Description of the Covington factory of Hemingray

GLASS WORKS.

The Hemingray Factory.

CINCINNATI, O., Jan. 14, 1888,

EDITORS TIMES: This afternoon, in company with a friend, a correspondent of the TIMES made a visit to the Hemingray glass works which are soon to be removed to Muncie and in which your people are not a little interested as it is by and through such enterprises that Muncie, thanks to her liberal gas supply, is to become a thriving city. The glass works of the Hemingray Bros. in Covington, Ky., are located a short distance below the Covington approach to the suspension bridge, and the extensive buildings occupy a prominent position on the river front. In the bottle factory we find the men and boys actively engaged in making beer and mucilage bottles, insulators, etc. Mr. Robert Hemingray, on learning that we were from Muncie, at once became interested in giving us an insight into the operations of glass making. The work of bottle making is doubtless familiar to many of our readers. The furnace should be kept at a regular heat to do good work. One of the workmen told us that they would do better work with natural gas than with coal, since, with the latter, sudden changes in the temperature of the furnaces occur which result in defective work. And while we watched him bottles were rejected because of flaws and thrown into the waste barrel. In the putty room we found large crucibles made of Missouri clay, fire proof clay, etc., which are to be used in the future to contain the molten glass. The closed crucibles havinga [sic] having a small air vent are used in the plate glass work. In the furnace room, which is immense in its area, are large furnaces that are, however, but two-thirds the size of the one which they propose erecting in Muncie, since as Mr. Hemingray remarked, the question of economy in fuel is no longer to be considered. He informed us that the firm had close to $100,000 invested in the molds alone. These are made of steel and of course their interior surface contains the die whose imprint produces the form upon the glass blown against it. Many of these dies are worked out at great expense, any departure from mathematical precision in its construction rendering it worthless. One of the interesting features of this establishment is the sand blast process by which upon glass globes and shades are produced the varied geometrical figures. In the decorating room lamp shades are decorated by workmen skilled in the use of the brush. Not among the least noteworthy of this firm’s manufactures is their patent lamp which is turned out in large quantities and for which they are having a great sale. Oil cans and fruit jars are manufactured in large quantities.

Mr. Hemingray, though necessarily a very busy man, gave us a very satisfactory insight into the labarynths of the immense establishment and remarked, on our thinking him for his kindness, that we might return the favor by showing him around Muncie at some future time. Your city may not only congratulate itself that it has secured a most valuable enterprise in the Hemingray glass works, but also in the firm they will find men whose courteous and unassuming manners, combined with an energetic and active attention to business, will commend them to all good citizens of Muncie.

                                                                                                                                                             H.A.C.