Here's an earlier reference to asbestos in clothing:
ALBANY [GA] PATRIOT, December 12, 1861, p. 2, c. 2
Water-Proof clothing--Asbestos.
We are pleased to learn that Messrs. Golueke & Wilson, of Washington,
Wilkes county, Ga., are manufacturing a light and pliable cloth which
is said to be impervious to water, and serve as a substitute for the
ordinary, but more costly India Rubber cloth, and is said to be
admirably adopted to camp service. There is another article which
seems to be forgotten and almost entirely out of use, which may be
worked to advantage in the manufacture of soldiers cloth and articles
of clothing of similar use. We refer to a mineral called "Asbestus,"
[sic] and which may be found in abundant beds both in Southern
Tennessee and Northern Georgia. This article, if we mistake not, when
properly manufactured, or woven into cloth, will prove a most
excellent article for soldiers use, for travelling purposes, and
especially for firemens clothing. It is both water-proof and
fire-proof. An instance is recorded wherein a fireman clothed in a
tissue made of this substance, with a proper hood as a covering for
his head, was surrounded by a flame of fire and remained in this
position for ninety seconds. His pulse during this time rose from 72
to 152. Another fireman repeated the experiment, and remained in
contact with the flames for 3 minutes and 47 seconds. It was formerly
used for shrouds for burying the dead, and may now be used as a
valuable article for lining fire-proof safes, and serve a better
purpose than the ordinary fire-proof paint for covering houses. In
short, it can be woven into thread and manufactured into goods for
many valuable and useful purposes, both public and domestic. Will not
some of our more scientific citizens experiment on this subject, and
furnish us with the result of their investigations?
Vicki Betts
Penny Ladnier wrote:
I am putting online a fashion terms dictionary from 1894. I came across asbestos being used in fabrics.
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