The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-05
Inventions in Glass.

discovered bOuc CuIlouo 1uVouoiohoih
glass, which he communicated to the
Philadelphia Times.
Among these is a glass coffin, which
is guaranteed proof against decay and
rats. So long as no deliberate attempt
is made to smash it, it ought to last
forever. Another continuance il 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-
markable invention Of the glass man
is a billiard table Of glass.
The day may yet arrive when people
will live in glass houses. Apatenthas
been secured by another inventor for
glass bricks Of a peculiar pattern.
The material Of which they are CONS
posed being a first rate non-conductcr,
these bricks will keep the cold out Of
a dwelling built Of them, while admit
ting the light. It is claimed they will
exclude noise, being hollow. Futher-
more, the inmates of a glass house
need not be afraid Of being under too
close observation by neighbors, mas
much that it is not requisite that the
bricks shall be transparent. They
may be Of opaque ground glass or Of
any color that may be suitable for
decorative effect.
Thus, before many years havep ass.
ed, it may be considered the height OF
luxury to occupy a dwelling of7glass.
Glass bricks, Of course, are expensive.
People who live in a 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 EXPOSE
ton, in Philadelphia, a bonnet COM
posed entirely Of glass. It was a love
Of a bonnet. The flowers on it were
glass, and so were the ribbons, which
looked. lie the finest satin. The
patentee OF this process 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. It 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. Any.
body may observe that athin sheet OF
glass is somewhat elastic. The
threads employed in weaving are of
such fneness as to be perfectly pliable
and not at all brittle. With a gown
Of glass would naturally go a pair Of
glass slippers.
A Pittsburg man named Smith has
invented a process for making glass
slippers in moulds. They would not
do very we'll for dancing. There is
no reason why a glass gown should
not be woven Of iridescent glass, so
that the wearer would look like an
animated rainbow on a ball room floor
-one dazzling simmer Of e%ver-chang,
ing hues. Until recently the manu-
facture Of iridecent glass was set
down in the list of the lost arts.
But in 1878 it was rediscovered, and
now it is a common commercial article.
It is made by exposing the melted
glass to the yapors 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 we're made and
used long before Christ was born.
They were dug up in Cyprus and else
where. Many Of them have a beauti.
full iridescence, but it is the result of
decay. Glass will rot like anything
else, and the decay has split the
structure Of this ancient glass into
lemin@, or flakes, which interrupt the
light so as to produce brilliant red,
green, purple and other rainbow
%colors.
The window blinds Of the glass
house of the future will be of glass,
of course. That is another patent,
and the inventor suggests that such
blinds may be made Of whatever colors
are desired. Baby in the nursery,
perhaps, will play with glass blocks
and at a suitable age he will receive
a Christmas gift Of a pair Of roller
skates with glass rollers. Both Of
these ideas have been patented.
When he is old enoughto 60 a fishing,
he will not dig worms in the garden,
but will be provided 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 a luminous paint. .
Glass hedsteads may be proof
against lightning and bugs, but it is
hardly to be expected that glass houses
should be free from mice. The in
mates could hardly do better than
employ glass traps for capture OF such
vermin. The great advantage Of the
glass mousetrap, according to the
statement of the inventor, is that IF
one o enter the trap he may be
seen by others who chance to go that
way, and they will be inclined to join
the 4 inside, especially when they
observe that he is nibbling a choice
morsel." Up to date the glass mouse
trap has not made it self popular, not
withstanding the important argu-
ments in it's favor, and Of most of the
other devices described it is unfortu.
nately true that they have not proved
profitable 70 the persons who con-
triyed then. This remark, however,
by no means applies to the glass
lemon squeezer, which is already a
familiar household utensil. The In
yentor Of it is said to have sold his
rights for $780, 600. One of the most
remarkable inventions in glass, by the
way, was shat of a Venetian named
Joquin, il 1856. He noticed that the
scales Of q ish called the bleak gave
a milky hue to the water, and that
glass beads dipped into such water
looked like pearls when dry. Subse.
~ouently the idea was conceived Of
making hollow beads Of glass and
lining them with the peculiar sub
stance from the scales of the fish. and
it is in this way that the so-called
Roman pearls are now manufactured.
It is to this substance that the rides
cence of the scales Of many species
of fishes is due.
Threw Away His Canes.