Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-09-04
mAKINe wINDow GLASS.
The Wilmington COmpRny's Works
in observation-disclosures Dover
The First Glass Made an Delaware,

The First Glass Made an Delaware,
The works OF the Wilmington GlssB
Company ,located on the South Side below
Third street bridge, were set in operation
directly q ter midnight Monday morning.
Considerable interest was oentered in the
starting of the works, inasmuob as the
| Dover Glass Company was in readiness to
start operations at the same time, and q
friendly rivalry sprung up, 90 to which
| OF the establishments should win the dis.
tinotion of turning out the first glass
blown in Delaware. A couple Of glass
cylinders slowed away in corner Of the
| blowing room indicated clearly that
| Wilmington had distanced the State
capitol in the friendly race for distinction.
Dover, however, comes forward and
claims to have blown some glass on satur-
day morning, and an attelnpt was made
to do so but the efforts fsiled.
At the Wilmington Glass Works that
night were the officials, James Bradford,
Il. q. Wilson and John K. Bradford,
Esq, respectively president, treasurer
and secretary and a number of invited
guests, including representatives of the
press. The large eight-pot furnace was
burning furiously at midnight and the
material ont OF which the glass Ia made
after 20 hours in the flames was at q
white heat. Soon after IL O'Clock the
order was given 10 bank the fires and 1t
was not long before the fierce flames
were smotbered in coke. After critical
examination OF the molten sand aud a
careful inspection of the torts were made,
4 an order 1TeAdy"- was given, and the
eight glass blowers began their work.
| By dipping the end Of the long iron blow
| ing tubes into the pots of moulten glass
and twirling them dexterOusly, q sutfi
oient quantity for q cylinder was gath
cred. The tube was then taken from
the fire and rolled in small pit OF ssw-
| dust aud kerosene to glazs the exterior.
The blowing had been progressing since
1 the glass was taken from the oven and in
a short time formed plastic hollow
| sphere. This was tempered in the oven
once or twice and swung back and forth
in a deep pit until the glass was the
thickness desired, when the cylinders
were laid upon rack. The glass CON
neoting the cylinder and the blowing
tube was readily severed by running q
piece Of cold iron over it.
The first piece OF glass finished was
blown by }. Bond, who placed his
cylinder upon the wooden horse at II 81
O'Clock, amid much applause. The
rivalry among the blowers WAS quite per
ceptible, some breaking their work IL
trying to finish first.
After the glass ia blown the cylinders
are out open and put through rolling OF
flattening process, after which It is GU
up In sizes and boxed. The cylinders
vary in size from 36 by SO inches to a
by 20, the blowing Of 10 constituting al
hours work; each heat continuing NINE
hours. Five heats per week will b.
made, and the fires, which were lighted
more than two weeks ago, to heat thu
furnace, will not be extipguished unit
the first Of next July. The product o
the new works when in full operation i
about 2, 900 boxes per month. The pro
cess Of manufacture Is most interesting
and the guests Of the early morning
watched the process closely. Anothe
feature Of the business requiring tn
greatest skill ia the manufacture OF melt
ing pots. They are made of clay importei
from Germany which is worked and re
worked and tramped by men in baro fee
to discover any foreign substance which, i
not removed, renders the vessel liable Il
break when in heating. After the tediou
process of moulding them has been gon
through, much time is required for sea
soning. The vessels are liable TO breal
az any time and spill their heated con
tents into the furnace, though perfect one
] last sometimes seven weeks. The open
: ing Sunday night was success in ever
, sense being highly satisfactory to tn
, superintendent, blowers and officials.
j After witnessing the blowing tim'
! lunch was served the guests in the fla
, teniDg room.