The Brookhaven leader., 1885-05-14
MAKING WINDoW-oLAsS.
II. Quad Tells the Boys Of America wha:
the Methods Are.


the Methods Are.
Detroit Free Press.l
The workmea were engaged in max
ing window glass, and proceeded in a
way that seemed very simple. A young
man would take one of the long hollow
iron pipes we saw the gaunt man Jug
Cling with, and approaching one OF the
mouths of the great furnace with the in
difference OF salamander- first, how
ever, protecting his face with leather
screen-w would proceed by a series of
wave-like movements of the pipe to
gather at the end hall of liquid glass,
getting his supply from fire-clay pot.
These pots contained mixture of soda
lime and sand, which had been reduced
by firing for two days. After gather
ing wad the 81 of a cocoanut the
young man would turn and cool it
upon an iron plate, still keeping up the
wave like rotary motion. Then he
would return TO the pot and begin fish
| ing again, then back to the iron plate
tor cooling, and then more angling. BY
this time he has gathered ball of about
sixteen pounds weight and of intense
heat. Now cooling the pipe with water,
! he carries his burden over and deposits
i it on a larger iron plate-this one float
| ing in a tub of water-gives the pipe to
a glassblower, and sezing another iron,
goes back to the furnace to perform his
part once agan.
The glassblower rolls the ball upon
| the plate until he has made the glass
assume pear shape when he applies
the pipe TO his lips and blows til his
cheeks stand out like red apples, blows
| till he is red behind the ears, blows
until he becomes of complexion as
blooming as the glass. All this while
he lmparts rotary motion TO the plle
and does not cease either the blowing
or the rotating until the pear shaped
glass has expan ed into the rude sem
blance to a bottle with no neck and a
very thick bottom. Now over he goes
to one of the mouths of the side furnace,
into which he thruStS the pipe 10 warm
the mean looking bottle at the end.
At his feet is the grave like pit.
Now watch him. He takes the pipe
from the furnace, blows in it and lets 1t
swing before him in the pit The glass
begins to lengthen out stoye-pipe fash
ion; into the furnace again, now out
and up over his head Agitate the pipe.
Blow. Now tig sweep from mid all
through the pit and up again. Blow.
Now pendulum-like moyement-up-
down-way acroSs-back, The glass is
become a cylinder four feet long Heat
again and Withdraw. Blow. Rotate.
\ little more jugglery-here- there
right side-left-a beautiful swing be-
low, The cylinder is over five feet long
now. The work is done.
These cylinders are placed still glow
ing on stand. A tap with piece of
steel releases the blow pipe, the blower
makes a measurement with stick,
wraps a string of hot glass about the
cylinder, the superfuous part falls off
as though cut with diamond, and the
completed cylinder about five feet
long and eighteen inches in diameter
is carried away to place of safety.
Tomorrow hot steel rod will cut each
OF the cylinders through one side, thus
leaving it like a sheet of paper twisted
until its upper and lower edges meet.
This roll Will be subjected to another
gentle baking, when it will tiatten out
into a large sheet of glass. This will
be cut into sheets of the proper size,
and the work is done.
asked the gaunt man about the trade
and its requirements: 1T hard life, ;"
said he, ''and considering the sacrifices
We make we are poorly paid. 1t takes
| from seven to ten years to acquire the
knack of doing this three minute task
you see us at. | started when WAS IA
and finished when l was 81. But look
at me to-day. Only 36, and feel and
appear like man of 55. Well, this is
the common fate of all in my line of
work; a glass blower at 40 is an old
man, is broken down and must quit the
work | have to work ten hours a day
five times a week here in the bla e of
this hell-fre. | don't mind the heat
much now, though, for I've been baked
right through and through, but with all
my toughness |, like all my fellows, find
it impossible to stand here and work for
over twenty minutes at q time in the
hot summer months. How long can
blow? / never tried, but | wouldn't {
have any trouble blowing-very slowly
of course-for twelve or fifteen minutes.
Long timer Well, some of US get used
to sec ond nature. A good blower ought
70 earn $3.50 or 500 amonth. but very
few of 'em save anything" he added,
with grim smile. ....