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EDISON'S METHOD OF CON-
CRETE HOUSES.
The new method of building dwell-
ings at small cost, recently announ-
ced by Mr. Thomas A. Edison, opens
tremendous additional possibilities
for the use of concrete. Instead of
the old box-like concrete structures
with which we are all familiar, it
will be possible to have attractive
houses at a much lower cost than
was possible in the first-mentioned
type.
When asked in what particulars his
idea was novel, Mr. Edison said:
"There is nothing particularly novel,
about my plan; it amounts to the
same thing as making a very compli-
cated casting in iron, except that the
medium is not so fluid. Some one
was bound to do it, and I thought
that I might as well be the man,
that's all"
The method consists in the use of
moulds, costing 25,000 dollars the
set, made of ¾-inch cast iron, planed,
nickel-plated, and polished. The dif-
ferent pieces vary in size, some of
the interior parts being but two feet
square. When in position, the units
are held in place by trusses and
dowel pins. Into the top of these
moulds concrete is pumped continu-
ously by compressed air, using two
cylinders. The concrete itself acts
as a piston, and the two cylinders,
are alternately filled and emptied.
The delivery of the mixture must be
continuous; for wherever it is stopped
a line appears. To secure this rapid
and continuous flow at the rate of
175 cubic yards per day a very effi-
cient mixer is required. It has not
yet been decided whether, a Ransome
or a specially designed machine will
be used. No rubbing up is neces-
sary, although a few flaws may be
present, owing to the difficulty of ex-
pelling all air. The escape of air
is permitted by the special design of
the house, or, when necessary, by a
temporary pipe, which may be re-
moved later.
The concrete used is mixed accord-
ing to the ordinary proportions of
one part of cement high in lime, three
parts of sand, and five parts of
crushed stone. The cement is so
finely ground that it readily takes up
the requisite quantity of water to
make it flow. Another result of the
finegrinding, to which the possibility
of reproducing minute details is due,
is the absolute water-tightness of
this material, since there are none of
the intergranular openings that are
present when coarse ingredients are
used. Great strength is assured at
the points of stress by wire rein-
forcements set in the body of the
material.
Bath-tubs and similar fixtures will
be cast in place. Pipes for the
steam heat, conduits for the electric
wiring, and the iron tubing through
which the lead pipes for the plumb-
ing are to be afterwards drawn, are
all set in the moulds before the ce-
ment is run in. The only wood pre-
sent will be the doors, window
sashes, and perhaps a few strips to
which to attach carpets.
Although any type of architecture
can be followed in making the origi-
nal moulds, the first house of this
kind to be built will be in the style
of Francis J., richly decorated with
designs that would be prohibitive,
because of their cost were they of
stone. It will have a cellar and
and three stories with nine rooms.
The walls are to be 12, 10 and 6
inches thick in the various parts.
The interior will be handsomely orna-
mented, making no further decoration
work necessary after the moulds are
removed. If it is designed to
heighten the inside effect, tinting can
be resorted to. In addition to the
enrichments, all of these dwellings
will have elaborate chimney pieces.
The roof, imitates tiling and can
be painted to suit the owner's taste.
Owing to the perfect insulation se-
cured, both to the steam pipes, and
to the rooms themselves from the
outside cold, but one quarter the coal
ordinarily required is needed to heat
these dwellings. By keeping the
doors and windows closed, they can
be kept correspondingly cool sum-
mer. This manner of building is
not economical for putting up single
houses, owing to the cost of initial
outlay, although this outlay is in the
nature of a permanent investment, as
the plant is practically indestruct-
ible. On the other hand, for con-
structing say a thousand houses in
proximity to each other, it is very
suitable. For instance, suppose that
it is desired to lay out an industrial
village. After the positions of the
various buildings are staked out, a
large gang of labourers digs the cel-
lars, and the mould for a house is
set up, the operation taking about
twelve hours. The running in of
the concrete requires twelve hours
more, and after seven days the
moulds are removed, and the next
house is erected.
According to Mr. Edison, the ac-
tual cost of a dwelling made accord-
ing to this method would be one
thousand dollars. The wear and
tear of the moulds and the interest
on the outlay, he figures at about
fifty dollars a house. This makes
the total cost 1,050 dollars for a
house that in the quarter-size model
in Mr. Edison's laboratory bears
every mark of refinement and com-
fort.—
"Scientific American."
The family were discussing the pros-
pective wedding of the only daughter.
''Of course," said the bride-to-be to
her father, "you will give me away,"
"I'm afraid I have done it already,
my dear," he replied. "I told
George only this morning that you
had a disposition just like your
mother's."
An Irishman on his way home late
at night asked a pedestrian the time.
The latter, thinking he was a dan-
gerous tramp waiting for an oppor-
tunity to snatch his watch, swung
his heavy sticks and knocked the Irish-
man down. He remarked to the
prostrate man, "It's one o'clock,
and that's how I strike one." The
poor Irishman scrambled to his feet,
and rubbed his smarting head, say-
ing, "Bedad, it's a mighty fine thing
Oi didn't ax you the toime an hour
earlier!"
Caught red-handed with a rabbit on
the ground and his dog sniffin' at it,
a poacher was taken along to the
cells. In the morning he was brought
up before the magistrates, who, be-
fore passing sentence on him, asked
the man if he had anything to say
"Well, yer honour," was the reply,
"all I can say is that I am very sorry it happened. But the rabbit started it."
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