The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-10-15

The latter is made Of sn oxide Of tin
Goblets thus treated hrc Known as cui
glass goblets, These are eagerly pur.
chased by visitors. who take them to the
engraving department Of the building to
have engraved upon the outes surface Of
tho bowls their names, surmouuted by
wreatbs of flowers and ornamentcd by the
inevitable 1776--1S76.
A specially Is made OF mementoes OF
the exhibition, such as engraved urns and
go6lois, busts Of Washington and other
celebrities not forgetting Grant-to.
gotber with paper weights aud other fan.
cy articles. having pressed up into them
from the bottom, mculds Of Centennial
buildings. Some of tho busts are made
to resemble marble by nsing cry.
olite, arsenic or phosphate Of lime as one
of the ingredients of the melted glass in
the furnace, This renders the glass white
and opaque. Such articles arc less liza.
bio to stain than marble Other busts,
perfectly transparent when cast, are made
to resemble Parian marble by being i'm.
mersed for a few minutes in bydrohuoric
acid. The mould of the centennial build.
ings 10 the paper weights receives the
same appearance by immersing the weight
10 the acid. then grinding the top snrface
on q revolving horizontal wheel covered
with sand and water, and afterward
smoothing il on tho wheels to which the
cut goblets are applied.
A pressed goblet is made by putting a
quantity of melted glass into a wrought
iron or steel mould A press. with the
end just largo enough TO fl the bowl,
then forces tho glaSs into every part Of
the goblet shaped cavity When taken
out the glass resembles two gobiets, base
to base, one much smaller than the other
The smaller is then reheated, opened and
fatteued to form the base of tho now fn.
ished goblet. Glass shoes and other
fancy articles are made in the same way.
Urns or other articles needing handles or
other ornamental sppendagos have these
attached after tho body is moulded. The
engraving is done by means Of u rapidly
revolving copper disc, against tho edge
of which the glass is held. These discs
vary in diameter from balf an inch to
three inches or more. The finer the work
tho finer the disc that is required. They
are kept covercdwith emery and oil to pre-.
vent too great heat. The engravor will put
John Smith" On the glass, in we'll made
old English aud German letters, with no
other gauge than his eye and muscle, ex.
cept two horizontal straight lines one at
the top and tho other at the bottom of
the space to be occupied By the charac.
ters. He will surround the uame with
the prettiest designs at the buyers dcia.
tion or his own invention -and all this
under the disadvantage OF having tho
glass covered with the dark greasy stuff
coming from the ongravor's wheel.
Among tho fancy articles of glass FL.
ameut, made by directing the fame OF
blowpipe upon glass rods, is lady's hat
seemingly of fabric much Gucr than the
finest whito silk, and decorated With nat
ural flowers. This is said to contain over
10000 miles Of spun glass. Another
wonder-although not made of filament
is a steam engine made entirely Of
glass, pumping watcr to glass fountain.
The hy.whcel is about fourteen inches in
diameter, and the pressure five pounds.
The only part of it not glass is the fire.
Appcndages requiring foxibiity, such as
betting are formed Of strung glass beads.
Taken az o whole. tho place is one Of
great interest, aud will repay one for the
visit. 1t required three weeks immedi-
ately preceding the opening Of the Cen
tennial TO fire the furnace up to the
necessary heat; aud it is never allowed
to go out.