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Liquid Stone

Liquid Stone image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
September
Year
1861
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

lo the immediate vieinity of the Lunatio Asylura at Blooiningda!, in a building evidently usod as a mauufactory, lor during the day there asoonda front the sinoke stack and steara tunnels those unerring iudica-tioos of tho presonce oí the great rao_tor. Within this establishment are twenty powerful ; machines employed in couverting into powder fragmenta oí rock. These milla work with great rapidity, and the : uoise arising froin their conntaut operation is alinost doafening. The procesa is that of stamping or cruhing instead of grinding: twenty stampers oí about sixty pounds each, fuüing at the rate of four blows per second, ciush and pulverizo the roassoa oí rock, whioh are placed for the purpose upon cbülod iron anvils. Aa fust as the rock is coaverted into powdorit fulla into a trough below, aad is thenco collected into a coromon receptado, whonce it is conveyed to a "digestor," whera a singular transformation tukes place. It is here rendored soluble by ineans of superheated stoam and chomicul ulkaliuö pi-opmatious, vvhich couvcrts the mass into "liquor of llint." Tbo metáis vvhich combine with the rock or quai'lz are not affocted by this action, and muy roudily btí peparuted, thus reuderiug the procesa invaiuuble when appüed to rock containing tlie precious or usuful metui-i Wore this the only sorvice to wliich this inveution could bo apphed, it would etill bo usüful, and io nsany goldbeaiiug localities highly valuublo; but whilo this was, with tho iuvontor, the primary inteution, his resoarch and experimeots have eoabled hlin to produce a material which is dostined to tako rank aa one of the moat usaful that the miad oí man hus ever yet disclosud. The liquor, ufter being drawo froin the ''digosUT,'1 eau be poured iuto inoulds of any cocceivable form, and, the liquid stone crystaüzing, eau be converted into tho hardest ooBgkrar rate; muking it invahiable for almost auy pui pose to which it tnay be desircd to couvert it. Mot ouly can coaise pavcmonts bo formed iu this maaner, but bricks can be innde much cheaper and of botter quulity than froia clay by liib present procesa. The invention is uot cor.finod to these uses even, for the tiuest marbles muy be moulded at will and made to assume any shape desirable. Paint niada from it is incombustible, and will protect anything covered with it as pedectly as if it were stone. A slight and inexponsivo previous preparation of the wood ol sliip's bottoms with one or two c(ats of the properly preparod fliut, will rnake a petrified surface, combiuing with the woody iiljrj, as durable as copper, and it will alwaya keep free anj clean. In fitct, this new agent, or rathor this new diecovery from naturo's grout laboratory, is applicable to so many purposes, that in ts present iufant state wo cannot couceivo vvhat iuay not be dono with it.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus