The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-16
A PIONEER INDUSTRY.
ONE OF THE FIRST rAcrol,lE.

"A lNUUOlAl.
ONE OF THE FIRST rAcronlE.
Esta bilshed In W'ceiias-Titc East Wheel.
Ing Window Glass Works md It's Vic.
isLtudes-Thc Old Process Of niai..
Ing GInss From Sand.
Ono OF tho immediate results OF the
completion Of tho National Road to this
point was tho starting Of manufactures.
First among these was that Of window
glass. This was introduced hero by George
Carothcrs, n Maryiander Of tho old regime,
pussy, passionate and pompous, support.
Ing his dignity with a cane to which tho
boys in tho factory were easily intro.
duced, and with which they soon became
intimately acquainted. 4 story was told
OF him, whether true or not rs 10 facts was
certainly true to nature. At the tilnu In.
diana was admitted into tho Union he
thought there could be no ono there suit.
able for II Governor, and oil he would have
TO 10 WouM be TO present himself, ITO
have the honor thrust upon him." With
this "bee In his bonnet" he started for
Jeilersonville, where shortly alter his ar.
rival he heard some gentlemen, who were
sitting around the barroom fire OF tho tay.
ern ut which he was stopping, discussing
politics. After listening Il few minutes he
came to the conclusion he was not want.
ed: and came home without disclosing tho
object OF his journey.
slT: OF TILE FIRST FACTORY.
u. 1920 he purchased from the East
Wheeling Company lots l0S, 100, 10, l24
and l25 in their addition. Par.;oi these are
now occupied by the Fourth ward school.
The factory was erected on part Of lots
l24 and l25, which were nearly bisectcd
diagonally OH the north side by n deep
rarinc. The ilattenins house, cutting and
packing shops wcro on tho rear OF lots
100 and llO, separated from tho fac.
tory by Alley Is. All the buildings
were Of brick on stone foundations.
Tho factory building WIS about fifty
feet square, two stories high, counting
rs n to the top Of tho cinder arch, which
was Of stone. Just here, perhaps, tho
writer ought to ask for n little latitude, Us
he is writing from memory, and sixty
years covers q wide space, though the old
works arc apparently as perfectly
impressed on the writer's memory as they
would have been on the plate Ind they
been photographed at the time. The fur
mace, an eight pot one, was oval in form,
though apparently deeply recessed OH tho
sides Mt its longest diameter, occasionally
buttrcss-like ovens which here Joined the
furnace, from which they were heated. HI
THE MATERIALS FOR THE GLASS.
These ovens were known as sand ovens,
and were used for drying fle sand,
though used also for drying the wood
ashes, which at that time formed part of
the batch Or mixture from which the
glass WIS made. The sand was obtained
from u tluartolse sandstone found near
brownsville, Pa, which after being cal.
cined was very friable, so much 30 that it
could be reduced to sand by the hands,
but rs this would have been n slow pro.
cess q mill was used 10 crush it. The
ilattening house contained two ovens, each
OF which was divided into two coupart-
ments by Il Partition, in which was an
opening, the lower part OF which expand
ed into a long, low; HORIZONTAL slit,
through which the sheet was passed TO
cool from the llattcning stone.
When the cooling part was full it was
Theoretically closed to prevent too rapid
cooling.
Improvements in the art have changed
Ill this, but tho present object is to re-
store the past, not to picture the present,
I'll fortune attended these works through
their existence Of more than twenty years,
during which their products were often
changed by alterations and additions.
v1c1sSIrUDEs If TIE FACTORY.
It was operated at first rs Il window glass
iaetory. by George Carothers, then bv
hnoN Il Mckee, Dana Hubbard, Encell /
hunkctt, and Jas. Wheat, each in their
turn. 1t vas changed to a crown house
by Ritchies 4 Trilson, then into Il flint
glass works by Jesse Wheat, and finally
by the brothers Anderson into 4 green
vial works.
Each was alike unsuccessful, with per
haps the single exception OF Encell l.
Pjunkeit, who after operating the works
for three years built Il factory near the Top
Mill, only TO meet the fate OF those who
preceded them; and what is more remark
able, to be followed by hall Il score OF 9TH
ers in other parts OF the city, in the same
line, with no better success.
But while all efforts have heretofore
been abortive to make the manufacturing
OF window glass here remuncrative, it is
no argument to prove it can not be done,
The success OF Whcelins's manufactures
III the fine lines Of glass proves that the
coal here is we'll adapted to making it.
With this and every facility for shipping
t'at could be desired, it would appearr
that MI that is requisite to make the ma.
King OF window glass a pecuniary SUCCESS
is good management. II.