The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-01-31

aR fnterestina Industry Descrfbed--Tta
Danger to Health.

factory in Streator, ILL.,, thinking that
many people, like myself, are unfamil-
lar with the process of making glass.
To the uninitiated, sitting by the win
dow, tapping the pane idly as you look
through il, it would seem almost an
tmpossibility to say that the window
glass was blown, and yet it is all sim
pie enough when we have seen the
process. There are five glass factories
In Streator--and to digress here Just a
little let me say that they are the only
light things in the muddiest Of all
muddy Illinois towns--that make vari-
Gus kinds of glass ware, from huge
window glass 60x49 to the tiniest of
little perfume bottles.
Having seen bottles, etc, blown, my
steps naturally took the direction of
the largest of the window glass facto-
ries. and having obtained permission
from the superintendent, we were soon
in what is known as the furnace
room," where the main work of glass
making, including the blowing pro-
cess, is done. 1t is novel sight and
one shall not forget soon. The lurid
light Of the many glowing furnaces,
the quietly but quickly moving forms
OF the workmen gliding around in and
among the shadows, made sight that
would require only weak imapina-
tion to seem all but demoniacal. I
am hardly well enough acquainted
with the art to describe the process
minutely, and should any boss blower"
happen to see this article he will please
to-criticise me Aightly.
To continue. First, be it known
that the glass Of commerce is composed
principally of white sand. though
arsenic, lime, soda ash Of some kind
and some minor chemicals, in small
quantities ara essential. The sand
used by ths Streator factories is OBJ
tanned from the bed Of the Fox river.
at Ottawa, and is very fine and almost
q pure white. The first step is to free
the sand from all impurities. This is
done by washing it in huge vats.
After being washed and the COM
pounds completed, consisting of the
various articles already mentioned, the
mixture is put into huge crucible
called "the pot" You have all seen
those little burned clay crucibles Jewel.
ers use. Well, this is quite similar.
oaly 1t is as large as hogshead. This
huge pot is lifted by device quite
similar TO a hook and ladder truck,
except that It has long iron arms. The
whole deyics being on wheels, is rolled
Into the flttnaoe-room and the bot
placed in one Of the ten huge fur
naces. This operation is called "plac-
ing the pot"
Under the intense heat of the fur-
mace, so many degrees that / am afraid
TO tell you-the dres never go out frpm
September to July 31-the mixthfe.
gradually melts, looking like moitet
iron, only of more whitish Color
The men called gatherers, as their
name implies. gather a ball of t3hs
liquid sand by dipping the pipe Into
the crucible and withdrawing ft,I
allowing what clings to the end topar.
tally cool by Slight contact with warm
water.
This process is continued until ball
Is gathered as large as water pail.
This isthen rolled around and around
IN an iron bowl until it assumes al
pear shape. Then the "blower" takeS,I
1t, and now comes the hardest task in |
glass blowing, In starting this solid,
red-hot half molten mass to expand
and assume shape oInething like our
common glass, so great are his efforts
that his cheeks expand to an enormous
size and the sweat starts out in huge
drops. But closely watching the half
transparent glowing mass, you see a
little blubber start in the center, and
thus it rapidly assumes aregulaT demi-
John shape, say two feet long by one
IN diameter. All this time it has.6een
rapidly revolved by the operators par
taking shape from this iron bowl, hav-
ing become sufficiently cold and hard
enough to bear lifting. it is by nice
movement swung upon a crane and
thrust into the furnace, where, by the
exact nicely of long experience, it is
kept in the intense heat until half
melted. II is then withdrawn and
swung by the operator from an ele.
waited platform, round and round his
head much as a professional swings an
indian club, meanwhile forcing air into
It and subjscting it to the heat when
necessary, until he has red-hot cylin-
der of perfect glass, exact in proper
tions, and of uniform thickness, five
feet in length and about fifteen inches
In diameter.
These are then allowed TO cool, and
are cut to one exact length. by stretch
ing small cord of molten glass around |
the,cylinder, allowing it ttoharden, and !
then touching it with a cold iron
which causes the warm crystal to con-
tract so quick that it cracks right off |
as smooth and even as a carpenter
could saw a board These cylinders
are then cut lengthwise in the same
manner, and are then subjected to a
heated furnace intense enough to cause
them to wilt down perfectly fat. This