New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
SAND FOR FINE GLASSWARE
THE VEIN OF ROCK AT MvEYTOwN. PENN.-HOw II
Is PREPARED FOR MARKET.

SAND FOR FINE GLASSWARE.
THE VEIN OF ROCK AT M'vEYTOwN. PENN-How IT
Is PREPARED FOR MARKET.
/ MCNEYTOWN, Penn, Aug 1.-THE sand from
which the finest glassware, crown-gass French plate
and the Ike made is seldom found in large deposits,
in accessible places and IN strata free from impurities
quartz In California which yields - OF gold TO the
ton, Is called in miners language "payrock" and yet
the sand ITSELF out OF which French pategass made
Is worth - ton delivered in the city market. 4
vein OF sandgass discovered over ten years ago
near McVeytown Mifln Co.. Penn, and is being
extensely worked The sand rock occurs, for the
part, In Irregular formation with occasional approach
toward a stratifed condition The rock il hard aud dry
yielding with difficulty to the drill, except where water
penetrates It, forming crevices These soft veins made
by the water are much dreaded by the miners mass
OF THIS sof. rock may fall at any moment and crush or
bury the hapess workman. An old miner said to THE
IRI UNE CORE )ndent: We halnt had accidents
since I've been yer That Is, there haint nobody been
killed One fella sot down ntte neardera blast than
safe and got raised up 70 the top Of the mine and
got the bark peeled o-n lis face aud piece cut outn
his ear, but that all CAST when apeekin
round The corner 10 II the fuse was burnin, tho
thing went of and bunged my eyes with giant powder
Do them black ,ck- 70 and the polluted TO
dirk circle about his eye the memento OF his impru
deuce.
The sand rocks mined b. what called drifting"
excayatiug IN horizontal direction The drift Is made
sixteen feet high aud twenty feet wide. and extends
about 500 feet In different directions from the mouth Of
the mine. With force o sixty men, only about hfty
feet Of rock b. excayafed in year. An analysis Of
the sand shows almost pare silica with slight impurities
OF cobalt shale and slate Under the MICROSCOPE beau
tiful crystals In the sand The rock tae mine
OF marble white color, with few tnts OF yellow aud
green The air in the drift Is cold and damp, and Is
kept pure by ventlators running to the top OF the
ground. temperature OF about 400 prevails in the
mine, winter and summer.
The sand is taken on Of tho mine in snail han!-cars,
carried up inclined plane IN the cars by ste n
power and then dumped ato the crusher The crusher
something Ike large cOfcemil and breaks the sand
rock up into pieces, ready for the pu!yerzer
This consists OF two large castron wheels four feet IN
diameter and ton in weight, which roll around,
like wagouwhees in a circular pan Water j. kept con-
saniy pouring into the aa, TO help on the process OF
grinding and carry sand along 10 sieve, which
takes all Jumps that have escaped from the
pouderous weight Of the pulveriAug weees The sieve
IS made Of brasswire IN the shape Of cylinder about
three feet in length and foot and
nalf in diameter, ana reyoyes like
a aoulbonng machine. After passing through TIE
scye the sand carried along trough by the water
injo the wasAer Al the lower OF This tie sand is
forced up trough b. means Of spiral conveyers,
which act on the principe OF the Afehlmrde7 screw;
Thence toe sand hud down another uOIsh n.ied
wafer u, the end OF which there l. an escape LOT
the imPu es. luis Opefatl'! Is IeP'atu tultc uHe7;
when the sand passes INTO a4other -pa conteyer ana
called sac drlA-f WAtr- IT
distributed over la.yc surface fr d'alng OF the
water. The hOOr 81 the room Is perforated with large
hoes From uruer th- saud j. carried 10 tlt Try
er large recriyil gcues containing Le.-WOrN o ron
Pipe, through whch strau passes. As the sand dilcs
il drops INTO a Handicapped trough AMI nom tAAt
p,-.s into convey cr ana ga nee 10 an c.evator Inc
sand comes from the drve I'm and almost whlte az
flour rae elevator carries IL up INTO tower TO facilitate
the work Of l1udlug
the sand ready for the market, much ~ 1t as
be- made into mae glassware. Ihht which IA
intended fOl irOustOuc ClluaWarc however must %
through another process, before It l. ready Tor the
market. After lcayiu- the dryer tie SAND II pun Hio
"a large drIa made OF wrought iron, about slA ieet Ia
iu-th and three feet IA diameter, FOR tie purpose OF
brinz rtpulYerlZed. one ton OF tue sand ana ton ud
"A half OF what here called " black damon IL or
sian pebbles" put into the drum. some OF
h.irc To- Land spar They about large a. mems
eg Being than the saul they PuIYcrlI" II -
friction. portion OF the black diamonds IS
process, put when TIE Hand Is Wade INFO
ud harmed, Ia "a OF tie same cO4Of Trough
out Ofrr pebbles could be used in puYrTZ = Dut inc
dusL they on la tue Process ulacJO tho ware
burnt. Thu ume required for reducing one
TINS flic powder /. ReneraIF ten hOur7
.Oycty OF tn 5cNeytDwn sant-worK7 is TIE WY n
cry az the Inue used for drying only, anu the
OF the old Penny Nana canal whitI r. over one
tnOlst4i frei the work. is used Tor diving tue
machinery by system 81 wire cables ana bAua-NhrtIs
Tic Wlccls set up ma three small towers. thus pe-
venting much slacA IN tlc wire cables Two tur'n
Wltrl-Wuccs used at tie canal Tie rand -hllp a
from this mine amounts 20 ABOUT 23OVO tons % ycAi.
PIttsDurg, ncelng AID ONO cIuts are tAe principal
markets.