Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-11-22
INVENTIONS IN GLASS
SOME QUEER THINGS THAT WILL
BE MADE 'FRONT.'.
Glass COffins. NtairWays, Barrels,
huiidtngs, Dresses, slippers, and
Many Other Articles That May BE
Constructed of That Fragile Ma
terlal.
Scientific American.

\ Washington correspondent, in hi.
rambles through the Patent Office
discovered some curious inventions in
glass, which he communicated TO the
Philadelphia Times.
Among these is Il glass coffin, which
is guaranteed proof against decay and
rats. SO long as no deliberate at
tempt is made to smash it, it ought to
last forever. Another contrivance is a
staircase made wholly of glass, steps
landings and newell post being all OF
that material. Yet another is a glass
barrel. But, perhaps, the most re.
malkable invention of the glass man
is billiard table of glass.
The day may yet arrive when peo-
pie will live in glass houses. A patent
has been secured by another inventor
for glass bricks OF peculiar pattern.
The material of which they are COM
posed being Il first rate non-cOnductor,
these bricks will keep the cold out OF a
dwelling built of them, while adj
mitting the light. 1t is claimed they
will exclude noise, being hollow.
Furthermore, the inmates of glass
house need not be afraid of be.
ing under too close obse rvation by
neighbors, inasmuch that it is not
requisite that the bricks shall be trans
parent. They may be of Opaque
ground glass of any color that may be
suitable for decorative effect.
Thus, before many years have passed,
it may be considered the height of
luxury to occupy Il dwelling OF glass.
Glass bricks, of course, are expensive
People who live in glass houses will be
able to afford to wear clothes of glass.
That sounds like nonsense, but the
fact is that beautiful and most delicate
fabrics are made out of spun glass.
Nearly twenty years ago there was
shown at the Centennial Exposition,
in Philadelphia, bonnet composed
entirely OF glass. Itwas love bonnet.
The flowers on it were glass, and so
were the ribbons. which looked like the
finest satin. The patentee OF this pro-
cess describes it as suitable for the
manufacture of neckties, shawls, table
covers, etc.
In fabrics of this kind a very fine
quality of glass is used. 1t is spun in
threads of exceeding delicacy, and of
these several colors may be produced
at the same time. They are woven in
a loom of ordinary pattern, Anybody
may observe that n thin sheet Of glass
is somewhat elastic. The threads en-
ployed in weaving are OF such fineness
as to be perfectly pliable and not at
all brittle. With gown of glass
would naturally go pair of glass slip
pers.
A Pittsburg man named Smith has
invented process for making glass
slippers in moulds. They would not
do very we'll for dancing. There is no
reason why Il glass gown should not
be woven OF iridescent glass, 50 that
the wearer would look like an animated
rainbow on ball room fioor-one
dazzling simmer of ever-changing
hues. Until recently the manufacture
OF iridescent glass was set down in the
list of the lost arts. But in 1878 it
was rediscovered, and now il is COM
mon commercial article. 1t is made
by exposing the melted glass to the
vapors OF salts of sodium. At the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New
York city, are exhibited great numbers
OF bottles, plates and other articles of
glass which were made and used long
before Christ was born. They were
dug up in Cyprus and elsewhere. Many
Of them have beautiful iridescence,
but it is the result of decay. Glass
will rot like anything else, and decay
has split the structure OF this ancient
glass into lamine, or flakes, which in
terrupt the light so as to produce bril-
liant red, green, purple and ether rain
bow colors.
The window blinds of the glass house
OF the future will be of glass, of course.
That is another patent, and the in
ventor suggests that such blinds may
he made of whatever colors are desired
Baby in the nursery, perhaps, will
play with glass building blocks and at
suitable age he will receive a
Christmas gift of pair of roller skates
with glass rollers. Both of these ideas
have been patented. When he is old
enough to 60 fishing, he will not dig
worms in the garden, but will be pro.
vided with artificial bait in the shape
of hollow minnow of glass, coated on
the inside partly with a solution OF
gold or silver and partly with lu.
minOus paint.
Glass bedsteads may be proof against
lightning and bugs, but il is hardly to
be expected that glass houses should
be free from mice. The inmates could
hardly do better than employ glass
traps for the capture of such vermin