The Discovery of Hydraulic Cement
From Gazetteer
and Business Directory of Madison County, N.Y. (1868)
The discovery of waterlime forms an
interesting incident in the early history of this town [Sullivan,
N.Y.]. When the construction of the Erie Canal was commenced, contracts
were made to do the masonry with common lime, on account of the expense
of hydraulic cement. Mason Harris and Mr. Livingstone, of Sullivan,
entered into a contract to furnish a quantity for the construction of
culverts, aqueducts, &c., on the middle section. They burned a
large kiln and commenced delivering it, when, upon trial, it was found
that it would not slack. All were greatly surprised, and Canvass White
and Judge Wright, two engineers, taking an interest in the affair,
examined it. Dr. Barton, a scientific gentleman of Herkimer, was called
to experiment, and, if possible, ascertain what it was. He broke a
quantity in the trip hammer shop of J. B. Yates, of Chittenango, burned
some, pulverized it in a mortar, and after mixing it with sand, rolled
a ball and placed it in a bucket of water for the night. In the morning
it had set, and was solid enough to be rolled across the floor. It was
pronounced equal to the best Roman cement. It was first burned for
market in log heaps, about a mile and a half west of Chittenango
village. J. B. Yates fitted up a mill for grinding it.
Text from: Gazetteer
and Business Directory of Madison County, N.Y. for 1868- 9,
by Hamilton Child, printed at the Journal office, Syracuse, N.Y., page 58. (1868) (source)
Links to more articles:
Canvass White - Obituary from
The History of Cohoes, New York (1877.)
White's Hydraulic Cement - Excerpts from Directions for Using White's
Patent Hydraulic Cement.
