Evening star., 1900-10-05
MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
UNITED STATES ExCELs THE WORLD
IN THIS INDUSTRY.
H0vv the Lumps Of Glass Are Nodded
into Shape-Materials Csed to
Make Various Grades.

From the Pittsburg Press.
What fascinating panorama is this in
vention Of the earliest antiquities and what
wonderful strides American ingenuity has
made in the manipulation Of glass. Deci
pher the hieroglyphics inscribed on pieces
In the British Museum to find the origin or
, inventor Of this wonderful art and you are
carried back into antiquity more than 1900
years before Christ
But who today cares whether the Egyp-
dans, the Phoenicians or tho Romans were
the inventors; the fact that our manufac-
turers are exporting tableware to those
countries is sufficient guarantee to demon
strate that we excel the world.
From the glittering allurements OF the
sample room where the exhibit Of glass
ware sparkled like an army Of q million
spears in the sunlight. We enter the fac
tory in the immediate proximity with the
thermometer at 80 in the shade and the
furnace roaring with intense heat.
Each presser has been given his orders
and tho number Of the pot he is to work
from. There Is rush for places. The
whole shop tales a hand and the big
press with extreme rapidity Is moved to
the best and coolest place possible. While
this confusion Is going on some boys are
scrambling for hose which Is attached to
the blower for cooling off the mold and
plunger SO as to turn out the glass quickly.
1t must be remembered that these men
work piece work and that when they have
made SO many score, which is called a
move" they are done for that turn, and
in order to make the turn in short a
time as possible they must have plenty Of
wind. The latter Is furnished by fan and
piped around the furnace through large tin
tubes suspended over the heads of the
workmen One pipe directs the wind on
the plunger. while the other is used for
cooling the glass as well as the mold, after
the article has been pressed.
Everything Is now ready for the start.
The presser has the mold from the mold
furnace, where it is placed for preliminary
heating. 1t Is now on the press. and II
not hot enough hot glass is placed into It,
as it is absolutely necessary to have the
mold the proper heat before good ware can
be turned out.
The order has been given to the gather
ing boy and he plunges his puy into the
pot. He strikes the glass, begins to turn
slowly, increasing his speed with great
rapidity until he has enough glass, then
slackening speed. he backs out from the
pot, juggling a lump OF glass; and finally
drops it into the mold, where the presser is
ready with keen eye and shears in hand
prepared to cut off the desired weight to
press his article.
Back to the guides the mold is showed,
and when properly placed the lever is
pulled and the plunger enters the molten
glass, while the presser hangs with his
full weight on the lever only for a mo-
ment, and again It is thrown back, the
mold pulled under the wind and when cold
enough the pitcher, goblet or bowl. or
whatever the article may be. is turned out
and the mold cooled and placed in posi-
ton for the next.
Gracefully the gatherer and the presser
work together without hitch when glass
is good, and water pitchers, cream pitchers,
goblets, cakestands and table ware of all
descriptions are made in almost the same
gathers heavier Jumps" Of glass for the
articles. On the side Of the press is a turn
ing out stand, where the glass is taken
from the molds. and here it is that the
warming-in boy, when cool enough, places
the article in the snap and carries it to
the 'glory hole and heats 1t sufficiently
for the fnisher. who rolls it along the arms
Of his chair and applies the buffer" The
fnisher is seen in the act of Tipping
cream pitcher or cream jug, and the boys
at the "glory hole" are heating them for
this operation: 1t is In this way that pitch
ers are Tipped and that all finished glass
ware Is given crystal polish. The ability
Of the warming-in boy is demonstrated
when he knows enough not to melt the
thick and clumsy looking. and when he can
put neat polish on the article without
melting 1t too much. In working fine COB
lets the f1nisher is careful that the boys do
not get the edges too thick. This is done
when they are kept too long in the "gIory
hole"
The best way to get good polish on fine
glassware is to get the article little more
than warm, then pull 1T out and let it cool
for a moment, then reheat 1t to the desired
heat This keeps the edge from melting
down, and also puts on polish. In finish
ing such ware as large bowls. salvers or
other ware, particularly plain. the greatest
care is taken and the finisher generally
works with cherry buffers and sometimes
oak.
Buffers" are pieces of wood about twelve
- L. ,,,l f1,, @l,1 IL
and when the ware is hot he rolls 1t up and
down the arm Of the chair constantly,
keeping the buffers on the article and max
ing it the size for cover or anything he
has If 1t Is to be fitted to cover. 1t is in
this that considerable skill Is used.
When the finisher is through the carry
ing-fn boy gets his work In. He is the last
to handle the ware before 1t Is annealed.
The carrying-in boy puts the ware into the
lehrs, where II Is properly tempered. This
Is absolutely necessary, as an attempt to
use glassware before 1t has been through
the lehrs would result disastrousy to the
article. 1t invariably goes to pieces when
any water is placed in 1t.
After the ware Is annealed IT is taken
into the packing room, where 1t IL assort-
ed by girls. and the pieces that are not
cracked in which there are no seeds
or stones, or what are called "blisters." are
counted. credited to the, shop and later
wrapped and packed and shipped to the
consgnee. Defects are generally noticed
by the presser or finisher. and are thrown
into the kettle or box, to be later melted
over.
During the summer weather the factory
is intensely hot and while people were fall
Ing prostrated from the heat these men
were continually at work facing furnace
where the heat was scorching. The fur
naces are very large, and are round In sur
face, covering space probably twenty feet
in diameter, but none with twenty pots.
1t must be understood that all the ware
turned out Is not finished. The cheap
dishes, as we'll as sugar bowls, cream pitch
ers spoonholders, lamps salts, peppers and
numerous other articles. are not finished,
but highly polished ware is always finished,
and 1t is the finishing that makes them
shine like diamonds
The greatest feature in the running Of
glass plant is to get designs that are at
tractive. To do this the glass manufactur-
ers of this city spend thousands of dollars
annually. One Of the officials of the glass
company said that each set Of glassware
cost at least $4,000 to produce. not for the
glass, but the designs, and that 1t may only
last for a season, while others will
last for several years: The company spends
at least 100000 each year in getting out
new designs and If the designs are at