The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-06-11
some Curious Facts About Window.
Glass,

FoR centuries the houses of our ances-
tors were not only without window-glass
but without windows, and many years
passed after they began to make openings
in the facades OF their habitatiOns before
the use Of window-glass became general.
During the Gallo Roman epoch the
houses Of the rich, built in the Roman
style, received their light almost wholly
from an interior court of asrisn. This
mode excluded oil idea of . window. We
do not speak of the houses of the poor.
They were only miserable huts, whose
only light was received from the door.
How long this obscurity lasted it is i'm
possible to tell; certain it is, however,
that windows did not begin to make their
appearance in France until toward tie
Carlovingian epoch, and that as late as
the middle of the fifteenth century win
dow-glass was an object of luxury among
the French. At that period windows
were closed in France in some instances
by wooden blinds, in others by waxed
linen or oiled paper, as is evidenced by
this passage in an account dated 1854:
"Two ellis of waxed linen for the win
dow of the chamber of the said queen
az chateaw de Melan" And this other:
+" Four wooden sashes to hold the paper
for the windows of the seid chamber in
position, and oil for the paper to render
it more transparent"
A writer of the fourth century was the
first to say anything about window-glass.
He saws somewhere that the soul sees and
distinguishes objects through the eyes of
the body "as through windows furnished
with glass"
closing the opening in their window-sash
with ANYTHING but white, transparent
stone. Probably their white stone" was
leaves of tale, such as is still. used for
window. panes in certain parts of Russia.
The Romans used another natural
product. q sort of shell, to close the
few windows they had, and in the
sashes of the litters of the patricians.
The learned have frequently discussed
the question whether the ancient Romans
used glass in their windows or not, and
the question would still be open to dis
cussion if it had not been settled in the
Affirmative by discoveries recently made
in the ruins of Pompeii. It is pretty evil
dent from the thickness and general aP.
pearance of the window-glass Of Pompeii
that it was nodded and not blown.
It is probable that glass.blowing was
known in France as early as the thirteenth
century, and yet two centuries later win.
dow-glass was very rare even in the royal
palaces. In 1913, when the Duchess of
Berry retired to the chateau Of Montpen-
sier, the Receiver General had some sash
made for the windows Of the chateau, in
order to close them with waxed linen, as
there ia no glass to be had" More than
q century later. in 1867, it is very curious
to see the steward of the Duke of North.
cumberland propose to take the glass out
of the sash of His Lordship's chateau and
keep it in q secure place during the time
the chateau is unoccupied. =" Because"
saws the careful and economical steward,
the glass in the window of this and
other chateaux and houses arc injured and
spoiled by the high winds, it would be
we'll to have it all taken out and put in
safe place when His Lordship leaves. On
His Lordship's return the glass may be re-
placed in the sash at slight cost, while
the injury it would sustain if allowed to
remain in position during his long ab-
sence would be very great, and the repairs
would cost considerable sum-"
In Scotland, window-glass was very
rare a. late as during the seventeenth
century. As late as in the year 1861 the
Kings palace had no glass in the first
story, the windows on this floor being
closed by wooden shutters.
An interesting historic fact is men
toned by Sauzay, French writer, which
shows us clearly enough that the use of
window-glass Is of quite modern date.
II Is this: At the end of the last century
not hundred years ago-there were still
men, not only in the smaller provincial
cities of France, but even in Paris, who
followed the profession of ehGsstssiers-
artisans skilled in FASTING oiled paper
into window-sash. Msstic at this period
was little used. Another substitute for
glass was found in horn. For a
long time it furnished compare
lively transparent leaves for windows
and for lanterns. Horn was also
used a. we now use thick glass TO ad-
NIT light between the decks of vessels. At
certain epochs parchment has also been
used for windows. In Asistic Turkey
and in China the windows in most cases
are closed Is they were closed in Europe
during the middle ages. In Japan the
material most in use is . transparent paper
in appearance very like white silk
Hearth and Home.