The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-13
HOUSE OF THE FUTURE
A FRENCH SCIENTIST ADVOCATES
THE USE or GLASS MANSIONS:


Dwelling That Would BE Easy 10
Clean-Days Of Brick Numbered
A French sayont, NJ Jules Henri
vaux. until lately the director OF the
great glass mandatory at St Gobain,
believes that we are approaching ah /
age Of glass.
NJ Henrivaux Is an enthusiast on /
glass, says the London Express. He |
believes II to be the material Of the /
future. He does not pretend that we
can look for glass cannons, or glass
men-o'-wa or glass greyhounds Of the
ocean, nor does he contemplate the
substitution Of vltreous machinery for
that which we now employ in our vari-
Gus processes Of manufacture, but he
does claim that glass is the best sub
stance known to us for every kind OF
structural purpose, and especially for
dwelling houses. In short, If the Vi
slons Of NJ. Henrivaux are realized we
shall all be living in glass houses be
fore very long.
The point of the idea is found In
the inexhaustible supply of the ma
terials from which glass is made, in
its adaptabllity to all shapes and
forms, its durability, and its cleanli-
ness. With regard to the second point,
it is obvious that glass can be shaped,
colored, and decorated to an extent
Of which no other material is capable,
and it is upon this aspect Of the idea
that NJ. Henrivaux lavishes his mag
inatlOn.
There are six ways in which glass
can be manipulated. 1t can be cast
into window panes, paving stones, pan
els, etc. It can be moulded into corn
ices, states, wall decorations, and even
statues, 1t can be blown into bottles,
tumblers, vases and all the utensils
comprised under the name Of "glass-
ware" 1t can be blown and ground
into crystals, lenses, prisms and other
objects Of art and utility, It can be
drawn into the finest threads and made
into pipes, baskets and dress materials.
1t can be turned into mosaic and en-
amels, and can be brought into the
closest imitation Of most of the precl-
Gus stones.
Imagine, with NJ. Henrivaux, the
construction Of a glass house. The
foundations and walls could be con-
structed Of q variety Of glass, recent
ly invented, called "stone glass;" which
has already successfully withstood the
severest tests. When crushed it gives
q resistance three times as great as
granite. When subjected to heat OF
cold it is found less sensitive than
steel. When submitted to friction II
: shows less wear than porphyry. Shock
as If q hammer blow, 1t resists to q
+, degree twenty-five times as severe as
that which would fracture marble. The
? test of tension has practically no eff
) feet on it whatever.
3 The walls, then, would be built Of
7 glass held together by angle-iron 81
t as to permit Of a hollow space through
:" which pipes could pass (the pipes
8 themselves being glass work. convey
ing hot air, hot and cold water, gas
8 electric wires, drains, and everything
q needed for the health and comfort 0
: the inhabitants. Stairs and baluS
trades, ceilings and wall decorations
i mantlepiece and ftreplaCes, would a.
e be constructed Of glass. Some of N
q Henrivaux's conceptions in the wa
u Of decorations, in which the glass
It made opaque or tinted with brilliar
le colors, or made silver and golden, Q
q arranged In prisms and crystals wit
l. facets like diamonds, are perhaps to
d fanciful to be taken seriously, br
he through them all there runs the sam
enthusiasm, the same belief that glas
Il as Theirs once said Of Louis Napoleon
IA is capable Of anything.
p Our chairs and tables, In the ne
u glass age, win be made of vitrife
VI material, toughened to the strength
III oak and mahogany. Our cooking ute
IS sils, our plates and cups and saucer
will be made of the same substanc
gu Even our knives and forks will ha'
IL glass handles, If not glass blades.
The new glass house will be abs
" lutely clean, and practically indestrut
Is. Ible. The whole Of its surface can
washed from the top story to the bas
ment, without trace Of humidity
he ing left. Dust cannot collect on
9pt polished face, and the spider will FL
es' no place on which to hang it's CO
~ webs.
bis The question of cost has not be
lei left out of account. Glass can be ma
na' out of almost anything amenable
OF the influence Of fire. The stone gle
ON to which reference has already be
In made Is manufactured mainly fir,