The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-17
Glass Manufacture.

The ehild's tale of how some wrecked
mariners once built a fire by the sea-
shore, and from its embers drew forth
the melted sand and thus discovered
glass, has long since been relegated to
The fairy stories of past age of cre-
dence. 1t has always suggested itself
to me that the first glass must have
been found in the Stag" of an iron ore
furnace. Probably it was long viewed
as waste product, then curiosity be-
came excited. Experiments followed.
The Stag was manipulated and turned
to this purpose and to that, and from
Its developments have sprung the great
glass industries of to-day. This theory
would locate the origin of glass in the
land of prehistoric lOre-Egypt. There
Is glass in existence to-day that there is
every proper reason to believe was
made in Egypt 5000 years before the
birth OF Christ, or 1000 years ago. Un-
doubtedly - for probably centuries
after the first discovery the art of
blowing it was not dreamed of was
moulded the same as other liquefied
solids. But the art of blowing is also
very ancient, and probably had an ex-
istence over 1000 years before the
shepherds watched their tlocks on that
eventful night when the Star of Bethle-
hem rose upon their startled vision.
The art of blowing is plainly depicted
upon the tumuli of Mastaba of
1ih, at Memphis, and these tombs
were built over 5000 years ago. It|
will interest glass manufacturers to
know that these Egyptian furnaces of
1000 years ago are represented on the
| tomb of Ben Hasssp as upright, conical
concerns about three feet high, and not
more than foot and half in dame
ter. The fire was evidently built on a
hearth below. while the sand and soda
were charged through a round hole at
the top. The Egyptian glassblower
squats crosslegged upon the ground in
front of his fire, and with tube in hand
gathers the molten glass from a square
hole. Singular as it may appear, bot
tie making is one of the most ancient
arts the world has preserved, and one
of the very first things for which molten
glass was used; and yet bottle using, as
We know it to-day, is comparatively of
very recent origin. In the ruins of
Memphis, built by Menes, the first king
of Egypt, at least 5000 years b. c.,
mummies were found with glass beads
about their necks and bottles stored
away with them. The ancient cities of
Tyre and Sidon were noted for their
beautiful productions in hollow ware.
tasks and bottles. Some fine specimens
of bottle blowing have been found in
the ruins Of Nineveh, which was de-
zfroxval ~ onA f,-oy,, tho
palace of Babylon, at Kars, have been
Dig bottles of gilt glass. Monsieur
Botta found sLdong the ruins of Nine
veh a rount glass bottle with black
drops melted onto the neck. which is
the earliest specimen of the ''tear
sown" TASKS that afterwards made
Venice famous and which afterward de-
generated into the big bellied decanter,
with the necklace of colored beads
around its throat, that our grandfathers
knew so well, and which are not alto
gether out of existence yet. While the
ancients had glass bottles, they adhered
20 the primitive skin bags for carrying
their wines and liquors, and stored it !
in earthen jars. As they did probably |
10000 years ago, so they do in the land |
of Egypt to-day, and the water carrier
with his goatskin is no uncommon sight |
in the cities on the Nile.
l trust l will not be accused of bias |
phemy if l state that the bottle trade |
and Christianity have travelled over the |
world hand in hand. 1t is on record |
that about the year 200 a Pope ordered |
that wine should no longer be cOnse-
Grated in wooden vessels, but in ones of |
glass. and for several centuries glass |
chalices were used by the Church, and |
Christianity took the bottle with it into |
anc eut Gaul, and ultimately crossed |
the channel and introduced it into the |
British Isles. The bottle for holding
liquids came into general use during the
Sixth and Seventh centuries. But it |
was never used in transporting g-being
a household utensil only. Bottled goods
did not creep into commercial life until
the Sixteenth Century, and France has
the credit of first using glassware for
this purpose in the shipments of her
wines PareDthetically, it may be a
matter of interest to modern manufac
turers to know that the worthy Egyp
tian prototypes show that the glass of
1000 years ago was composed of about
seventy per cent. of silica, twenty per
cent of soda, eight per cent. of lime
and some alumina. There is glass made
to- day of about the same ingredients,
and plate glass, if made without pot
ash, would resemble it. Those old
timers had a varied knowledge of the
bus ness. They manufactured plate,
blown and pressed glass, though it is
f,,l thaxy nn1or-tnnA hnxu TO |
grind it. Among the ruins of Pompeii
have been found window lights, about
6x8. They were evidently cast, and are
opaque. The art of blowing and fiat
tening window glass is of comparatively
modern origin. and is said to have been
invented in Bohemia. The old Egyptians
used molds for blowing and pressing.
A favorite form of pressing glass with
them was by sink ne die into a mass
of pasty glass. The Egyptians manu-
factured bottles of various kinds. vases,
mosaics, imitation pearls, colOred glass.
glass eyes for figures and number of
articles of ornament. Window glas wass
unknown to them. and glass itself was
chiefly used for articles of ornament
and luxury The Phenicians were the
second people to go extensively in:o the
They excelled in articles
of orDamentation, more especially
beads, which the early traders took
with them and distributed as money
among the wild tribes of interior Africa.
Glass making in Phenicia commenced
probably 1000 years before the birth of
Christ and continued till the Seven
teenth Century, A. ID. Sidon was
great 'glass town" as late as the
Twelfth Century. Damascus had sew
eral manufactures and it was also made
I,,r thu Ior-,- Antinnh Twn canfurioa |