Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-24


The WashingtOn Glass works.
NEW AVID SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE.
a Practical illustration If Osr Faei.,,es for Nan
IaetHrn9.
There are hundreds of peISOns in this city,
and probably many more in the District, who
do not know that there is large glass man
Gfactory in successful operation here. The
works are on the corner of 18th street west
and street north, near Rock Creek, and
hey are now IN IuH operation A charter
was granted by Congress authorizing a Joint
stock company shut since that time Mr.. Jno.
Purdy has become owner of the entire property
The buildings are OF wood, on q stone founda-
ton, and are quite extensive, and the location is
well adapted for the business. A furnace stands
in the middle OF the largest room. built of fire
brick. I'm which there are six openings, called
pots, for melting the glass. Each pot il CAPABLE
of containing fourteen hundred pounds of molten
Ia work il.
The line of work they are engaged ON now is
lamp chimneys, table glass and druggists pre-
script1on ware. Mr.. j. j. Christie is the super
Intendent OF the entire work, to whom we are
indebted for eourtesies and an explanation of
many points of interest in connection with the
business OF glass blowing. This establishment
turns out a good quality OF glassware as can
be produced anywhere in this country. Large
numbers OF tumblers are made here daily, which
are shipped tO Baltimore and to New York;
also, large lots of table ware, which il sent
South. In fact, there is no want of market
land, Me-, there being no material in that sec
them.
The sand used is obtained in Prince GEORGES
county, Maryland, about fourteen miles from
this city, and none better has ever been dis
covered in this country for the purpose of
making this class Of glass In this country, glass
work is divided into three grades, the finest de-
scriptions manufactured being flint glass which
n also the most costly. This grade of glass work
ing is carried on to great extent i'm Boston and
M hs eyf ia haiti n \.
which Is the grade or class of glass made here and
the next in order Is the green or bottle glass and
lis the eoarsest kind made. This is the only
establishment south OF Baltimore that makes %
hne quality of lime wares.
1he sand, after being properly prepared, IL
placed into a receiver in the mixing ROOM when
the other materials are added, and here il il
worked, over and over, until thoroughly mixed
This mixture is called a "batch, !" and II is then
shovelled into the pots in the furnace where
aoo1' s ; nS1ds tune Is required in melting it
night, and the pots are all ready for the Jour
neymen in the morning.
There are about forty men and boys at pres
ent employed in this establishment and among
them only about fifteen are journeymen glass,
blowers, the rest being helpers and apprentices
In the mornings the furnace is opened and all
hands go to work, each party to its respective
pot, some making one kind Of wares. and some
another. Long iron tubes are used far TAKING
out the glass, which readily adheres to the ends
when thrust into the semi-huid The blower
then. after rolling il on an iron table termed a
s'marven,'' To give il a compact mass annIes
his mouth TO the other end of the tube, when
instantly bubble of air Is observed i'm the
melted glass which is increased i'm a few mo-
ments 10 the required size, and then manipula
ted into any shape by the rolling, twiriing and
moulding process; the style of working being
varied To suit the Kind of wares desired to be
made.
Open glassware, such as tumblers, &C., re-
quires To be made in moulds, which are RIM
under a press, and the inside formed in an in
slant. the process being similar to that of max
ing TN or iron ware by dies Each of these
monlds and presses require three men and three
BOYS 10 work them. and they can turn out twelve
hundred tumblers per day on each press
The plain glass lamp chimney does not require
mould, the shape beng given by the blower
while the glass l. hot by rolling it on the table
There is a moulded chimney IN USE which is
made here. but il has not become 80 generally
used as the smooth round one. Anything i'm the
line of blown wares can be male at this estab-
lishment.
A finishing furnace much smaller is also used
here, which Is run with oil and alter for its fuel
IN the proportion Of about To -. This makes
the hottest kind OF FIRE, and when i'm full opera
ton the white heat is produced All moulded
or pressed glass ware has to be finished in this
furnace, otherwise il is not good This heat re-
moves all sulphur from the glass, making il pure
and white and giving il polish. The annealing
process 10 temper the ware finishes the process.
This is done by passing the manufactured glass
slowly through hot ovens and allowing il to cool
gradually
The sand used here is found to he superior tn
Ihe virginia or lOIlda SANDS, which have been
tried here. The principal materials used in the
manufacture of glass are abundant all around
us-sand- lime, coal and soda ash-while the IA
eilities for Shipment are equal to those in the
most favored localities. The moulds and presses
are made in Pittsburg, Pa, mostly, but from a
specimen for bottle, made by Mr.. John Nc
Clellan, of this city, and pronounced by experts
to be perfect, We judge that all this part of the
work will soon be done here also
A days work here now Is four hundred Dozen
chimneys and one hundred dozen tumblers.
Druggists wares are made mostly to order but
a great deal used IN common by the trade is kept
ready, and can be furnished at short notice
This establishment il a success and as sure to paw
as the Washington Gas Company works, which
we're started within the me mory of US ALL and
under dubious auspices, was thought at the
time Tins glass establishment of Mr.. Purdy's
rs an example Of what can be done in WASH
mgton In the way Of manufacturing, and we
hope our capitalists, who are slow to embark in
any enterprise involving the risk Of money, viii
make a note of il.