The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-08-12

Enough Arsenic Tn the Windows NJ
an Ordinary House 90 Kill n Rcri-
ment OF Mcn-Procc-~ o. the Tank
house and the Pothou~c.
People who have glass windows I'm
their homes 90 not know that the CLASS
contains enough arsenic to make II q
deadly poison. Glassmakcrs say that
the windows OF an ordinary home con
tain enough of this poison to Kill a rec.
iment OF men. The peculiar supposition
that glass is made of sand is a correct
one. but n quantity OF other articles en-
ters into it's composition.
Window glass factories are divided
into two departments. a tankhouse and
a pothouse. The process OF glassmak-
Ing In one of these departments Is prac-
ucaliy the same as in the other. Ia the
tankhouse the glass is all melted in i'm.
mense tanks which will hold thou
sands OF tons. In the pothouse the
glass is made in pots.
After the fires are lighted and tank
j. heated the glass mixture is shoveled
In. 1t includes glass left over from the
former season. glass refuse. sand and
salt cake. Arsenic IS not used in the
tanl1house fer the reason that the heat
Is so Intense that the drug is volatilized
and escapes into the air without enter
inS the mixture. As ono mixture melts
and flows 10 one end Of tank fresh
supplies arc shovclcd IN ut the Other
end
The molten mass seethes and
works" in mauner similar to that of
mash in a distillcry From the salt
cake comes a salt water that has to be
separated from the mass. ana the east
est way TO remove Il is to burn il ont.
This is done 10y throwing stove wood
into the tank on top Of the molten
glass. The water is converted into
steam, which is destroyed by the in
tense heat from the glass. The melted
glass is then skinned by an automatic
skinner. and il Is ready for the gath
crcr
eathcrer thrusis long steel blow
pipe into one OF the rings ut the lower
end of the tank. He twists and turns
II until small BAN Of glass gathers on
the end. This ball is partially cooled.
polished by being turned in a box OF
sawdust and then passed on TO the
comes like tany. The blower swings
the ball over a pit that is twelve feet
deep and rapidly blows IL into an elon-
gated pear shape. When n blower is
through, the melted glass becomes a
perfect CYL der about feet long and
: feet across. II then passes to a snap
per-" who takes II TO n rack and breaks
the roller loose from the blowpipe.
The snapper gathers a small lump
OF melted glass on the end OF rod
and deNterOusly runs n narrow ribbon
OF the stun around the ends OF the
roller, both at the blowpipe end and
the closed end. The little ribbons of
melted glass cool IN few seconds.
when they are removed. leaving a mar
row zone Of almost redhot glass
around the rollers at each end. Then.
taking tool that resembles n soldering
iron, the snapper ruhs il for n moment
on his forehead. and when the point OF
It is moistened with perspiration he
runs the iron around the rollers at the
heated spot. The glass cracks and
separates as cleanly as If cut with q
diamond. the blowpipe is removed. and
the closed cylinder has become n roller
and is then ready to go to the fiat-
tener.
The hattcncr works in another part
of the building. where are located the
hattening ovens. These ovens are heat
Ell TO temperature sufficient TO soften
the glass So that it may be rolled out
into sheets \ series of fi-eclay tables
placed in circle like the spokes of n
wheel revolve in the ovens. and on
these tables the rollers are flattened.
They are placed inside, allowed to be-
come hot. and then cold iron is run
along the inside from end to end. The
contact of the iron cuts the glass.
which is then Strengthened out upon
the table.
The Hatcher has a number of billets
or green wood attached to long iron
handles, and with these billets. which
are shaped in such manner as to do
the work expected of them. he irons"
the softened sheet of glass until it is
perfectly fiat and smooth. The tables
inside the oven revolve, the fiattened
sheet is carried away, and another roll
er Is brought into position before the
flattener. AS the flattened sheets cool
they are lifted to place on a long
travelling rack, on which they are by
stages removed from the ovens, being
allowed to cool as they so. This is done
in order that the glass may not be
shattered by too quick an exposure to
the air.
When the sheets are taken from the
hattening ovens. they are covered with
greasy. dirty looking coat OF chem
icals-sOda. potash. silicates of the diff
ferent salts etc.-which must be re-
moved, and for this purpose the rough
sheets are placed in an acid bath COM
posed of hydrochloric and sulphuric
acids more or less diluted. After their
immersion in this bath the sheets are
taken to the cutting room. where work
men cut them into sizes and make
them ready for the packers. Hardly a
scrap of the glass except the rough
edges is wasted. In fact, none is vast
ed. as all refuse goes back to be melt
ed After the cutters have finished