Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-21
THE NEW TANK TEST
Atthe Jeanette Window Glass Works
Said to be a Great Success.
THE FIRST CYLINDER WAS BLOWN
In the Presence of Very Large and Dis
tinguished Assembly.
WHAT EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE GLASS

All O'Clock yesterday morning the tank
furnace of the new window glass works
of Chambers s. Mckee, at Jeannette, start
ed operations, and, according to men of the
most reliable authority, the working of the
tank. as we'll as the material produced, was
perfectly successful.
Messrs. Chambers & Mckee, the proprie-
tors OF the new process, had invited num-
Der of their friends to witness the start, and,
inasmuch as the inhabitants of Jeannette
had also been advised as to the hour, there
was quite an excitement in the little town
on Sunday night. About II O'Clock
stream of people was seen going in the d.
rection of the new glass works, which might
well have been mistaken for a moonshiners'
procession.
A full turn of workers-24 blowers and "a
gatherers- already assembledat the fur
mace when Mr.. James Chambers, a number
of ladies and the visitors generally arrived.
Proudly the workers were seen walking up and
down in front of the great tank, in which the
red hot mass Of bubbling batch was Kissing and
roaring. Now the men looked at their TOOLS
lifted them up, and, as if they were anxious to
be in good practice when the decisive moment
should come, went quietly through the motions
of handling the pipe
JIM CHAMBERS ANXIOUS.
Mir. Chambers and his manager, Mr.. 6.
Moore stood quietly side by side, occasionally
looking at each other, gazing at the ponderous
cavern of molten glass before them, and then
again they looked in an distracted manner at
the large crowd Of people around them. At
last Mr.. Chambers apparently awoke from the
brown study into which he seemed to have un-
consciously lost himself Whether his heart
beat with anxious expectation at the thought
that within the next ten minutes he would
know whether he was to create a successful
innovation in the American window glass busi-
ness or whether the pyramid of his plans was
to crumble together like card house. signal
ing an utter failure Of all his hopes, could not
be said.
turning around to Mr.. Moore; and the workers,
not waiting for orders from that gentleman,
started to work
The gatherers, who had had their big iron
pipes in the fire for some time, now pulled
them out and quickly started toward the
furnace. Within second after the word hal
been given, the "a men were gather
ing the white metal out of that vast sea of
melting glass. Rapidly they pulled it out
turning the pipe all the time; then they re-
turned again to the furnace to make the coil
larger and larger. 1t seemed to be right and
quickly they ran to the blowing-block, again
turning the glass round and round. alternately
blowing until the coil at the end of the pipe
lookedIike big fish bowl
FIRST ROLL COMPLETED.
Then the gatherers handed the first pipe to
their blowers to give them a chance at the
work. Gently these men handled the pipes
first putting the metal into the blowers fur
lac- and then, swinging it to and fro in the
hrt4 Jsnesth them, blowing again and again
into the pipe. Larger and larger grew the fish,
bowl, until It changed its shape into cylinder.
Longer and clearer grew the cylinder, until at
last it measured about seven feet John Rob-
inson. who was the man to finish the first roll
tcylinder) of single thickness, at this point tri
umphantly held the pipe high above bis head.
A shout of Joy went up from the observing
crowd at the beautiful sight. High up in the
air was the cylinder, and its trans
parent clearness shone forth through
he darkness and hung under
90 everybody. When Robinson put the roll on
she ji0ck everybody crowded around to exam
inc the glass and pass his opinion upon its quail
ity.
OPINIONS OF EXPERTS.
Mr.. Fortune Dogaeaux, the master teaser of
Mr. Chambers, who is considered an expert on
the tank system, having started several of them
Chsrleroi and Jumette, Belgium, at once pro-
nouBced the test to be the best he had ever ex-
perienced. "The glass is without any blemish
whatever" he said, ''and everything has gone
Mr.. David Roberts, well known glass mer-
chant from New York, who had come to Jean
nette purposely to witness the start, also pro-
nounced the first roll to be entirely perfect
Inthe meantime the workers kept on increas-
ing the number of rolls, and in very short
time roll upon roll came from the pipes to be
stacked IN one corner Kon upon roll was crit
ically examined, but all passed the test of
searching scrutiny to the greatest satisfaction.
By this time the men seemed to be feeling at
home around the furnaces, and in few mo-
uss, drru11f
ican and British airs resounded through the
building; for II must not be forgotten that the
Britishers were all there, and, in their long
blouses which looked more like diversified
night shirts, they looked quite distinctive as
compared with their American colleagues
The first ripple of excitement being over and
such grand realization Of the most sanguine
expectations being the result, the visitors grad
ually dispersed and soon the workers had it all
TO themselves.
THE WORKS DESCRIBED.
The tank is the largest in the world, measur-
ing 10 feet in length and % feet in width. It
has a capacity of $40 tons of molten glass There
are two blowers furnaces to the tank, which
lends the building the shape of T. Forty
eight men, blowers and gatherers, are at work
at the same time and the weekly production of
the tank is expected to be 69l2 5o-foot boxes Of
Everything is arranged to the best advan- |
tage. Immediately behind the tank is the |
the tank on a wheelbarrow. Two men, having |
iron shovels 30 feet long, and running on |
wheels, are constantly feeding the tank while |
at the other end the gatherers are taking the |
ready metal out As soon as a blower has fin |
ished a cylinder and it has gotten somewhat /
cool, laborer carries it into the iattening de-
partment, which is a building $40 feet long, |
From the 1attening department the glass runs /
on lear into the cooling room, where other |
men are awaiting its arrival TO take il to the /
cutting department. Immediately adjoining i
the latter are the packing rooms, where the |
glass is finally gotten ready to be shipped
The whole is manipulated on the most syste- 4
matte method of perfect rotation, and no hitch |
or delay seemed TO be experienced anywhere.
WHAT THE MANAGER SAYS.
Mr.. Moore, the manager, said TO a reporter
for this paper, yesterday:
Everything has gone along first rate, and all
is exceedingly successful The men are all in
good shape, and the greatest satisfaction reigns
all around"
How do the American blowers and the Brit
iehprE a1oDp9S