Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 211, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1911 — STONE THAT BURNS ITSELF [ARTICLE]

STONE THAT BURNS ITSELF

East of the Jordan Lime Is Made From Rock That Contains Its Own Fuel. While making a trip through the Hauran district recently the writer’s attention was attracted to a curious stone which might be described as a “eels-burning limestone.” Our party came upon some natives burning it and was enabled to see the operation. This district is south of Damascus, east of the upper Jordan. At this place the rock lay in a stratum between ordinary limestone; it was of grayish black color, and when freshly broken had an odor of petroleum. Near by were outcrops of what looked like the same material many rods long and 20 to 30 feet thick. Quarrying Is easily done with primitive picks and other tools, as the rock is quite soft and full of seams. The stone is broken into small pieces with hammers and piled up against the bank of rock. A wall of the same material about two feet high is roughly laid up around the pile on threq sides, making a pile of small stone bight to ten feet long and nearly as wide, and two feet at the front, rising to nearly three times that height at the back, where it lies against the bank. In building the wall around the pile small holes are left for draft and in which to start the fire. When the kiln is ready to burn a few small bunches of straw are placed in the holes mentioned, lit with a flint and steel and in a short time the whole pile has ignited. The men then begin working on a new kiln while the other burns and cools. After about two hours of burning the stone has all* become converted Into lime, except the stones in the wall and the very top layer, which are only about half burned. When cool the lime is air-slacked and sifted to remove any pieces not thoroughly burned, which are thrown Into a new pile to be fired again. The workmen told us that it made a very black smoke with a bad odor like kerosene burning. The lime is white and said to make a very strong plaster, superior to the ordinary lime burned with brush. This stone Is so located that, should it prove to be of commercial value, it could be easily transported.—Consular Reports.