Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-29
HOW GLOBES ARE MADE.
Boston's Factory for Turning Out Sphere
ofy the

Boston's Factory for Turning Out Sphere
a Maps of the Earth.
Ii The factory that turns out these wonder
full geographical spheres which are sent
hence to all parts Of the civilized world is q
shabby little building up an obscure alley
way called Mount Vernon avenue, writes a
Boston correspondent. The first process in
making a globe is to coversthe model all
over with thick layer of pasteboard IN a
moist state. When it has dried sharp
knife is passed around it so as to separate
the pasteboard coat into two hemispher-
ical shells, which are then taken of 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 coating of
white enamel about one-eighth of an inch
in thickness, composed of whiting, oil, tur-
pentine, glue and other things. When this
is done the ball is turned to a perfect round
ness with a machine, the operation Of
which is too sacred to be exhibited to the
casual visitor. At the conclusion of the
process it looks like nothing so much az a
highly magnifed white marble, such as B
giant might play knuckle-down with.
The iron rod running through the center
of 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 re-
volve evenly upon Its axis when the latter is
held horizontally, without exhibiting any DIS
position to stop with one side up rather than
another. If it does not do SO il must be bal
anced by boring hole in the lighter side
and fastening within little bag containing
as many shot as may be requisite. Then
the hole Is plugged up and the surface is
made even again. The next thing is to
mark the surface off with pencil lines into
mathematical segments corresponding pre-
cisely in shape with the sections of map
that are 70 be pasted on.
These map sections are made from copper
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 a
sphere. They are printed, many Of them
together, Ike dress patterns, on sheets Of
the finest linen paper, and are cut out care
fully 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 rs accomplished the differ
ent countries and SO forth are tinted By
hand with water colors. There Is no
especial rule for this, save that contrasts
are sought 10 help the eye. Finally, toe
wholeis overlaid with an astonishin giy brilli-
ant white varnish, which is of such almost
metallic hardness that 1t viii wear ineeA-
nitely without scratching, preserving a.
ways its brightness
Now the globe is done and ready for
mounting. beautiful thing it is to0-i.s
printing as clear as eopper-piate can make
al the colors vivid and, above all, correct
IN every detail according 70 the very latest
geographical information. And yet tho
man who executed the plates employed 10
day has been dead many years. HIS name
was W. B. Amin, and il IS said that his
equal in map engraving doest not exist In
the world at present That is the reason
why the plates he made are still IN use, se-
cause they are better than any now ones
that can be Obtained When any alteration
is necessary, owing 70 geographical changes
or discoveries, they are tsken 10 a certain re
rnarkab.e expert here IN Boston, who beats
the part that Is 70 be corrected fat and en-
graves wh2. is required on ,he new sar-
face.