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    |             Transcriber's Note:               |
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    | Transliterated Greek words are marked with    |
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 ASBESTOS
 ITS PRODUCTION AND USE


 WITH

 _SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ASBESTOS MINES OF CANADA_




 BY ROBERT H. JONES




 [Illustration]




 LONDON:
 CROSBY LOCKWOOD AND SON
 7, STATIONERS' HALL COURT, LUDGATE HILL
 1888




PREFACE.


The substance of the following pages was originally comprised in a
series of Letters from Canada to a friend in London, who was desirous of
obtaining 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 manufactures is now rapidly assuming
such large 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 circumstances, although much of the information here given
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._




CONTENTS.


                                                PAGE

  INTRODUCTORY                                   5-8

  ASBESTOS AT THE AMERICAN EXHIBITION          9, 10

  WHERE FOUND                                  12-15

  ITALIAN AND CANADIAN ASBESTOS COMPARED       16-18

  WHERE USED                                      18

  THE ASBESTOS OF ITALY                        19-24

  CANADIAN MINING FOR ASBESTOS                 24-29

  ASBESTOS MINES OF CANADA--
    THE THETFORD GROUP                         29-36
    THE COLERAINE GROUP                        36-42
    BROUGHTON                                  42-46
    DANVILLE                                      46
    SOUTH HAM                                  47-50
    WOLFESTOWN                                    50

  USES TO WHICH ASBESTOS IS APPLIED            55-72

  INDEX                                       75, 76




ASBESTOS.


One of Nature's most marvellous productions, asbestos is a physical
paradox. It has been called a mineralogical vegetable; 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 termination in os being the
adjective form of the word), the name of the mineral in its Greek form
as commonly used (+asbestos+), signifies "indestructible." The French
adopt the same derivation, calling it "asbeste" (mineral filamenteux et
incombustible). In Germany it is called "steinflachs" (stone-flax); and
by the Italians "amianto" (from +amiantos+, pure, incorruptible);
so-called because cloth made from it was cleansed by passing it through
fire. Charlemagne, we are told, having 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
unconsumed.

As a modern pendent to this well-known legend, 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 many lumber yards on the St. Lawrence, where his energy and
activity, supplemented by great bodily strength, soon secured for him a
good position. It so happened, however, that one evening, on returning
from their daily toil to their common apartment, some of his
fellow-workmen 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 them in on to the mass of burning 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
immediately afterwards, they saw him open the stove door again, take out
the apparently blazing socks, and, after giving them a shake, proceed
just as deliberately to draw them on to his feet again, that was a
tr