The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-01-11
PAYING A HEAVY PENALTY
5IaHTLBss EYES THE REWARDS
OF GLASS BLOWERS.
A Curioul Trade in Which Success
Means "a Fortune in Money anc
Loss of Sight


Loss of Sight.
HHE most curious and interest
ing thing 20 see at Venice in
London is the furnace of DR..
Salviati. Salviati glass has a
worldwide reputation, aud many trav-
cling English have visited the works at
Murano, where the glass is made. But
this is the first time that the process has
been shown in England. The Salviati
furnace at Olympia is in modern Venice.
If you are fortunate DR.. Giulio Salviati
himself may act as your guide, a cour-
tcous gentleman, who is son of the
Salviati who revived the Mosaic indus
try at Murano after it had practically
fallen into disuse for years. Entering
you find yourself IN a somicircular room
of considerable size with raised tiers of
benches to enable the spectators to wit
ness the manufacture of the glass. In
the centre stands the furnace, which
consumes daily some three tons of good
British oak. The furnace is divided in
to different spots" each containing
molten glass Of some special color, and
the temperature is about 147O degrees
Fahrenheit, says the Chicago Tribune.
What is the composition of this glass
DR.. Salviati declares that he himself
does not know. 1t is a jealousy guard
ed trade secret. The visitor may notice
a taciturn old man who moves quietly
about among the workmen and disap-
pears now and again into a dark room at
the back where the mysterious materials
are kept. Sometimes he is to be seen
sitting outside, staring gloomily into the
shallow lead-lined canals made in imita-
ton of those of his own Venice.
"There, says DR.. Salviati, pointing at
him with reverence, ''look at that old
man; he alone knows the secret" 1t
may be so; but that granitic sand from
the Murano lagoon is the basis Of the
mixture is we'll known. To this is add
ed nitre, soda, lime, oxide of lead, ar
senic and many other secret things to
give the exquisite tinges of amber, sea
green and pink which are the chief
beauties of the Salviati glass.
In the front of the furnaces are three
or four rough seats, each furnished with
horizontal projecting arms covered with
iron. At these seats work the brothers
Barovier--Benvenuto Nittorio and Pi-
etro-three of DR.. Salviati's most skill.
full workmen. They ask much to come
to England, and 1t is said that each may
make from $50 to $40 a day, in add-
ton to a share in the profits upon the
sale of the articles which they produce.
Benvenuto is going to make piece of
glass-a flower vase supported on a sea
dragon. He has no pattern, no gauge,
and his only tools are some pincers and
scissors. He takes a long blowpipe of
iron, dips it into one of the pots and
wIthdraws it with quantity of glowing
glass hanging to the end like honey on a
stick. Twisting the rod deftly in his
hand he is at his seat in a moment, AL
constantly rolling the rod backwards
and forwards on the arms of his seat he
begins to fashion the bottom of the stand
with a pair of pincers. The glass soon
cools and has to be plunged again into
the furnace. Again it is withdrawn and
manipulated with extraordinary dex-
terity. 1t takes shape as by magic
under the hand of the artist, and be-
comes a round stand with a stem to sup
port the dragon. Tnen an assistant takes
it away to keep it hot in another furnace.
Now comes the dragon from another
pot. A piece of pink glass is pulled out
at length; there is the dragons body. 1t
is bent quickly round, the tail curling
upwards, and with incredible swiftness,
each touch nicely calculated, the head is
fashioned, the mouth open breathing
flame. Here comes the flame, morsel
of red glass from another furnace, put
deftly in the open mouth, and fashioned
in three or four touches INTO a long,
pointed tongue. Then come the eyes,
the wings, the legs, and there is your
dragon, marvel of art wrought in some
six or seven minutes. So the piece is
built up in sections, each joined to the
other by heat, and the work stands COM
plete-a miracle of design and color,
treated straight from the brain of this
1.-the and handsome Italian, as true an
artist as he who paints pictures, makes
statues and builds churches.
But there is fearful penalty which all
these artists must pay, Blindness comes
upon them at middle age. The glare of
the furnace, the fierce radiance OF the
molten glass, burns the eyes, and at
forty or thereabcuts they become blind.
Benvenuto Barovier, though he scarcely
looks more than thirty, cannot even now
see to read. 1t is fate these glass
workers cheerfully face. They love
their craft. During the years Of youth
and early manhood they devote
their lives to art, to the production
of fragile dreams of beauty in glass
which a touch will pulverize, and then
they are content 10 20 into the night
and spend their old age in darkness.
For they are rich and honored.