The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-04-01 00:00:00

THE. LIVERTO.O.L. STANDARD.

trial occupations continue to be making and printing paper
bags-for bakers, chemists, grocers, &c., and to sorting
bristles for the brushmakers. * * * The zeal and
discretion of Mr. and Mrs. Orris, who respectively super-
intend the boys' and girls' school, and the combination of
kindness and firmness in the treatment of the children,
are acknowledged by the committee in terms of satisfac-
tion andJpleasure. With respect to financial affairs, the
treasurer's account shows a deficiency of £lO3 Is. Bd.
for the past year ; the fitting-up of the girls' school hav-
ing involved a considerable additional outlay. The com-
mittee, therefore, as a large sum will still be required
anntuill, to work the school efficiently, earnestly appeal
to the public of Liverpool for support."
The Treasurer, after reading the statement of accounts,
announced that a donation of £BO had been presented to
the institution by Mr. Wm. Brown, M.P. The Rev.
Rector Campbell proposed the first resolution, and re-
viewed the various demoralising agencies which were in
operation amongst the poor; p•.rticularly dwelling upon
the injurious influence of the 28,263,000 works of a bane-
ful tendency which were actually in circulation ; and
glancing at the miserably small proportion which the
publications of a religious character bore to these. He
believed the ragged schools, however, would act as lite-
buoys to save our youthful population from destruction ;
and he earnestly entreated the co-operation of all good
Christians in what he deemed a Christian work.—Mr.
James, of Birmingham, seconded the resolution. which
was carried unanimously. The meeting was afterwards
addressed by Mr. Picton, the Rev. Dr. M'Neile, and
other gentlemen.

&rime aiib 31/orttrulturt.

MR. HENRY DEACON'S FOURTH PAPER ON THE MANu.

FACTURE OF GLASS,

Having fully explained the manufacture of crown glass,
I will now proceed to describe the blowing of sheet glass,
the only other kind of blown window-glass now made. I,
have been unable to ascertain the date of the first intro-
duction of the process into England. The earliest men-
tion of it I have seen, is in a black letter act of Parlia-
ment passed in 1777, which fixes the excise duty upon the
materials made use of " in the making of glass now called
German sheet glass, a duty of fourteen shillings for every
hundred-weight;" and further on in the same act, under
the provisions for drawback, occurs this sentence,—" and
fourteen shillings per hundred-weight for all glass called
German sheet glass made in Great Britain;" crown
glass and spread or Bodd glass, a manufacture now aban-
doned, being separately named and rated. Thus sheet
glass must have been made in England for at least 74 years,
and probably longer. Though called German sheet, the
workmen were and are principally Belgians. Many Eng-
lishmen have learnt the art, and some are first-rate work-
men, but many Belgians and other foreigners are still em-
ployed. It is an art requiring extraordinary skill, and
really good English workmen have not increased so ra-
pidly as the demand, whilst many foreigners are seeking
work, from the effect of the late continental revolu-
tions, &c.

There are five kinds of sheet glass recognised in the
glass-house, distinguished by the weight per square foot.
Shades may also be called a variety, as they are made in
the same houses, by the same men, of the same " metal,"
and in the same manner slightly modified : they are the
only articles made at the St. Helen's works besides win-
dow-glass ; and, after sheet glass, I shall describe their
manufacture also.

