Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-12-18
Excelsior and Wheeling Glass
Works.

From the Intelligencer, by an old employed
Sweeney, McCiuney d Co. are the
proprietors of these works, which are
located in OUR neighboring town OF
Martins Ferry. Thirty-nine years ago
Mr.. Sweeney came to Wheeling and
commenced the glass business.
In 1861, with Mr.. Phillips as part
ner, under the name of NJ. Sweeney &
Co., he built small furnace on the site
of the present works, and commenced
anew the struggle with fortune. For
want of means the enterprise ih a short
time was likely to fail, when Col. Jas.
McCluney, of Wheeling, put his shoul-
der to the wheel, and with Mr.. Swee-
ney, prepared to enter upon scale OF
business worthy of the latter gentle
mans skill end experience. They con-
tinued the small establishment in Mar
tins Ferry, and in addition leased the
old North Wheeling factories, and the
work went bravely and successfully on.
In 1863 the working capital of the
firm was increased by the addition OF
Joseph Bell to the partnership, under
the title OF Sweeney, Bell d Go. The
work was carried on with ever-increas-
ing success until 1867, when Bell retir.
ed.
In 1860, Sweeney, McCluney & Co,
having completed their present factory
vacated their Wheeling works and con-
centrated their energies and capital al
Martins Ferry. The factory, situated
Immediately upon the bank of the riv.
er, is 235 feet long and los feet wide,
and has three furnac25-ten extra large
pots in each. There. are eight large
tempering furnaces. Upon the shelves
properly labeled and most convenient.
ly arranged stand $4,000 value in
mOulds alone. On the outside are the
four coke ovens where they manufac.
ture their own fuel and the gas works
(COnley's patent) from Which the whole
building is lighted.
The wareroom, built in 1869, is one
hundred and fifty feet long and fifty
feet wide and stands ON the south side
of the street from the factory, and is
.cOnnectcd thereto by covered bridge
between the second stories of each bull
ding. Both buildings have iron roofs,
and the whole premises is provided
with an effective fire apparatus. The
basement of the warehouse is the store
room of the vast supplies of materials
commensurate with the productive ca
pacity of the works. Recognizing that
full two-thirds of the cost of glass goods
was expended in labor Messrs. SWee-
'ney d McCluney, protiting by expert
ence, have so symtenatized their Op-
erations as to consummate the very
largest productions with the least p0ssi-
BILE amount of labor. From the mate
rial room to the wareroom above it ev-
erything moves in one continuous cir
Gle, not a single retrograde movement
nor one unnecessary handling of goods.
The company have abandoned the old
English custom of tour work and have
adopted the more modern plan of piece
work as giving very large gain in the
production of goods as well as being a
more remunerative policy towards
their hands. Their lines or goods en-
brace an extensive Variety of pressed.
blown and cut ware as well as lamps
and lamp chimneys. They employ
three hundred persons, and their daily
product IN value amounts to one thouS-
and dollars.
While Messrs. Sweeney d. McCluney
cannot, perhaps, strictly speaking, bel
said to have any special line of goods,
yet they have many special improve
ments, both in goods and machinery,
OF Mr.. Sweeney's invention and secur-
ed to them by letters patent. OF the
many improvements which have made
the production of glass goods remuner-
ative at very low prices, and added that
beauty Of finish of which even the COM
monest glassware is susceptible, it is
but fair to say that large proportion
)f them are the result of Mr.. Sweeney's
research and careful expert
nent. Others in neighboring cities
nave never failed to seize upon and APP !,
'ropriate these improvements without