Tuna Glass Factory
The Tuna Glass Factory -It is Fast Approaching Completion—A Magnificent Plant. -It’s Output, 10,000 Boxes a Month -The Company’s Monthly Pay Roll Will Amount to Over $15,000 and it will Employ 165 Men—Brief Description of the Works. The Bradford Era August 3, 1899 The big glass factory of the Tuna Glass Company in the Fifth ward, between Rochester street and the B., R. & P. railway tracks, is nearly completed. Workmen are now putting the finishing touches to the interior. A slow fire will be started in the big tank about August 15 and everything will be ready to commence operations when the season opens on September 15. The plant is strictly up-to-date in all its departments. It was constructed on excellent plans and under the personal direction of Mr. George Camp, an expert in that line. The main building is composed of three pats. Two of these are 152 by 110 feet, in dimensions, each, and the other is 144 by 48 feet. Beginning at the south end is the crushing room 20x40. The sandstone, which, by the way, is to be taken from McKean county hills, in close proximity to Bradford, Bordell & Kinzua railway, is put into the crushing room direct from the cars. After it is crushed an endless chain elevator takes it up and carries it to a screen, where it is sifted and cleaned, and dropped into the mixing room are three large bins, 15 by 20 feet, in which the salt cake, lime and carbon are kept. Each bin has a door opening out toward the railroad track. From the missing room the material is carried a distance of 30 feet to the tank, which is 58 feet long, its melting chambers being 20.5 by 21 feet. The big tank will hold 400 tons of melted glass. At the north end of the tank are the blow furnaces, two in number, five rings each. There will be 10 men for each shift and three shifts. The work will begin at 1 o’clock Monday nights and continue without break until 12 o’clock noon Saturday. The tank in reality is a 36 blower tank, but will be used by the Tuna company as a 30 blower in order to get a better quality of glass than would otherwise be possible if the tank were worked to its full capacity. Water pipes have been put in front of the tanks and self-cooler troughs will be put in for the gatherers. This will be a decided improvement over the old style barrels in front of the tanks, at which the gatherers used one hand to turn the glass and with the other poured water to cool it. From this room the cylinders, after being split, are carried into the flattening ovens, of which there are three-one with an 18-foot wheel and the other two with 16-foot wheels. After leaving the flattening ovens the glass is carried through the leahr where it is annealed, to the leahr room where it is put in elevators and treated in the vats to give it brilliancy. It is then put on a tramway and given to the cutters. The tramway runs the entire length of the building and there are 12 cutting stalls, facing north and giving an excellent light. The glass is then taken on trucks to the storerooms. Immediately east of the tank house building is the blacksmith shop, 20 x 40, and at the northeast corner, facing Rochester Street, is a 25 x 40 building, which will be the office of Manager Camp. Just east of the warehouse and separated from it by the railroad switch is the box factory, 30 x 60, where the boxes for packing the glass will be made. At the south end of the factory the immense chimney is located. It is 80 feet high, 12 feet square at the base and eight at the top. It took exactly 92,000 bricks to build it. The factory will use 250 tons of sand per month, all of which will be secured from the hills beyond the city, and of which there is an inexhaustible supply. The reputation of Bradford as a good town to live in is widespread, and the city is well known to glassblowers. On that account applications for employment have been filed from enough men to run three plants of this one’s size. Manager Camp has selected a force of 165 men and they will report for duty on September 15. A few of the men will come earlier to do the necessary preliminary work. The output of the works will be 10,000 boxes a month. The Tuna Glass Company’s pay roll per month will run from $15,000 to $18,000. The affairs of the glass factory will be in charge of the following named citizens, all of whom are recognized as practical, successful and progressive business men: president Charles H. Lavens; vice president, Felix Steinberger; secretary and treasurer, Warley Gifford; manager, George Camp; directors, Charles H. Lavens, Felix Steinberger, Warley Gifford, J. F. Davis and George Camp. With the enterprise, money and brains of the directory and a long-term contract for natural gas at 7c per 1,000 feet, there is no apparent reason why the Tuna Glass Company should not succeed. The company owns enough land adjoining the factory to duplicate the plant, and if expectations and ambitions are realized, big additions to the works will be made. |
Fire at Tuna Glass Works The McKean County Miner February 5, 1903 The Tuna Glass Factory at Bradford was damaged by fire Tuesday morning to the extent of $1,000. The fire was caused by the breaking of the tank, which let out the molten glass. For a time it was thought that the whole factory would be destroyed but the prompt and effective work of the Bradford fire department saved the buildings. The damage is fully covered by insurance. Work has been started on the repairs and operations will be manned in a few days. Smethport parties are largely interested financially in the Tuna factory. Mike Myers, driver of the Citizens Home chemical wagon, while responding to the alarm, was quite severely injured by the wagon tipping over and throwing him heavily to the ground. At first it was reported that he was fatally inured but later reports say he will only be confined to the house a few days. |
Tuna Glass Plant Sold To Flint Bottle Co. -Possession will be given about March 7—Important Business Change Bradford Era February 26, 1907 The officers of the Tuna Window Glass Co. and the Flint Glass Bottle Co. completed a deal on Monday, whereby the bottle people will become the owners of the plant of the former in the Fifth ward. Possession will be given about March 7, and the present week will be the final one in which the factory will be used for the manufacture of window glass. The plant will shut down permanently as a “window house” on Saturday. In speaking of the matter last night one of the officers of the Tuna company stated that all of the Tuna company stated that all of the members of the company were sorry that it had become necessary to close up the plant, but the gas situation in the local field prevented the factory from competing with plants located where gas can be secured at a less price than in Bradford. The large amount of gas needed for a window glass plant was such a draft on the supply that it was difficult for the companies to supply the demand. The bottle plant will not have such trouble to contend with, as a plant of that kind uses much less gas than a window glass plant. It is the intention of the new owners of the plant to reduce the size of the tank and to change the leers to meet the requirements of the bottle factory. When the changes are completed it is expected to be one of the best bottle factories in this part of the country, as the buildings are all in a very good condition and finely situated for manufacturing purposes. The Tuna Glass Co. will not give up business, but will locate elsewhere, probably in some city in West Virginia, where gas has been offered at four cents per 1,000 feet. |
Local News Bradford Era March 4, 1907 The Flint Glass Bottle Co. will take possession of the plant of the Tuna Glass Co, recently purchased, on Thursday of this week. One of the officials of the Flint Glass Bottle Co. stated last evening that the company would employ double the number of men engaged at the old factory. |
Local News Bradford Era March 12, 1907 The Flint Glass Bottle Co. on Monday took possession of the plant formerly owned by the Tuna Glass Co. and at once began the work of remodeling the factory. It was said yesterday by one of the officers of the company that the remodeled plant will be ready for business about May 1. The capacity of the factory will be double that of the one destroyed by fire and about double the number of operatives will be employed. |