The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-01-06
GLASS HOUSES.
The Brittle Substance Better for Build
ing Purposes than stone

IPttsbuTg Disratch
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 a 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 fact, and
/ being SO, the query as TO why glass has
/ not received more after ton from archl-
! tects as a 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 said 1t could be
done. Said one of these gentlemen
This question has been considered by
myself a number of times, and, although
do not want to advocate the absolute
abolition of brick and stone, yet IN the
erection of art galleries, memorial build
ingS, etc, a structure composed OF
blocks Of glass in prismatic colors would
be unique, beautiful and lasting
structure With the numerous inyen-
tons 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 bind, or adj
1 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 a 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 Corlnthlan Pill
I lars, collars, capitals, etc, why the work
{ Is rather costly rs compared with glass,
2 when the latter can be nodded into any
/ shane or form, and the work accom-
plished in much less time. l am con-
WINGED that the time viii come when We
F will see such a building erected. Scarcely
. a dav passes but what the sphere of glass
/ as an article of use becomes widened-
/ In parts of Germany and on one line III
England glass ties are being used on
railroads, and thus far have given salts
. faction. combining III OI lilt Ietl ulblltS
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 viii rebound
/ hike a 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 ia
knots and woven into cloth. Were one
/ disposed to give play to fancy and fuse
4 it into fact, a 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 aesthetic, sitting
on glass chairs or reclining on glass
couches, arrayed in glass garments, eat
ing and drinking from glass dishes, such
( a one could realize that the age of glass
had come. Yet nearly ali of this fifty
wears 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.