A SUBSTITUTE FOR INDIARUBBER.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—In the Spectator of September 23rd you write in refer- ence to the suggestions of Mr. Thornycroft that steam-roller traffic should be encouraged by Mr. Chaplin to carry loads of twelve tons at four miles an hour, that "a substitute ought to be found for indiarubber" as it is so expensive. The late Alfred Nobel invented this substitute, and he invited me to see specimens at his home at San Remo shortly before his un- expected death. He showed me samples of roofing for bnild- ings, for tires of bicycles, for heavy carriages, tubes, rings, and tobacco-holders exactly the same as those which are sold all over England, and which turn inside out. Mr. Nobel asked me to tear his imitation guttapercha, and also the real articles, which were side by side. I tried and found it impossible to even damage most of the articles he had made, and that even the tobacco-pouches and elastic rings were tougher than the articles made of indiarubber. I was very much astonished. Mr. Nobel said : "Mind, there is no india- rubber in these things. I have flavoured them with it though, so that it will be supposed to be real." As a fact, the real and false melt much the same. My late friend said : "There is a larger fortune to be made out of this invention than I and my friends have made out of dynamite. If you have any money invested in guttapercha forests or manu- factories get out your money. More certainly than beetroot sugar destroys cane-sugar will my invention gradually kill the guttapercha trade." Mr. Nobel added that " next " year he intended to put up works in Italy and to employ fifteen hundred men to make this substitute, which would be called "Nobel's guttapercha." It would seem as if Mr. Nobel carried his secret to the grave. Because I know nothing what- ever about these matters, and my late friend knew, this might have been the reason why he showed me his inventions. I can never forget a thing that Mr. Nobel did that afternoon. He said: "I will show you an invention which I will never reveal because it might do much injury, though sooner or later some one will find out the same secret." He then took some grey stuff out of a tin box, added a few drops out of a small bottle, and said : "Now, in one hour's time this towel and this old coat I slightly touch with the mixture will take fire and burn violently. Happy that the pkroleuses of the Paris Commune did not know my secret." My late friend put the towel and old coat on an old chair in the garden. I forgot the circumstance during his most interesting conversation, but at the expiration of an hour Mr. Nobel said: "It is time; come and look," and within five minutes the coat and the towel blazed up furiously. I am satisfied that Alfred Nobel invented a perfect substitute for indiarubber, which could be produced at half the cost of the real article, and unless his brother knows the secret, it is as unfortunate that the invention is lost for the present as it is fortunate that the Greek-fire mixture will remain unused. As regards Mr. Thornycruft's suggestions, he must remember that to carry, say, sixteen tons dead weight, most county
bridges and culverts would have to be inspected yearly, and very many rebuilt. And the number of carriage accidents would become too numerous for newspapers even to note them, in addition to the almost daily cyclists' mortuary list.
—I am, Sir, &c., GANDOLFI (Duke). Blackmore Park, Hanley Castle, Worcester, Sept. 25th.
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