The Evansville journal., 1869-11-29
LETTER FROM NEW ALgANY.
Municipal RiValPy-M3nufactuFes-
How Plate Glass is Mades dc.
New ALBANY. Nov. 25. 1869.

Editors journal:
There has been brief let up of
those melancholy days "-in the
saddest of the year which have been
the order of affairs for the last six or
seven weeks. We have had sunshine
for nearly whole day, and the result
is, people look little more bright and
cheerful.
/ feel the effect myself, and, having
a spare half hour. conclude to bestow
it upon your readers, giving them
few items touching this City oe the
Falls"
Ever since / can remember there
has been a petty newspaper war car
ried on-often / have thought for the
nonce of it between this city aud
Evansville. Twenty years ago, which
is as long as / can remem Der, New
Albany was considerably affected with
I" enormity of the head, " and It threat
ened not only to possess all along
shore" on this eide of the river, but,
possibly, the other side also, as for
example, taking away the trade of
Louisville. Property at that time was
wonderfully inflated. and then the
bubble burst, and not few who had
been bold dealers in it lost largely,
and things were at a stand-stiil.
But, looking at our two cities 10
Indiana, / feel like saying, with our
great chieftain, Let us have peace "
Jet Z. and N. A, wave to each other
the olive branch. New Albany is
learning her true policy. She cannot,
like Evansville, become an important
commercial city. Louisville, in this
respect, is not only oyershadowing
her, but is going to " eat her up"
Her true policy is manufactures, and
her capitalists are beginning to accept
it. She has a vast capital thus in
vested.
There are three articles of manu-
facture that are worthy OF note
wooden, iron and glass. [ see by the
paper this morning that the New
Albany Woolen Works" have Just
received a beautiful bronze medal for
the best tectile fabrics manufactured
at the West. It came from Cincin-
natl, and was awarded at the exhibi-
| ton held there in August last. Be-
| sides several foundries, there are two
rolling mills. The Falls City Iron
| Works" commenced some few years
ago, combining with the rolling of
iron the manufacture Of nails. Owing
to the demand for the first, the manu-
| facture of nails has been suspended
for the past year, but [ understand
that they are rigging up improved ma
chinery, and in a little while will fur
nish one of the best articles in the
market, and in immense quantities
| The other works are giving special at
tention to railroad iron. Ii was here
| that the longest rails ever rolled in
| the country were turned out, and
were exhibited in the late procession
connected with the Commercial Con.
veution at Louisville. One was tweu.
ty-seyen feet. long, the other thirty
feet.
But it is in glass that New Albany
is taking the lead Of the whole West
| There are two of these now. Greai
advantage is had here In finding, on
the New Albany and Salem Railroad
one of the finest qualities of sand il
the world. | heard a citizen say, q
few days ago, that it would not be
more than three years till New AL
bany would make sales In glass alone
to the amount of three millions Of
money.
| I see by the morning paper that
Mr.. Ford, of the State Glas!
Works." has published notice tha
under no circumstances will visitors
be permitted to visit the works. Thi!
Will be q great disappointment tC
many, as they have just commenced
the manufacture of plate glass. Your
humble servant can congratulate him
self on having been permitted to see
the first plate of glass Success
! fully) rolled west of the noun
tains. Attempts were made, years
but both failed The process IS ST
simple, and yet so beautiful, that
cannot help describing it. An In
mense table IL feet by 6 of solid iron
weighing some twenty-seven tons
and pianed as smooth as a DRAWN.
room table Is necessary. The melted
glass, in crucibles holding fully hal
barrel each, is then brought Il
white heat" The furnace doc
being open, a huge pair Of clasp
upon wheels, embraces enc of these
brings 1t out, setting it upon an iroE
pedestal, from which ether irol
clasps, swinging from a derrick, lif
1t up to the iron table and 1t Is pOure(
out Just before a massive iron roller
some eighteen or twenty inches il
diameter, which rolls tie slight,
fluid mass of white glass about a
gently, steadily and easily as woman
rolls out her pie paste. As the rolle-
passes the whole surface spots ant
glistens as if half dollar piece
were inlaid; then the hue rapid.
changes to dark scarlet. when tn
huge plate is transferred (by slidiny
it) to q huge truck, on which it j
wheeled TO the tempering furnace
into which it is transferred by tn
same sliding motion. Here it is kep
for seven days, the heat Of the furnace
: being gradually reduced until eDtireI
. cooled, when the plate (Which NAV b,
either half an inch thick or an incl
: and half, as they choose to make Il
! is first ground by the action of wheel
, or stones working horizontaIIv. an,
f then polished into its perfect smooth
ness. With ell this time and labor
no wonder that plate glass, such a
are found of huge size in our elegon
! store-windows, is SO expensive.
! But / must stop. The days of Me-
) Albany's improvement and growth i
Z wealth are at haud.
! Yours NJ