EDISON’S LATEST DISCOVERY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 1 August 1901, Page 4

EDISON’S LATEST DISCOVERY.

It is claimed that Thomas A. Edison, the wizard inventor, lias discovered how. to make “Portland cement” at a very; small cost. If this is true, the value of the discovery is immense, and cement will undoubtedly drive out quarry stone and brick as building materials. Mr Edison believes that as a. result of his discovery more people may own houses, and that houses will be “ poured ” ii - stead of budded. Mr Edison has employed himself for several years on the cement problem and the problem of making cheap and practical storage batteries. Both inventions have been perfected. The inventor says that cement, combined with steel, will bo the building material of the future, and that houses thus made will be practically fireproof. Continuing. he said: “My impression is that the time will come when each contractor will have standard forms of houses, 20or 30 varieties. The forms will be made of wood, and a contractor using one of the Standard shapes, will simply go out and ‘pour’ a house. There will probably be hundreds of designs, The contractors will put up their concrete mixer and have their beams and forms ready. They will pour the form for the first story, and so on. To do that all they will require will be common labour —a few men and a boss. That is what I think will be done eventually. And such a house can be made very cheaply. It seems to mo that there will not bo much use for carpenters then. There will be cabinet-makers to be sure. Why, oven the floors and stairs will be made of concrete.”

Mr Edison said that the price of the cement would not exceed udol a ton, and that the mixture for concrete would be one part cement, three parts sand and five parts of broken stones.