Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-24
4 DRESS OF GLASS.
SUCH A ssARfIENT NEARLY COMPILE.
TED IN PITTSBURGH.

SUCH A GARMENT SEAHLY CoMPLE-
TED IN PITTSBURGH.
The Process of fAanuraCture-FanUy Eayen
ports Now Garment.
Pittsburgh Post.
Glass clothing is not q new thing, but
the manufacturing of it in the United
States is. An Austrian named Prensil a,
his establishment at Gaudenslel has fo,
years past manufactured glass cloth
in.,. The first firm in the Unite!
States 20 attempt the novel expert
ment in that of MesSls. Atterburv
4 Co., of the South Side. Pittsburgh
some months agc-;,bout the time Sar,
Bernllantt reached our siores-the local
newspapers We're full of reports Concern
ing Il dress to be manufactured by iiessrs-
Atterbury & Co. for the divine Sara
Since then the fame OF the firm has be
come worldwide. The reports were re
published liz other American newspapcrs
and finally found their way into the news
paDersOf France, Euy!aal, Germany and
indeed OF many other distant countries
| In consequence the firm arc almost daily
| in receipt Of letters from these distant
| countries inluiring about the novel cloth
| ing, asking how it is made and requesting
full Information concerning the process OF
| manufacturing it. They have also re
ce!Vcd many letters from Canada and
| scores upon scores OF Communications
| rrcm cities o! our own country.
! But much that has been said WAS pre-
mature. 1t was not until within :. lew
days past that the firm actually did ma kt
q dress OF glass. 1t is Il child's dress and
the garment Is now al :. trimming stor2
| receiving the finishing touches. In 4 few
days it viii! be exhibited in one of the
| prominent windows on Fifth avenue,
Pittsburgh. \ reporter was permitted t.
see the dress on condition that he withhold
the name of tho trimming store. Thc
garment is probably three feet long, ll;,,
| short sleeves and is nearly as soft and
| flexible to the toach as silk or satin. The
dress is open at the back. and will be
fastene! by hooks and eyes sewed o..
| to pieces OF linen which are tackled to the
glass. The garment is not composed en-
| tirely of glass, as silk cords are woven il:
to III Ike it more durable. The cylrle.!
trimmings are made OF feathery glass
which resemble raw cotton in appearance.
Glass will not absorb dirt like linen or cot.
ton, but from: frequent handling the ga:
| mcnt has been soi.cd in several places
| These stains will be removed by spong:
and water, after which the dress will b,
pressed with {; hot hon. The dress il
white in color, and has n rich. brilIian:
lustrc not unlike white satin 4 richer o,
more beautiful dress is seldom seen.
The average reader will find it difficult
to conceive how glass can be relieved OF
its britt!eness. y description OF the pro
cess OF spinning glass may partially relieve
this difficulty. Rods OF any desired length
and color, averaging half an inch in diane
ter, are drawn out from glass OF the quail
| ty from which table Ware is made The
glass rods are then placed with one sa5 OF
ends five or six feet distant from III, op-
! posite spinning wheel, eight and one halt
feet in diameter. The glass ends nearest
| the spinning wheel are cxposei t. the
| flames OF gas jets, and when the glass has
| been melted by the heat a thread Of it is
| drawn from the rod and attached to the
periphery Of the wheel, which ll,S a face
| about twelve inches wide. The wheel is
| then set Ii. motion. 1t makes three hun
drcd revolutions :: minute. and winds
the thread coming :rcm between the
gas Jets at the rate of about 1900 feet per
minute. y finer thread is obtained by in
cfcaslng this rate of speed and coarsci
by decreasing it. Although the thread be-
comes cool Ii. passing from the flames to
the wheel. 1t yet preserves very much Of
its elasticity. After the threads have been
wound upon the wheel. the layers are
easily removed, and after having been cut
into length, required. and woven in =
loom resembling that used in weaving silk
fabrics. Both the warp and the woot of
the material arc OF glass. The handling
of the glass threads is the chief difficulty.
for they are 50 fine that two hundred and
fifty OF them make bunch smaller around
than an average sized darnng needle. The
threads arc soft and quite elastic, but they
do not have the fleXibility of linen or cot
ton. a thread OF linen may be tied into a
knot, thread of glass may be twisted i,,,
to loop, but snaps off before the knot be-
comes hard and solid ike the knot in a
thread Of linen. In appearance the G very
fine threads have 4 rich color like that of
raw cotton. They form beautiful fringe
which adds vastly to the appearance of the
dress.
The reporter subsequent, called upon
Mr.. ). 5. Atterhury for further inforin;l-
tion. He freely admitted that glass cloth
ing is not practicable for everyday wear.
and can never take the place OF cotton or
woo!cn Or other textile fabrics. 4 fancy
glass dress for a lady would cost from
$500 to $500, accortin. to the trimmings
and colcrs used. 1t is all folly to suppose
that garments can bc manuiaccur from
glass. rs cheap?y as from cotton or linen
or even satin. The clothing would be
durable and would tloubtias attract great
attention if it incaScd the sl,apcly form of
Fanny Davenport upon the stige or the
tall and graceful figure OF Sara Bern
hardt. The glass can also be manu-
ftctured into wigs which would far sur
pass in attractivencss the powdered hair
worn by ladies on fashionable |
occasions. 1t is also woven into ne:.t |
scarfs. one Of which will bc on exhibition |
with the dress above described.
The firm will manufacture dress cut |
after the latest fashion and with the |
usual long train, for Fanny Davenport. |
They may also make a dress to be worn
by S ara Bernhardt, but the customer in
each case must pay roundly tor the gar
mcnt.