The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-30
ekYSTlL PALACE.
THE PICTURE GALLERY.
MORE ABOUT THE AUSTRIAN DRPAKTMEN


picture gallery, We are happy to note, has at last
been commenced. We understand that, of the paint
ngs contributed, large numbe. have been rejected
a. unfit for exhibition. We have before alluded to
the fact that many daubs were among the contr-
buttons. The culhDg ont and refusal Of these pro-
mise wen FOR the appearance Of the gallery when
opened.
Some very interesting contributions have been
displayed in the Palace by Mr.. Thos Dunlap, florist,
OF this city. These consist OF q banana tree, and
six jars containing sprouts Of sugar cane. The
banana tree ia about eight feet high, with large per-
feet leaves The sugar cane was ordered expressly
for the Palace from the South; but during the
voyage the salt spray Of the ocean destroyed every
stalk and the sprouts growing from the root, were
al that remained for exhibition. These tropical plants
are nre In our cline, and therefore interesting.
We are requested by the directors OF the Associa-
ten for the Oxidation Of the Industry OF all Nations,
TO say, that being DESTROYS TO unite in the Efforts
being made by their fellow citizens, for the re-
lief Of the sufferers by Che fever now raging at New
Orleans, they have determined TO appropriate the
net receipts Of the Palace on Wednesday, the 3lst
Of August. to that object.
AUSTRIAN DEPARTMENT..
BOHEMIAN GLASS.
In the brief description which we gave in 3 for
mer number, Of the beautiful manufacture which
constitutes one Of the chief attractions Of this de-
partmeDt, we let several particulars untouched,
which are deserving Of special notice. The pro-
Cesses employed in the manufacture Of those bnl
lantly tinted and exquisely cut articles which
tribute no largely to the ornamsntation Of every
tastefully furnished house. 80 little understood,
even by connosseurs, that some detail respecting
them cannst fail TO prove interesting TO the general
reader.
That the manufacture Of glass was known 70 the
earliest nations Of antiquity "a question which
formerly excited 80 much oontroveryhasb been clear
~ established by modern discoveries. The Egyptian
ornaments and articles Of household which have
been diesntombed after the lapse Of ages prove that
they must have been acquainted with the art in all
its varieties. Their porcelain, which more nearly
sembles glass In it's quality than the substance which
we style porcelain Is remarkable for the br]iancy
Of it's colors and the delicacy with which they
blended. The interesting remains discovered at
Nineveh have also placed beyond doubt the FAC. that
the Asyrians were acquainted with the art Of manu-
featuring and coloriDg glass. It is question, how.
ever, whether eolored glass was not made previous
10 colorless glass. Beckmann is Of opinion that it
was not but that its discovery must have very soon
followed that Of white glass. Professor Forbes, how
ever, in his lecture before the Society Of Arts, in
London, ssggests an hypothesis which is not devoid
Of probability. He thinks that colored glass must
have been the first invented, for this simple reason
That it was difficult 10 find materials pure enough to
make good glass, and therefore it must have been
some time before the original makers could find out
a To- fl,nr~n
they must have very soon arrived at knowledge Of
the properties Of the metallic oxides, by the agency
Of which the cooring processes were effected. To
this more advanced acquaintance with the chemical
principles involved in the art, may be ascribed the
ceiebrIy which the glass works Of Sidon and Alex
andria are said TO have attained But Pliny and
straho tells us that they produced most beautiful
articles which were cut, engraved, gilt and stained
OF the most brilliant colors in imitation Of prosious
stones The Persians and Hndoos must also have
been early acquainted with the manufacture Of glass;
was one Of those discoveries which must have soon
forced itself upon the attention Of any people who
employed furnaces to reduce metallic oxides for the
constituent elements must often have been present,
and the beat was sufficient to fuse Them 1t Ii true
that most Of the glass produced in India was owing
TO the extensive diffusion OF the oxide Of iron in the
Indian soil, OF impure aud almost uniform color
but still, we are told that the natives im-
tated successfully the different varieties of PRE-
cious stones in request amongst them, and
therefore must have possessed some knowledge
of the properties of the metallic oxides The nation
however, which attained the highest reputation for
skill in this manufacture was the Phpnicans. Through
the medium of the Crusaders the different processes
in use amongst them were transferred to Venice,
where they were long kept secret, and supplied the
demands of an extensive and lucrative traO with
the rest of Europe. In the cabinets Of the curious
in such matters are occasionally to be found speci
mems Of early Venetian manufacture, which, although
they cannot be compared with the Bohemian glass
perfected as the latter has been by the applications
Of modern science, yet display very great taste and
skll
TIE researches Of Berzelius having remov cd all
doubts concerning the acid character OF silica, the
general composition Of glass presents now no diff
Guilty Of conception. This substance consists of one
more salts, which slcatts, with bases Of pot
ash, soda, lime, oxide Of ron alumina, or oxide of
lead, in any OF which compounds We can substitute
one OF these bases for another, provided that one
alkaline base be left. Silica in its turn may be
placed by the boracc acid without causing the glass
to lose It's principal characters Under the title glass
are therefore comprehendcd variOus substances,
fusihle at high temperature, solid at ordinary tenn
perature brilliant, more or less transparent, and al
ways brittle. The following chemical distribution Of
glasses II that which s now generally adopted
l. Soluble glass simple siicate Of potash or
soda or Of both these alkaes.
2. Bohemian or crown glass; silicate Of potash
and lime.
8. Common window and gmrror glass, slcate OF
da and lime, aud sometimes also Of potash.
l. Bottle glass siicate Of soda, lime, alumina and
ron.
5. Ordinary crystal glass silicate Of potash and
cad.
g. Flint glass, silicate Of potash and lead, richer
in lead than the preceding.
T. Stmss, scate OF potash and lead, still richer
in lead.
8. Enamel sicate and stannate, or antimonate
Of potash, on soda and lead.
The glasses which contain several bases arc LA.
BILE to suffer different changes when they are melted
or cooled slowly. The silica is divided among these
bases, forming new compounds in) definite proper
tons, which, by crystaizing, separate from each,
80 that the general mixture Of the ingredients which