The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-04-03

Several have already removed to fine city
of natural gas. At some of the Prtsburg
factories plate OF glass Gfx5+ inches can
now he turned out The illustration shows
that part of the process called blowing
The sticky, molten mass Is literally blown
into shape by the breath.
1t is announced that Messrs. Appert, OF
Clichy, France, have discovered ii process
that will mike glass blowing 10y the mouth
unnecessary Many attempts, have been
made to get rid Of this painful process in the
operations of glass making, but to this day,
in every bottle house, may he seen pale-faccd
men, with their cheeks hanging limp in
folds, the result of years of glass blowing by
the mouth. Gases have been known i'll which
mems cheeks have been worn SO thin that
they have actually cracked, and it is a com
mon sight in u bottle house to soc the blow
els at work, with their thin cheeks pulled
out like the fingers of glove.
The furnace is heated by the gas Into ii
is set a friedrich pot. round opening,
such as You see in the picture, gives access to
the pot In the pot the materials which make
the glass are put, to be fused all together.
They consist of 100 parts OF sand, 80 parts
lime, 40 parts alkali, and some pulverized
charcoal Thrust lie an intense heat. like Tint
of volcano, which viii melt all these hard
materials together. A glass furnace is in
deed the hottest place known to man.
The materials are brought To the molten
state Then they are SKINNED to get tho re-
fuse off. Next the workman plunges a long
wrought iron tube with wooden handle and
mouthpiece into the white hot mass. Part of
it adheres to the end Of the pipe. He rolls it
around, takes it out until it cools slightly,
and then plunges the pipe into the pot again.
More glass adhcreS until at length there is a
ball on the end of the tube weighing many
pounds For plate of glass as large as the
ono mentioned ball OF the molten material
weighing over thirty pounds is required. Ii
needs very strong man to lift and manlpu-
late this weight. When he gets a red hot hall
Of glass large enough, he rests it Il moment in
a wet wooden mould and turns it about until
it is pearshapad.
AT length the first man hands the pipe
with the redhot ball at the end 10 the
blower He blows gently into it, turning il
constantly the while 1t presently becomes
the shape OF hugo bottle without any
neck to speak Of You see in the picture the
blower at his task. When the mass runs too
much to the lower end he must lift it i'll the
air till it runs back to the upper end. This
requires great strength. The picture shows
how it is done. The bottle is five feet long
ly this time ard a foot and half across.
The next step is to blow out the bottom
of the bottle ard make an open-ended cyl
inder of il. The workman blows into his
pipe and puts his hand over the opening.
The air expands III the heat, and the next
moment he hears a little pop. The air has
blown small hole in the end Of the red
hot hollow mass to get out at. The blower
twists his tube around and around, and puffs
his breath into it until the opening gets
larger, and perfect cylinder takes the place
of the bottle.
A string Of red hot glass drawn around the
upper end of the cylinder breaks it evenly of
at the neck from the iron blowpipe Then ii
is cracked open lenSthwise from end to end
by hot iron II is carried to great
hearth and melted till it becomes soft enough
to lie out fiat Then it is what it has been
meant for all along, IA great sheet d plate
glass, ready to be tempered, ironed flat and
brilliant, aud put in a huge window to show
off ladies new dresses.