Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-02-12
HoWLAMP cH1MyErs ARE WILDE.
What Kindis the Best.

Ceeueu ny no OCnef article unless 1t De
iron.
There are quite variety of kinds
of glass, and the composition has been
very much changed during the past
few years. For instance, we seldom
set the good flint glassware formerly
made. We may visit the stores in
vain to find dozen good flint gobless.
Hence the frequent and easy breakage
at which so many have wondered.
This difference Is explained by the use
of what manufacturers call lime-glass
(made of lime, soda-ash and sandy
which make cheap and nice looking
glass, but it is the "easy break" kind.
While real Tor lead) glass made from,
potash, lead and sand, is much more
durable, being better conductor of
heat and very much tougher ware
1t is somewhat more expensive but
cheaper in the end to the consumer
This is particularly true of lamp
chimneys, and one reason there is so
large breakage of them (and most
annoying breakage it is) is that SO
many are made of Lime Glass, and SO
few comparatively of the real Flint
Glass
Many people think "glass is glass"
and do not know what to buy or what
kind of chimneys to call for. One
thing can be depended upon, viz: that
if no mention is made, and even then
sometimes, the commonest kind of
bleakable Lime Glass chimney will be
handed over the counter, and ten to
one, by the time one gets comfortably
seated to read, away goes the chimney.
There is one glass manufactory in
Pittsburgh, Pa, where the finest
quality of glass is made, especially for
Lamp Chimneys, and where their goods
are known this firm haye very ex-
tended trade. The firm is Geo. A.
McBeth & Co., proprietors of the Pitts
burgh Lead Glass Works
On visit to their works about three
hundred men are found busy as bees,
making lamp chimney at the rate of
from $4,000 to 10000 per week.
Their process of manufacturing, and
materials used, are both curious and
interesting
First, they use the pure white sand
found in but few localities, which,
when thoroughly washed and dried, is
almost white as snow. Then the pot
ash (purifed) and the lead, in the form
of oxide, perfectly pure, are added to
the sand and thoroughly mixed until
the batch resembles ordinary sugar in
grain, but is quite red in color It is
now ready to go into the pots-twenty
four in number, made Of peculiar
kind of clay, being from AZ to 48 in
ches in height and about the same in
width. These pots are closed at the
top, to prevent the fire from injuring
the melted glass, with the mouth on
the side near the top. The furnace
being circular, the pots when placed
in position, and co vered with fire brick,
present their open mouths only, and
when looked at resembles hot sum-
mer's sun.
When in this condition the pot is
filed with the mixture above men
toned, closed tight, andin about twen-
ty-four hours is about ready to work.
A workman called q gatherer, dips his
pipe into the melted mass and gathers
enough on its end to make chimney.
This he rolls on smooth iron plate to
get evenly on end Of pipe, when he
blows it about the size Of a boys top,
and hands it to another workman, who
further blows it up, and proceeds to
form the lower part Of chimney, which
fits the burners, which he does by
forming small knot on the end Of
the now pear-shaped bulb, giving
it sharp stroke with his shears
breaks the knob off leaving small
hole in the bottom Of the bulb.
It is now heated red hot again and
the lower end of the chimney formed
by the blower whirling and spreading
the glass with a tool resembling sheep
shears, but larger and narrower blades.
The chimney is now broken off the
pipe and put into ''snap" an instru-
ment which holds it as one would
clutch an apple firmly in the hand, and
heated red hot again.
The top is finished by machinery in
vented and owned by this firm, making
it bell-shaped and beaded on the top,
from which the chimney gets the name
"Pearl Top" Distinguishing them from
the ordinary crimped or scalloped tops
made of poor glass.
This form has been closely initiated
and it has been found necessary to affix
a label and wrapper with special men,
ton of the name.
There is no process by which poor
glass can be made good, and all "fancy"
processes of "annealing" and ''tempeT
ing" are lost fr ON the first or second
time the chimney is heated on the
lamp.
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