FELT. ol'J FELTON. against the inclination of the barbs, il brings the hair with it. II will be easilj understood that when a number of hairs are pressed together those which lie in opposite directions to each other and in contact will interlock at these barbs or teeth, and thus resist any effort to tear them asunder. When once this close contact and interlocking is established between any two or more hairs, thej remain at Inched, hut I lie ot hers I hat a re differ ently arranged, or not in contact, will still lie free to move upon each other; and therefore, if subjected to continual blows, pushing, and pres- sure, the unattached hairs will be continually shifting until they reach others in suitable posi- tions for clinging together, either by crossing obliquely or by lying in the same line, and over- lapping at their ends or any other portion. ben the hair lias a natural tendency to curl the felt- ing is still more readily brought about by the additional interlacing. Although the felting property is possessed in a preeminent degree by wool, it belongs to the hair or fur of other ani- mals, including the goat, ox, hare, rabbit, mus- quash, and beaver. The first mechanical process for the production of felt was invented by Mr. J. R. Williams, an American, about 1820. Many patents have since been taken out for the various details of felting machinery, but the main principle is the same in all. The wool is carded more or less perfectly into laps of the length and breadth of the web to be made. One layer of these laps is placed upon another to secure the desired thickness of the fabric, and the two outside layers are often of a finer quality than the interior. The bulky sheet is now passed between rollers which are pa illy immersed in water, and some of them are heated internally with steam. The material is subjected to a beating and oscillatory motion, as well as to pressure. The completed fabric is dyed and fin- ished like ordinary cloth. The details of manu- facture arc. at least in America, strictly guarded trade secrets, each factory having its own pro- cesses and specially made machinery. Felt is used for a very great variety of pur- poses. It is employed as a covering for floors and as an upholsterer's material. It is made up not only into hats, but into cloaks and other garments. Carriage linings, polishing cloths, pianoforte hammers, and many other objects re- quiring a soft, thick cloth are made from felt. The felt used for women's hats is cut from the piece, but that employed in the manufacture of men's hats is made in special shapes as a part of the hatter's trade. The material used for men's hats is usually the fur of raccoons, beavers, or rabbits, mixed with some good felting wool. See Hats. Various fabrics which are technically known as felt, and which possess in greater or less degree the qualities of this material, are manufactured for use in different industries. In these coarser grades of felt cow's hair is often an important ingredient. The felted sheathing used as a non- conducting covering for retaining the heat of steam boilers is a substance intermediate between felt and paper. It is made from woolen refuse and other cheap materials reduced to pulp, beaten and dried. Lining and roofing felts are used in the construction of buildings, and act as non- conductors of heat, and sometimes of moisture and sound. They usually consist of an agglutina- tion of animal fibres mixed with tar or asphalt. The asbestos lining and roofing feli ie made of pure asbestos, saturated with asphalt, the body fibre in certain brands containing no organic matter. The process oi manufacture is similar to that employed in making paper, Papei maker's felt is not a true felt at all, but a coat loosely woven material which has been neither tea/led nor spun. 'o detailed information re garding the manufacture of felt appears to be available in printed form, and such references as can be found are scantj and, for the mosl part, written long ago. This is attributed to the closeness with which the processes of manufai turc are guarded. Statist* s. According to the Twelfth I of the United State-, there were in the country 36 establishments devoted to the manufacture of felt goods, including an invested capital of
- !>.l-r>. !7ii, and producing g Is valued at $6,461,
691. The principal products were felt cloths, boot and shoe linings, upholstery felts, trim- mings and lining fells, felt skirts, and endless belts for paper manufacture. FELT, Joseph Baklow (1789-1869). An American antiquarian. He was born at Salem, -Mass., and graduated at Dartmouth in 1813. After holding pastorates in the Congregational ist. Church at Sharon, Mass. (1821-24), and Hamil- ton. Mass. (1825-34), he was commissioned by Gov. Edward Everett in 1836 to arrange the Colonial and early State papers of Massachusetts. At this work he continued for ten years. He was librarian of the Massachusetts Historical Society (1842-58), president of the New Eng- land Historic - Genealogical Society (1850-53), and recording secretary of the American Statis- tical Association (1839-59). He was the author of the following works on New England history: Annals of Salem (2d ed. 2 vols., 1845-49) : His- tory of Ipswich, Essex, and Hamilton (1833); Historical Accounts of Massachusetts Currency I 1839) : The Customs of New England (1853)'; Ecclesiastical History of New England (2 vols., 1855-62) ; and several other genealogical and biographical works. FELTON, Cornelius Conway (1807-62). An American classical scholar, born at West New- burg, Mass. He graduated at Harvard in 1827, and taught first at Geneseo, N. Y., 1827- 29. In the latter year he was appointed tutor in Latin at Harvard; in 1830. tutor in Greek; in 1832 he became university professor, and two years later Eliot professor of Greek; in February, I860, he was made president. Among his publica- tions were: Homer: with English Notes and Flax- man's Illustrations (1833); Munzel's German Literature (1840); Clouds and Birds of Aristophanes; Ancient Literature and Art: Poets and Poetry of Europe: Pancgiirics of Jsocrates; the Agamemnon of /Eschylus: Clas- sical Studies (1843); and Guyot's Earth and Van (1849). In 1853-54 he made a European lour; and in 1855 he revised for publication Smith's History of Greece, with an edition of Lord Carlisle's Diary in Turkish and Greek Waters. A selection from modern Greek writers was published by him in 1856. Other works of his were: "Life of General Eaton." in Spark's American Biography; Addresses; and contribu- tions to the North American Review. He was
- i member of the Massachusetts Hoard of Edu-
cation, regent of the Smithsonian Institution,
