INCOMBUSTIBLE WOOD.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1183, 9 June 1874, Page 2

INCOMBUSTIBLE WOOD.

A Mr Malbon, of Sydney, has discovered a process for the preparation of wood so as to render it totally or partially incombustible. A local paper thus desribes some test experiments recently made : —" Malbon placed a block of ordinary deal wood, about the size of a brick, and about three inches in thickness, on to a heap of live coals on a large blacksmith's forge. About half a bushel of coal was then placed on the top, the wood being entirely covered and a man set to work at the bellows. A fierce heat was soon raised, and the fire supplied from time to time with fresh fuel, the bellows being hard at work all the time. The heat soon became intense, and was confined to the forge by heaping up more coal. After the piece of wood had been in the very heart of the fire some twenty mitiutes it was pulled out, and found to be, of course, much charred and blackened, but very little burnt away. The same piece was then replaced in the fire as well as a bar of iron, and the bellows again vigorously applied. In about fifteen minutes afterwards it was discovered that the iron had melted, and after the wood had remained in the fire ten minutes longer—or, in all, three, quarters of an hour—it was recovered from the the flames and found to be but a little more damaged than it wa3 when first pulled out, showing that the portion on that was burned had not been properly prepared. Mr Malbon then threw three ordinary shingles on to the fire, where they were allowed to remain with the flames dancing round them, but licking them in vain; for ten minutes afterwards they were recovered in almost as perfect condition as when they were put on, the only difference being that they were blacked and swollen with the heat, but not in the least degree burned. The experiments were, therefore, of a very satisfactory character, especially when it is remembered that the heat which was gained by the action of the bellows was much more intense than in nine ordinary conflagrations out of every ten. A weatherboard house, built of wood prepared by Mr Malbon, would evidently resist the action of fire for a considerable time, when under ordinary circumstances it would long before then have succumbed to the devouring elements. Mr Malbon informs us that he not assisted by any chemical agency in preparing the wood, and that it can be effected at a mere nominal cost. It is, we believe, his intention to make a public display of his invention at an early date.