Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-04

one. fourth of thai number from lrelahu
and that unfortunate country loses now
every wear, by forced emigration more
than The reign Of Louis XIV. ios' LOT
France; and the legislation OF England IN
the one case, is far more oppressive and
,n.;l;oas than that of France in the other.
Revolutions have ruined industry IN France,
more than intolerance. We have seen the
result of that Of 1889. That Of 1880 decid-
ed many of the workers in glass to emigrate
to Belgium, where factory Of looking glass
ses was soon opened.
There are now six factories in England,
one In Belgium, and number of little ones
in Germany; bat Preach plate glass mas
nobly sustained its old renown, ana hSe
French silks and French wines, stands al
the head Of the line. For the last twenty,
wears, the Royal Factory Of St. Gooain'a lana
the manufacture Of Grey, have common
agency and depot at New York, and TINS
establishment supplies the Union with
looking glasses and plate glass.
The use of large mirrors has become
much more fashionable among US and In
fact there is no finer decoration for our sa-
looms. The retail stores have made mn
mense advance by the use Of plate glass
and we need but walk along Broadway 70
see how generally it has replaced the ola
fashioned windows.
American industry has not yet been Sc
rlously turned to this manufacture, and I'M
portation from France, England and Ger
many supply all that is sold in the United
States. The fact is that vast capital and
consummate skill are required to bring to
perfection the varied operations which
transform into splendid mirror the rough
plate Of glass, which, as in the iron trade,
we might call pig-glass. The grinding the
polishing, and The silvering, require costly
machinery, great ability 70 prevent break
, age, and vast expenditure Of money.
This is not the case with common WIN
r dow glass, which is now successfully man
5 ufactured on large scale, at Boston, Pitts
a burgh, Baltimore and IN the State Of Ne"
;, Jersey. Venice also furnished the frs
e panes Of window glass, and in the fifteenth
: century, the kings of France, wishing TO en-
d courage this branch of industry, cnnoblct
, all who were employed in the manufacture
5 and granted them extensive privileges
n Long after, the gentlemen glass-workcr
never worked but with a sword at thel
S side. The window-glass manufacture wa
: first begun in England in 1857, in Crutch
Il ed Friars, London, aud in 1886 the art re
: ceived a great improvement from Sir Rob
It ert Mansell, by the use of coal fuel Instead q
II wood; but within the last few years Frenci
: plate glass has superseded the use of com
: mon window-glass in the mansion an
/ dwelling houses in the finer quarters of n
e York, and our other great cities. 1t is, in
o deed, dearer; but the plates are so thick
and the glass so pure, that they last forev
IS er; while cylinder or crown-glass breaks o
e becomes rusty and Opaque after few year
e use.
IS Another use Of glass is, in roofing, fo
Il sly-lghts, and also in sidewalks an
:, floors, to turn easements to advantage
n Rough glass, for sky-lights and glass.iiles
g Of one or two inches, are manufactured Il
: France, anG are in great demand here
e With some openings in the floors, covere'
e by these tiles, dark easements can now b
e used, even in retail trade, which were for
IS merly fit only as place to store empt.,
c boxes and discarded furniture.
If But we have lately seen glass, fragile a
If it is, put to new use-that of building
IS The walls of some of our saloons have, o
G late years, seemed made of glass; and a
/, far back as the days Of Solomon, rabbInnl
y cal stories tell US of chamber in the pal
e ace of that monarch paved with blocks o
clear, transparent glass, under which flow
d ed a canal full of fish, so that it seemed {
# pond. But coming t. more authentic sour
}, ces, we know that glass entered extensive
Y lv into the Roman mosaics, and that II
$ blocks of various colors 1t formed the ma
v teral Of many of their tesselated pave
n ments. Thick sheets of glass; various col
= ors, were also attached 10 the walls ant
b ceilings Of apartments and in the year 81
before Christ, Scaurus decorated in this
, way compartment or tier in his gorseou:
, theatre. In the modern Conservatives Of
green houses, glass is the chief material
but not till the erection of the Crystal Pal
{ ace had we seen whole structure, OF any
! extent, raised of sheets Of glass.
4 Such are the many uses Of glass, to which
$ if we add ITS employment in optical and
e philosophical apparatus, we cannot bu
S thank the Almighty for teaching man tc
S transform the apparently worthless sane
and soda INTO material so brilliant, trans
parent and useful that the poets of all days
have made it the theme of thermost beau
tiful comparisons-and even the inspired
Prophet employs it again and again in his
description of the heavenly jerusalem, "a
sea Of glass like crystal is before the throne
/ of Cod" and, further on, "the sons Of God
stand on this sea of glass mingled with
5 fire." and "the city itself is of pure gold,
f like to clear glass, and the streets as it were
trarsnarant Glass;