The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-01-05
GLASS HOUSES.
The Brittle Habsaanee Better fer Bald
ing Purposes than stone.
rPittsburQ Dispatch1

The Brittle Sabsaanee Better for Bald
ing Purposes than stone.
lPittsburg Dispatch.l
Perhaps not on builder or contractor
in ten, if told that the common grades
of glass made at the glass factories in
this city have crushing strength nearly
four times as great as that credited by
experienced engineers to the strongest
quality Of granite, would accept the
statement as true. Yet it is a fact, and
being 80, the query as to why glass has
not received more after ton from archl-
tects as q structural material naturally
suggests itself. A reporter had talk
with several prominent glass manufac-
turers ON the subject, and in answer to
an interrogatory as to whether blocks OF
glass could be made in suitable lengths
and sizes and so annealed as to be utll-
lied in the construction of building In
place of stone, they raid it could be
done. Said one Of these gentlemen
"This question has been considered by
myself number Of times, and, although
1 do not want to advocate the absolute
abolition of brick and stone, yet in the
erection of art galleries, memorial build
ings, ETC., O structure composed OF
blocks of glass in prismatic colors would
be a unique, beautiful and lasting
structure. With the numerous inven-
tions which have come into use of late
years in connection with the production
of glass, the cost has been gradually
going down, while the quality of the
fabric is steadily becoming better.
"One objection which would be raised
to the durability of glass house, in the
Literal sense of the words, might be that
the blocks would not take q bind, or ad-
here together with common mortar.
This objection can be readily set aside
| by the use of good cement, and when
completed the structure will stand for
ages, barring extraordinary accidents.
As to the cost of a glass house, it can be
kept down to small percentage above
the price of our cut granite. In build
ing with stone you have to pay the stone
masons, and when it comes to elaborate
examples of carving in Corinthian pill
lars, collars, capitals, etc. why the work
] is rather costly as compared with glass,
! when the latter can be nodded into any
shape or form, and the work accom-
! plished in much less time. I am con-
vinced that the time will come when we
will see such a building erected. Scarcely
day passes but what the sphere of glass
as an article of use becomes widened.
In parts of Germany and on one line in
England glass ties are being used on
railroads, and thus far have given salts
faction, combining all of the requisites
of wooden ties with the virtue of being
susceptible to usage at least twenty five
per cent. longer than wood. Then by
the Bastra process glass articles are now
being made for common use which can
be thrown on the floor and will rebound
like rubber ball. Progress is also
being made towards rendering glass,
which has ever been characterized as the
brittle fabric, ductile, and to-day threads
of glass can be made that can be tied in
knots and woven into cloth. We're one
disposed to give play to fancy and fuse
it into fact, house entirely composed
of glass could be built with walls and
roof and floors fashioned from melted
sand. Carpets of glass could cover the
floors. The most ultra sesthete, sitting
on glass chairs or reclining on glass
couches, arrayed in glass garments, eat
ing and drinking from glass dishes, such
one could realize that the age of glass
had come. Yet nearly all of this fifty
years ago would have been classed with
the then impossible telephone and cleo
trio light, and this statement would have
likely found its place in the Catalogue
Expurgatoros.