings next to nothing could be saved, and all 

 my personal property which was in the house shared the same 

 fate. 



At the time the fire broke out I lay in bed. When I had 

 dressed the main entrance was rendered impassable by burn- 

 ing straw and the terrific heat of the burning building opposite 

 to it, so that I was obliged to climb out of one of the windows 

 on the narrow side of the house. The space of time between 

 the breaking out of the fire and my escape from the house 

 could scarcely have exceeded five minutes and it was high time 

 for me to leave the place.' 



It affords me particular satisfaction to be able to state that 

 the asbestos house, in which I lived from the commencement 

 of December, has proved a great success, and has been ex- 

 tremely useful to me. In the coldest time during the winter it 

 was easily warmed and effectually kept out the wind and dust 

 which circulates through all Chinese houses and renders them 

 almost uninhabitable. The inside fittings and furniture proved 

 practical and altogether suited to my requirements. In my 



opinion, which I believe is shared by all who have seen the 

 house, it has served its purpose extremely well and can be 

 recommended where it is desired to erect dwellmgs speedily 

 which are healthy and suitable for any kind of climate. 



In addition to the fireproof qualities of asbestos, it has other 

 advantages with which the public are perhaps less familiar. It 

 may be rendered water and weather proof without lessening its 

 fire resisting capacity, and especially since the introduction of 

 the asbestos slates referred to above. Such a house as was con- 

 structed for the German field marshal offers protection against 

 either heat or cold. But for the haste with which the order 

 had to be filled, the frame work would have been constructed 

 of iron, but in the circumstances it was necessary to use wood 

 instead. 



SOME WANTS OF THE RUBBER TRADE. 



[1 76] ■p ROM a jobbing house : " We would like you to advise 

 A us, if possible, who makes the rubber toothbrush 

 rack, designed to be fastened on the wall." 



[177] " Can you inform us where to get hypo sulphite of lead, 

 and also where we can procure blue lead ?" 



[178] From Canada we have received a request for the 

 names of five or six firms in the United States who make rub- 

 ber clothing. 



[179] A rubber jobbing firm write to know where " Cooper's 

 hose mender" may be obtained. 



[180] A request has been received for the ?ddress of the 

 manufacturer of " Electric Flake." 



[ISl] " I desire to know where I can get rubber balls, 3/ inch 

 in diameter, variously colored— red, white, red, black, and yel- 

 low — solid and quite hard, but not so much that they will lose 

 their elasticity. I will order by the thousand, if satisfied." 



[182] " Can you inform us of some rubber factory that will 

 grind for us hard rubber into dust, in lots say of 500 pounds 

 at a time? " 



[183] "If you know of any one who has an equipment for 

 the making of hose, which you think they wish to dispose of, 

 we would be very glad to have you advise us." 



RECENT RUBBER PATENTS. 



Auld, 



UNITED STATES PATENT RECORD. 

 Issued June 4, igoi. 



NO. 675,616. Coupling for rubber tire clamps, Hugh R. 

 Boston, Massachusetts. 

 675,619. Cushion tread for boots or shoes. Mellen Bray, Newton, 

 Massachusetts. 



675.696. Means for securing elastic tires to wheels. William F. Will- 

 iams, London, England. 



675.697. Elastic tire. William F. Williams. London, England. 

 675,793. Cushioned heel. Henry F. Rooney, Randolph, Massachu- 

 setts, assignor to Mellen Bray, trustee, Newton, Massachusetts. 



Issued June ii, igoi. 



675,897. Water bag syringe. William D. Martin, Warsaw, New V'ork. 



<>75,9i3. Sectional rubber tire. George W. White, Huntsville. Ala- 

 bama. 



676,086. Rubber tread horseshoe. Esta F. Culbertson, Indianapolis, 

 Indiana. 



676,095. Composition of matter. Nelson B. Mayer, Newark, New 

 Jersey, assignor to the American Rubber Filling Co., New York 

 city. 



Return flow syringe. Denwood N. L. Newbury, New York 



676,269. 



city, 



676,368. 



676. 395- 



Rubber tire. John Patrick, Chicago. Illinois. 



Pneumatic tire. Mark A. Heath, Providence, Rhode Island, 



assignor to Mark A. Heath, Jr., and Charles Heath, same place. 



