The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-11
Cut Glass.

The manufacture of glass has always
pcen All attractive and interesting
study, and many of your readers will
doubtless recall with pleasure. prob.
ably: the only insight they have ever
had into the details OF it's production
us they fingered around the glass-works
OF our Centennial Exposition, 50 fasci-
mated with tho process by which tho
1alry-like shapes we're formed in crys-
tai, they were loath to pass on to other
attractions so patiently waiting to ab-
sorb their attention in some new quar-
Ter. 1T will probably be news to some,
but nevertheless u fact, that the cut
glass now beng produced i'll America
rivals the very finest specimens impor-
cd: III cutting as we'll as in purity and
brilliancy Of material.
Ihe present demand upon the manu-
facturers, from the leading houses i'm
New York and Philadelphia, and, in
fact, all large cities, is 80 great they
require Il long time for delivering Of
orders. One Of the largest furnaces for
the manufacture of glass, from tho
most ordinary lamp chimney to tho
largest fruit bowl, destined to adorn
some aristocratic sideboard on Fifth
avenue, or perhaps our own West End.
IL located at Corning, in the State of
New York, where one may follow the
sand, creamy white and clean, to its
fiery bed, note the addition of the
''fux," and then turning to other aper-
lures III the great stack, see the molten
mass drawn from crucibles in incanLe-
scent bulbs deepening rapidly to orange,
as IL rolled. blown, and shaped into
something cOmely and useful.
This pure white sand comes from
Cheshire, in Berkshire county, Mass
mat 1T may be melted there is mixed
with 1t oxide of lead, sulphurate of
potash, saltpetre, boraX, and arsenic
III proper quantities. This is put into
cruclDles, which are subjected to the
1lercest furnace heat for thirty-six
hours before it becomes clear. These
cruclbles are made Of clay from Mis-
souri, called "Christie fire. -clay.n This
is mixed and softened by treading with
tho feet and then moulded into shape
10y hand. Each cruciDle will hold u
ton. Ten Of these are built into each
furnace. In these furnaces fires are
kept burning constantly, ten tons of
coal being consumed in each one daily.
The crucibles require filling up every
twenty-four, hours and time given for
melting. When the glass is melted It is
taken out III quantities needed, on the
end OF an iron tube, about five feet
long and an inch in diameter, the glass
being OF about the consistency of mo-
iasses candy when ready to pull. By
blowing III this tube the glass is made |
hollow, and Of almost any shape which
may be desired. After the glass is |
shaped it must be put into ovens and |
heated, and gradually cooled in order |
TO anneal or toughen it. The best
skilled workmen receive as high as 1921 |
per week for their services.
The same deep interest follows the |
process of cutting. First comes the
horizontal iron wheel, upon which
water and grit OF sand, drip continually. |
On this the edges of the glass arc |
squared or smoothed. Then tho arti-
clio passes into the hands of the skilled |
artisan, who grinds out the glass into
any desired figure, upon 4 grindstone |
brought from Cragleth, Scotland. This |
Is thin stone, brought down to an |
edgo, and upon it the workmen grinds |
the glass according to the pattern be-
fore him, the glass often being entirely
This process is very slow.
and therefore very expensive, many
days being required upon elaborate
places. If IA mistake is made, ever 80
slight, or any flaw occurs, the whole is
consigned to the waste aS broken glass,
iii only to be remelted. SIS precise are |
these manufacturers that some pieces |
upon which $40 worth OF labor have
been expended are frequently con-
domned Tor flaws which an 'unskilled |
eye would not detect. The cut dish !
goes next to wheel made of wood OF |
willow, for polishing, and then from
washing and finishing to u wheel OF |
tarapico brush, wet with putty. The |
cutters receive from -, 80 to 81 Il day.