Glass plant is in ship shape, test run made last week

GLASS PLANT IS

IN SHIP SHAPE

TOTAL OF $28,000 HAS

BEEN PAID IN CASH FOR

PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

TEST RUN OF MACHINERY

WAS MADE LAST WEEK

ALL OF FORMER BOARD OF

TRUSTEES AGAIN CHOSEN

Company Holds Annual Meeting of

Stockholders, Elects Trustees and

Observes Trial Run of Machinery --

All Ready Except Furnace to be

Finished This Month.

Unless present calculations are delayed of miscarry there is every likelihood that the Anacortes Glass Co's factory will begin operation by the first of July and that Skagit county week at the exposition will be celebrated with an abundance of exhibits from the only glass factory save one in the state of Washington.

Last Friday the stockholders of the company met at the headquarters office of the company at the factory and elected trustees for the ensuing year. The old trustees were re-elected as follows: C. E. Funnell of Bellingham, president; Nick Jerns of Bellingham, treasurer; E. A. MacKay of Seattle and Anacortes, secretary. The trustees have not yet elected their officers, but doubtless the officers will be re-elected to their respective positions as indicated in the foregoing.

It developed in the reports and deliberations of the meeting that the company has already paid in cash for its buildings, machinery and equipment a total of more than $28,000. All bills have been paid in full; everything necessary to complete and operate the plant is here and paid for.

The officers and stockholders inspected the plant and witnessed a trial run of the machinery, all of which was satisfactory. All parts of the factory are now in running order, except the big furnace, which still requires the finishing touches now being put on under the supervision of Manager E. A. MacKay. This work will be completed this month, unless there is delay now not anticipated. and the factory should be ready to start regular operation by the first of July.

The furnace is a very elaborate and costly structure of concrete, steel and fire brick. The fire-clay blocks, shipped here from St. Louis and forming the bed of the furnace, are of irregular shapes and sizes, the largest being nearly five feet thick and weighing 1,600 pounds.

The daily (24 hours) capacity of the furnace and factory is 12 tons of glass bottles or similar product, and the plant will give employment to from 40 to 50 men and boys.

From the furnace and blowers' pit the glass goes into what are called lehrs. There are two lehrs. They are practically covered railways in which the glass rides on steel trays to the packing room. The lehrs are each 7 feet wide and 60 feet in length, built of brick and cement, entirely covered except that at the arches of brick rising at intervals of 52 inches between centers space is left to provide for the cold air draft in which the glass cools as it is conveyed to the other end of the lehr by three rows of steel wheels in the bed of each lehr. The first 12 feet of each lehr is practically a hot air retort, in which the glass gets its luster, the remaining 48 feet of lehr supplying a cold air draft as the glass passes on its way to the packing room.

These lehrs are very substantially built, the base being a concrete wall five feet high upon which are the lehr walls of brick four feet high, with a superstructure of arches built crosswise forming top centers every 52 inches. The retort sections of the lehrs are heavily lined with first class firebrick.