Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-11-17
HOW GLASS is M ADE
WIsHEN-GTo.y E.NTERPRTsE.
THE NEW GLASS WORKS.
The Buildings, Machinery, Furnaces. Poa, &c.
Description Of the Materials Used and the
Processes OF Manufacture.

Processes OF Manufacture.
Having occasion yesterday 20 visit the north
western portion Of the city, our reporter dropped
into the new glass mandatory OF John Purdy,
Esq., situated on y and esth streets. n viii be
remembered that these works were destroyed
by IRE on the 10th OF April last. throw ing out OF
employment q large number OF men, and in
yoiving loss OF over go, 80 90 the proprietor.
The old structure was OF wood. aud nothing was
EFT OF IL after the fire but the chimney and the
ron portion OF the machinery. rendered worth
less by the heat. Not discouraged by this Sc
r:ous loss, the proprietor MT. Purdyl soon set
Of a substantial hfe-procf building which ha.
been finished, aud rev machinery set up in IL
on . much larger scale than I'm the old structure,
THE Buildings.
The main building Is u feet long bv " feet
wide, with wing - feet long by ~ feet wide.
room, % feet square. The whole i baiit Of
brick, and covered with galyanized iron roof,
and all the grounds are sdclosed by q high
board fence. Every precaution has been taken
10 guard against another IRE.
INTERIOR ARRANGKxKNTs.
The lear, or long furnace used for finishing
q tss sssn Su iesh lOns u sss ,o .
room, where all the wares manufactured ar
thoroughly examined before they are packed ~
ior shipment The southwest part u intended
tor nal king cut glassware and for show-roome.
The engine is Of ten-horse- power capacity, and
was made by Messrs. Gray & Moves. IL per
forms the work OF grinding the clay and spawls
the machinery used in grinding and cutting tue
glass, and also turns the fan which supplies the
drausht for the furnace and "glory holes" The
potroom, where the crucibles are made, il in
the basement Of the l. OF the structure.
THE POTS
are made OF clay, imported from Germany a.
great cost, none having yet been found in this
country 20 answer the purpose as well The
clay IL Of dark gray color, and comes in square
blocks, just a. il IL cut out Of the mines, and 10
very hard, requiring considerable force 90 crush
il 10 the proper size to be put into the hopper
for grinding. Another mill is used for grinding
up the old pots which crack or are worn out.
These are ground 10 Tine dust, and with equal
parts OF new clay mixed with the old, forms the
material from which the new vessels are made.
These clays are mixed with water and kneaded
constantly for several days Before the potter can
use the paste to form into pots. Each pot has TO
be fashioned by hand, and built up slowly, the
layers careful kne AIDED into each other, reluir-
ing several days TO make one. The weight when
finished Is about 600 pounds each and they have
to lay from three 10 SIX months to get dry and
well seasoned before they can be used. whenone
Of them cracks while I'm use all the molten glass
(some 900 or 100 pounds) runs into the ''cave"
under ground, and under the stack, where II IL
left to cool and then recovered and melted AGAIN
ssas 81 hsS II
furnace prepared for the purpose, where they
are heated gradually TO a white heat, and while
ture in The stack. which also Is kept at the same
degree of heat, where they have 20 be properly
placed and built around with fire-brick and a
cement used tor the purpose while at this heat,
and all done quickly before il gets too cool.
otherwise the work will not stand, and all has
TO be done over again. When the pot IL fairly
in, ano heated melted glass is spisshed all over
the insade, which adhercE 20 the clay, making a
surface which never comssoff. 1t is now really
to receive the materials which form the glass.
how GLASS WARE Is MADE.
The materials for the manufacture OF glass
namely;-Sods ash, lime, sand, red lead and
3rosen glass, are prepared in the mixing room,
hours to melt them TO a condition 20 be blown
or moulded. When ready for use the workman
thrUsfs an iron tube into the hot mas. and turn
ing it around in his hand, he draws Il out with
knob OF red-hot glass adhering 70 the end,
which be takes to an iron table ard rolls until
OF a uniform thickness, which NJ the same time
eiongates the MAS, and then blowing in At the
other end of the tube, a crystal bubble Is pro-
duced OF the desired size, and before IL Is cool IL
IL formed into a lamp chimney, globe, or tufu-
bler, lust as desired Atthe present time nothing
machinery not being in readiness tor moulding.
II takes
FOUR NrS TO MAKE LAMP CHIMNEY,
Damely;-A workman 20 gather the glass on the
end OF the tube and elongste il by rolling IL,
when ii ia hsrded TO the :" blower" who blows
II 70 the proper size and passes Il 70 the shear
q, who shapes II by opening the end OF the
bubble and expanding IL BY means OF his shears.
de then cuts II of where il connects with the
tube. IL Is then taken up by an instrument IN
tuC VI auOIutI NOIkIlAD uclQ N lfC
glory hole" until il is heated red-hot, and Is
afterwards smoothed OF on the sharp edges
around the top. This is called "l esring," and
ne the finishing process. There are two of these
tearing furnaces for finishing blown glass, each
OF which contains SIX glory holes" The lear
ing furnace for the moulded glass is not IN use
vet, that branch OF the work not having been
commenced. The large chimney stack con-
iains SIX OF the pots for melting the glass, only
three OF which are used az present. bat IN q
short time they will all be at work.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MATERIALS Used.
The sand used for these works is brOuCht
rom the lower Potomac, and is found 20 be OF q
purer quality than that heretofore used, 10 con-
tanning more silica and less iron. thus making
a very white glass. Iron IN the sand gives
greenish hue, which is not always desirable.
Cobalt is uEed in giving blueish color 70 glass
bottles, and other chemicals for various other
colors. Indigo is sometimes used, but the heat
soon burns il all out OF the pots, but cobalt -
proof against heat. There Is much 10 interest
the spectator in the operation of the glass manu.
facture, and when the moulding. cutting and
grinding process begins and the large lear Is in
operation, which will be in a few weeks, tie
process will be much more interesting.
wAsHIrGToSIANs DID ALL THe wOIK.
Mr.. Augustus Davis built the brick work Of
the establishment, MeSsrs. Morsell s. bearing
tbe carpenter's work and MIR. narrower put on
the galvanized iron roof Messrs GRAY s. Moves
furnished the engine and boiler and George r.
Kirk did the painting. The business bids fair 20
he great success and viii no coubt have TO be
extended q the demand for the wares are
constantly Increased, they beng OF . superior
quality 10 most Of the glass ware in the market.
The whole establishment % under the superin-
tendance of DIR. w. =. Wallace, son-in-lsw OF