The different kinds of sheet glass are called as follows :
—No. 1, averaging 13 ounces to the square foot ; No. 2,
averaging 16 ounces; No. 3, averaging 21 ounces; extra,
averaging 26 ounces; and plate, averaging never undtr 32
ounces, and often a little more. All are blown in the
same way, the thicker kinds taking only more t•me and
strength. The " gatherer" uses a shorter and lighter
blow-pipe than those for crown glass, but in other respects
the same. It will be remembered that sheet glass is
blown into hollow cylinders, which are split and unrolled
into flat rectangular sheets. The gathering is made as if
for crown glass, but no " marver" is employed, and the
weight of the piece varies from 8 or 9 to 30 or 35 lbs., ac-
cording to the size and strength of the cylinder (sheet)
required. After cooling the pipe, the gatherer lays it in
an iron fork, and turning the pipe round, and at the same
time drawing it back, forces the metal to the end of the
pipe. The piece is then laid in a hollow in a block of
wood, partially filled with water. It is turned round in
this block until it takes a conical shape. Water is sup-
plied from a sponge, and though it boils in contact with
the heated wood, yet against the hot glass it assumes the
spheroidal state, and does not crack or injure it, acting
merely as a lubricant to preserve the surface from injury.
The piece is now in charge of the blower, who raises tie
pipe and blows down it, enlarging the piece. It is then
replaced, to straighten the enlargement, and stiffen the
thin sides. The pipe is again raised, blown into, and
drawn up. It is retained in this position for a few se-
conds, being, of course, and as It always must be, turned
upon its axis, until the thin part is too cool and stiff to
enlarge by blowing. Being still in the block, it is then
blown forcibly into, and expands only from the thick hot
mass of metal at the bottom, taking a shape, which may
be described as a short and very squat bottle, with a
nearly flat and very thick bottom. It is now carried to
the blowing furnace, and this requires a few words of de•
scription. It is a long, narrow, reverberatory furnace
with round holes about 14 inches diameter on each sid
one for each workman, generally eig

r ten in number

the furnace,

Opposite to each hole, and at right angh
is a long, narrow, deep opening in the floor, like a saw-
pit, and called a " grave" or " swing hole." The work-
man stands on one edge of this opening : its use will be
seen directly. The bottle-like piece is heated through
a " hole," and the pipe being seated on a hook, and
nearly horizontal, the thick bottom only becomes sof-
tened. When sufficiently hot it is taken from the furnace,
and swung to and fro in the swing-hole like a pendulum,
the workman at the same time blowing into the pipe with
very carefully regulated blasts. The piece, from the
combined effect of the swinging and weight of the hot
bottom, as well as the blowing, assumes a conical shape.
and from the softness of the " metal," would soon run off
like a drop of any thick liquid, thinning the sides too
much for use, and spoiling the piece. To avoid this, very
dexterous management is required. It is elevated, and at

to return upon itself, and thickens the sides; and so soft
is the glass, that an instant too long, or too great

vation:or too strong a thr

and cause it to stick at every spot that touched, of course
spoiling the work. The pendulous swinging, to elongate

the piece ; the
elevation, to regu
has fully lengthened. A second heat is now taken,
and the swinging motion exchanged for a complete rota•
tion, something like swinging a sledge-hammer, only the
pipe is not swung round at arm's length, but whirled
round by the alternate action of the hands, which are held
near the body. The force thus acquired draws out the
piece to the full length, but still of the same shape
as oefore, the thickness being regular throughout.

[owing,

.0 maintain its diameter

The next operation is to open ti
the method pursued with the thinner kinds first; the
thicker descriptions are treated in a slightly different
manner. The pipe being supported on a little crane, at a
convenient distance from the furnace, the piece is nearly

horizontal, and the extremity is just inside ibe hole. At'r
is forced into it as much as possible, and the bore of the
pipe is stopped with the thumb. The end near the fire
soon softens, first swells, and then bursts, often with
a slight report. At the i
ular, but the hea

Jursting, the o

y causes ilia turned out

edges to

AIM tne snape of tne piece, and the nearly melt-
ing- " metal" runs together and thickens at the same time
that the opening is enlarged. The piece is now elevated,
and the end sinks in like a cup. When re-inserted into

tne turuilue, ,up-„ac %AL,/ COOLUIi pitnects ono opening
from too great a heat, and allows the sides to become
soft ; the_ pipe is gradually turned more quickly, the hole

enlar.ges from cer

orce, and

vigorous 'swing in the swing-hole the hole is opened to
the same diameter as the body of the piece, the sides are
straightened, and the blower's work is so far complete.
The piece is now called a cylinder or " muff," the latter