The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-29
INDUSTRIAL
FAIRMONT

About 30 men are working this hot
weather at the Window Glass factory,
located next the Mining Machinery
company and directly across from the
new Lynn Producer plant. To see
them working in a. few clothes ~ pos
sible, IN a continual rain OF perspiFa-
ton, in front Of the blazing furnace or
tank, enc cannot but be impressed
with the work that is being done
there. One sees a fine display Of taut
muscles and a skillful swing Of the
arm as almost seventyiive pounds
including blow pipe and batch-aye
lifted, blown out and swung back and
forth in the swing hole"
Did you ever watch these men han.
die fifty pounds Of batch, turning II
around and around, blowing II out
longer and longer-eaTying Il out on
narrow platform to the furnace with
swing hole" Between each plat.
form, Gown which they lower the
batch on their blow pipes and swing It
until IL is still longer and laFger-flnal.
ly reaching the full dimensions Of what
is called the rollers-Slmply q roll Of
window glass, before II has been
opened out? c
But It might be more interesting TO
start at the beEinnihg-ln the cellar
where materials for making window
glass are kept These include sand,
SOlt cake, lime and dust coal which
are conveyed in cars by means Of q gas
engine, to the floor above. Here, .
long furnace or tank occupies the cen.
ter Of the roOm-With five generators.
o. J. Andre is manager OF the Win.
dow Glass company, and explains the
work being done there as follows:
There are three different processes
which require q gatherer, a blower
and a snapper. The gatherer heats bis
blow pipe In the dog oven and stands
in front Of the hot furnace or glass
tank, working onto the end Of his pipe
as much glass % possible. This re.
Quires considerable ingenuity. After
he has all he can get, he carries his
pipe to q constantly running water
basin, across which be lays the pipe
for the purpose Of cooling so he can
handle 1t. He gathers about four times
before he has sufficient material on
the end Of his pipe for the blower TO
work with. This also requires consid.
cradle skill; in the knowing just how
much will make q finished glass roller
Of the required size.
A blower in q window glass factory
commands an unusually good salary.
Some at the FaiTmOnt shop have made |
as high as one hundred and fifty dol. |
lars a week. All men here are paid q |
Of the work done, making |
more money when work is plenty. A
gatherer can make from sixty.five 70 |
eighty dollars q week. It requires q
great deal Of strength 10 blow window
glass batch. Il takes z man three \
years to learn this work. Some men |
are more proficient than others In the |
doing Of It. The Window Glass fac.
tory have at present 4 Belgian working |
who Is Seventy.twO years OF ago, and
Mr.. Andre says he 10 the oldest blower
In America. He even gives him the I
record OF being one Of the best in Eu.
rope. He has been blowing since sew.
enteen and spent twenty-five years at
L in Belgium before coming over here. |
He is as hale and hearty, 90 clear
skinned and husky as any Of the young
fellows and doesn't look q day over |
liity. He has three someone Of them |
over there" in the army. His name is
John Schmidt and he has been work.
ing in the city for eighteen years. He
has a record Of never getting behind
with his work and makes his quota OF
eight rollers . day ~ regular aS clock.
work.
A snapper's Job lies IN cutting OF
he closed end Of the glass roller. He
Toes 1t neatly and deity He winds q
slender ribbon Of hot glass around the
Ind and gently taps It In the right
place For him It comes OF very read.
ly The roller Is then cut dowA the
center with hot glass. and Is then
ready to be put on moving racks ana
10 the ''flatten house" Here q
shove boy" unloads each roller and
lhoves IL into the furnace which fiat.
lens It out. The furnace contains four
arge flat stones Of different temper.
lture. After the glass IL Teheated and
aid open BY means Of q long pole,