Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-28
HOW GLOBES ARE MADE.
A Process Requiring Much Patience
and Skill.

Boston Letter To the st. Louis Globe Democrat
The factory that turns out these wonderful
geographical spheres which are sent hence to
all parts of the civilized world is a shabby lit
tie building up an obscure alleyway, called
Mount Vernon avenue. The first process In
making globe is to cover the model all over
with thick layer Of pasteboard in q moist
state. When it has dried, sharp knife is
passed around it so as to separate the paste
board coat into two hemispherical shells, which
are then taken off the model and united at the
cut edges with glue. The hollow sphere thus
formed is the skeleton of the globe that is to
be. The next thing is to cover it with thick
coating Of white enamel about one-eighth of an
inch in thickness, composed of whiting, oil,
turpentine, glue and other things. When this
is done the ball is turned to perfect round
ness with machine, the operation of which is
too sacred to be exhibited to the casual visitor.
At the conclusion Of the process 1t looks like
nothing so much highly-magnifed white
marble, such as giant might play knuckle-
down with.
the original model and projecting at both ends
through the surface has left holes in the new
globe which serve very well for the north and
south poles, and through these a metal axis is
run to represent the axis of the EARTH To be
perfect the globe must revolve evenly upon its
out exhibiting any disposition to stop with one
side up rather than another. If it does not do
so it must be balanced by boring hole in the
lighter side and fastening within a little bag
containing as many shot as may be requisite.
Then the hole is plugged UP and the surface
made even again. The next thing is to mark
the surface off with pencil lines into mathemat-
ical segments corresponding precisely in shape
with the sections of map that are to be pasted
on.
1loso ,,,o,, .oo+;ono ,ro ,,,odo fro,, oo,,,ar
plates in just the sizes and shapes required to
fit the globes they are made for, one set, OF
course. covering the entire surface Of sphere.
They are printed, many of them together, like
dress patterns, on sheets of the finest linen
paper, and are cut out carefully with sharp
pointed knife. To paste them on properly, so
that they will meet perfectly at the edges and
not show the lines of joining, requires great
pains and skill. When this is accomplished
the different countries, and SO forth, are tinted
by hand with water cOlOrs. There is no es-
pecial rule for this, save that contrasts are
sought to help the eye. Finally, the whole is
overlaid with an astonishingly- brilliant white
varnish which is Of such almost metallic
hardness that it will wear indefinitely without
scratching. preserving always it brightness.
And now the globe is done and ready for
mounting. A beautiful thing it is, too-its
printing as clear as copper-plate can make it.
the colors vivid. and, above all, correct in
every detail according to the very latest geo.
STdpHicdl lilOTludliOu Anu YET Tile HAL WHO
executed the plates employed to-day has been
| dead many years. His name was W. B. Amin,
and it is said that his equal at map engraving
does not exist in the world at present. That is
the reason why the plates he made are still in
use because they are better than any new ones
that can be obtained. When any alteration is
necessary. owing to geographical changes or
discoveries. they are taken to a certain remark
able expert here in Boston, who beats the part
that is to be corrected fat and engraves what
is required on the new surface.
Globes made with such care as those de-
scribed are expensive, of course, and that is
why no very great number liz turned out in a
year by the factory in the shabby little alley.
But when particularly fine one is wanted by
an educational or other institution anywhere in
this country or abroad an order is apt to be
sent to Boston for it. Common globes of the
sort one ordinarily sees are carelessly made and
inaccurate. They are covered with cheap lithO-
graphed maps and their varnish will not last.
The colors are often put on with stencils and
soon fade.
Some of the more costly globes are marvel
ously elaborate. They revolve inside hori-
Zontal circle, representing the horizon, which
is inscribed all over with queer things, such as
no fellow not a scientific expert could find out,
for the calculation of abstruse astronomical
problems. The meridian is represented by
halfcircle of metal, and any Ounce can find out at
moments notice precisely what time it is at
any given point on the earth. A dreadful
looking thing called an ''analemma" enables
you if you desire, to find the declination of
the earth north or south for every day in the
year. Even the duration of twilight anywhere
at any time may be discovered pretty nearly
off-hand. There are also celestial globes, on
which the expanse of the heavens is repre-
sented, with the consultations tinted in the
shapes of NEUROLOGICAL beasts and things ac-
cording to their names. And, most compile
Gated of all, is the solar telluric globe, which
gives, among other things, the position of the
sun with reference to the earth for every day
in the year. All these are constructed by
mechanics according to the descriptions given
by astronomers, and their correctness is
proved by the perfection with which they
solve all the problems