The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-15
the PAN-ARERIcANs.
ci>ssmAkins ia America TO be EisBor-
atsiy Hepres, nted.

are 401 glass factories having q combined
capacity CT ll,Os1 pots. This Importance
has developed BY slow stages and many
costly experiments. Every department
of manufacture is represented in this
long list from the plate store front TO the
tiniest and most delicate trinkets. In
American countries, practical considera-
lions come first. the utlIitarian qualities
In any line Of manufacture properly re-
oeiving she grsAttsst attention Artistic
and decorative features follow as tine
and education greats the demand. This
is especially noticeapls in the first pro-
duction OF glass In America.
such useful articles as black bottles,
tumbIsrs and other common table ware
made In Virginia more than a hundred
years aqo. These were followed closely
by the manufacture OF Ike window glass
and lines Of novelties, many of which
have since become necessary staples.
Glass and glassware at the Pan Ameri-
can Exposition Will be represented his
toricaIIv, earthly illustrated with a view
OF showing Its development along indus
trial lines from the tirst crude and clumsy
productions TO the finest cut glass table
ware, delicate fabrics and highly tempered
musical glasses, Many interesting nro-
cesses Will be shown and many articles
made on the grounds. Glassware IL so
somme n. the general public hardly stops
to consider how It is made or where 1t
comes from, and the Importance TO the
country OF business which employs so
many men and circulates such volumes
Of money, Ia little considered.
The art of glass making Is very old,
so old that 1t was known in Egypt In
Josephs' time, three thousand i've hum
dred years ago. 10 has grown in impor.
tlnce, volume and variety with each
Succeeding century, until it has become
one OF the staple articles OF manufacture
In every civilized country.
Like ali extensive lines of manufacture
the business Is divided into specialties.
Factories are constructed for the manu-
facture OF one specific article In which
nothing else Is made. A plate glass fac
tory Is a large affair, covering perhaps
twenty acres Everything about the
plant Ia designed and arranged with
view or facilitating the. manufacture OF
plate glass without regard to any other
branch OF the business. The process Is
extremely simple, and the machinery
ponderous fano expensive; so much 80
tnat at least half q million dollars ap-
pears to be absolutely necessary to operate
plate glass factory succeetfully.
White sand, soda ash, charcoal and
arsenic compose the ingredients, though
the exact PROPORTIONS 10 q guarded secret,
varying somewhat In each factory. When
weighed and mixed, certain amount
about five busheis-is placed In a pot.
the pot lowered into furnace where 1t
remains foI ten or twelve hours before IL
Is melted sufficiently homogeneous. 1t Is
then carried TO an iron table upon which
IL 10 poured and rolled out fiat, the thick
ness being determined by strips OF iron
at the sides of the table. 1t 10 then
wheeled into an annealing oven, where it
Is allowed 70 remain for day or two,
the heat being gradually lowered. When
cool, 10 is trimmed, ground and polished
after which 1t Is cut to size and carried
to the stock room.
The manufacture OF glass mosaios has
been maintained by the italian govern
msnt for several centuries. The individ
ual artistic character of the workmen
enter into this industry to greater de-
gree than in any other decorative art; In
fact the term fine arts would easily In
clude this production. In the first place
the study OF color 10 exceedingly import
ant. The materials OF glass are mixed
with the various coloring materials,
which are chiefly metallic oxides, In a
manner TO form Opaque colored enamels.
lathe gss made in this manner is pressed
into slabs, which are cut into very small
Gu bss or rectangular pieces. Shades and
eolors to the number of ~. 600 are made
in this manner which are graded, care
fully classified and registered. With these
oolored tints the picture is built uD,
being composed or copied as the artist
decides, the decision In most cases bsing
determined by the ability and character
OF the artisan. For copying, work OF
Of ffxza nId IN %
usually chosen. The art is handed down
in families from father to son. the artis-
Iic value OF the work depending, of course
upon individual ability.
The picture is comniled by inserting
pieces or cubes OF eolored glass one by
one in a setting of cement which dries
to extreme hardness. Each piece Is fit
ted by being ground on a lathe to the ex-
act shape REQUIRED by the particular tint
or color In the picture. The process Is
extremely slow, and when completed in
the rough, the surface is ground to q true
surface and carefully polished.
Anothar process which has been but
little used FORT century or more, consist
ed OF building a oomplete picture in each
surface OF the finished glass The pro-
cess consisted OF building up ON each side
OF centre web, by means Of coiored
gla s. 1bres which were lifted together
with the utmost exactness and nemented
luSI0u i1U0 u eoltN IHohc- 1HlS was
afterwards surfacsd by hand. The process
probably compri seq the most intricate
and painstaking mode of building n pic
ture that the ingenuity OF man has ever
devised. ~
The term glass paper applies to pol
ishing or smoothing naper for use on
wooden surfaces, and is generally referred
TO and known as fand paper, though in
this particular form the surfec IL covered
with glass instead OF sand. The frag
ments Of broken bottles and c1arse waste,
after being carefully washed to remove
all grease and dirt. are arushed under re-
yolving stones and sifted into six sizes.
The sitting Is done by means OF revolving
cylinders of wire cloth having from 10 70
80 W Tres TO the inch, A surface of thin
glue is spread on the paper and the sitted
glass busted over it with sieve, One
patent processes consists of coating cloth
In this manner instead of paper two APP
plieations OF glue and sifted glass being
applied.
Inc process OF soldering glass is not
very common, and the fact OF ever resort
ing to soldering DIoness for the purpose
OF uniting two pieces OF glass would
hardly be thought of outside OF the busi-