The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-03-14
The Making of Flint Glass.
From Harper's Magazine

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the multilorm utensils and ornaments (apart
from windows and dark botiles) which
make glass an omnipresent blessing in aod-
ern life. The distinctive popularity of
flint glass is the presence in it of lead,
which imparts brillianey unlike that OF
most other glass The lack-lustre surface
of all the old objects of glass made before
the English invention of lead formula is
noticeable. Lead oxide was originally used
only in most expensive glass, prepared from
calcined fints. But gradually it has crept
into many grades, down to the most COM
mon material for household and fancy
wares, and for all transparent bottles, Civ
ing them all finer lustre than was other
wise obtained until the recent invention of
lime glass. And the costliest of all glass,
that used for optical lenses and imitation
gems, still gains its extraordinary weight
and refractive power from lead. The honors
of skill in flint glass. production are broadly
divided among the nations, England taking
the lead in the crystal or purest flint glass
used for cutting; Italy (Venice) in eolored
designs more brilliant than any made in
the days of the republic, when flint glass
was not known; Switzerland in imitation
gems; Germany in cheap vases; France in
lens disks, and America in pressed glass
and cheap tableware. Recently cheaper
flint glass has been introduced into Ameri-
can pressed ware, in which lime is substi-
tuted for lead, yet which retains much of
the lustre and clearness of lead flint.
Flint glass is either blown, moulded or
pressed, and frequently all three methods
may be seen together in the same establish
ment.
A flint glass factory is most entertain
ing medley of marvels. As you enter the
great building that surrounds the huge
chimney, the first impression is that you
are in human ant hill, rumbling with
inordinate activity. Or perhaps the sensa-
tion is better described as plunge into a
purgatorial chamber of industrious demons.
In the centre the openings in the gigantic
furnace dazzle You like glaring eyes from
soul of fire; but the glow comes really
from molten glass in the dozen monkey
pots" about the blaze. Scores of workers,
boys, youths and men, throng in restless
confusion. 1t looks as if every one were
running about on some impish deed of his
own fancy. But stand still and watch
closely, and you will see it is all great
system of human clockwork, each move
ment fitting nicely into the whole effect
The mep at the furnace, who seemed at
first to be devils thrusting pitchiorks into
the blazing depths to toast their victims
are only gathering metal on their punties
When a sufficiently large lump has been
collected the man wanders off with it.
You think he will certainly burn some one
with that burning ball of fire, they are al
bustling about him so incessantly. But
follow him carefully, and you will see him
silently hand the tube to an older man
who blows the glass into large globe, and
sits down to play with it at bench which
has horizontal iron bar on each side of him
to roll the tube on. Back and forth he rolL
it like toy, and the glass keeps curiously
changing its shape. He has made n hole
in the globe and has enlarged it into ;
symmetrical opening, and now the glass is
cooled, so that he can do nothing more
Will anybody in all that hurrying crowC
help him? Instantly young man appears
and, without a word, he holds up to the
cool glass his long tube with disk of rec
hot glass on the end, which fastens to it
The man at the bench scratches the globe
jars it, and it leaves his bar Off thu
other man runs with it to the "glory- hole,
where the broken end is quickly heated
again into softness Then he hurries bach
with it to the bench man, who renews hi
play. A couple of minutes more and sud
denly you perceive that he has made ;
perfect lamp shade, which strike detache
! from the iron rod into small bed of sand
A small boy carries it off on stick to tn,
annealing furnace, and now the gathere
l is on hand again with fresh lump o
7 metal to begin the process again. Turi
} to the next man sitting at his work, ant
2 you notice him finishing a smaller charg
: into a lamp chimney, shaping the top b,
J, a mould. Here is a man amusing himsel
e with small bunch of soft glass ON his rod
: You are sure he can have no serious pur
pose in turning and bending it into ridicu
lous shapes. Quickly boy seizes it fror
e him, and you cannot trace him. 1t ha
e gone over to fancy vase, where it wa
! needed to complete the ornament. S
' each bench has its own little task of skill
+ and keeps repeating it over and over, an
? each boy of the multitude (there are tw
o or more to every MANI has his own pal
y ticular duties. He pops up always in tn
D moment and place where he is needed
e An the workers are busy as their wits ca
make them, for they work by the piec'
r and the number of things made determine
a their wages. They are grouped into sci
: or "shops" Of three or four, who wor
e together and share profits together on
g well-understood grade OF division. Gene
= ally four constitute shop, the most skill
'e full workman (the blower) at the head, tn
n gatherer Ga young fellow next, and tw
L boys, one handling moulds or tools, an