298 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



acres and including thirty-five ware and decorating kilns. Tlie 

 business was started in 1854 by Mr, Isaac W. Knowles and Mr. 

 Isaac A. Harvey, who, with a single kiln, made yellow ware and, 

 later, Rockingham, In 1870 Mr. Knowles, who had purchased the 

 interest of his former i:)artner, was joined by Messrs. John N. 

 Taylor and Homer S. Knowles, and in 187:3 they commenced the 

 manufacture of iron-stone china and white granite ware. The 

 business of the company has had a phenomenal growth, and at the 

 present time they employ about seven hundred hands in the |jro- 

 duction of extensive lines of white granite and vitreous hotel 

 china, which they supply to the trade. 



The Faience Manufacturing Company, of Greenj^oint, Long 

 Island, prodiices white ware artistically decorated and, we believe, 

 a limited quantity of porcelain. The pieces are of ornamental 

 rather than of useful shapes. The engraving (Fig. 26) represents 

 a ewer vase from this factory with open-work handle and molded 

 figure of bird. It is unfortunate that the secrets of this factory 

 should be guarded so jealously as to deprive us of all knowledge 

 concerning the processes emj^loyed and the qualities of the wares 

 produced. Repeated inquiries have failed to elicit any rejDly. 



To Mr. Thomas C. Smith, of Greenpoint, Long Island, belongs 

 the honor of being the first American manufacturer who has been 

 successful in placing upon the market a true hard porcelain as 

 a commercial article. His experiments, which extended over a 

 number of years, first commenced to bear fruit about 1865, when 

 he j)erfected a plain white ware, and a year afterward he com- 

 menced to decorate his goods. The Union Porcelain Works, of 

 which Messrs. Thomas C. Smith and C. H. L. Smith are the pro- 

 prietors, have produced many decorative pieces in addition to 

 their staple productions of true porcelain table ware. 



This porcelain is composed in body of clay, quartz, and feldspar. 

 It is fired in biscuit at a low temperature, in the second story of 

 the porcelain kiln, using for its baking the surplus heat passing 

 away after having done its greater work in the first story or gloss- 

 kiln where the glazing is done. At this first burning the ware 

 receives only sufficient fire to make it jjroperly fasten together in 

 form. It is quite fragile, easily broken with the fingers, and por- 

 ous, not having yet had sufficient heat to commence vitrification. 

 In this condition it is what is termed porcelain biscuit, and is 

 ready for the glaze-tub. The glaze of porcelain is composed of 

 the same material as the body, and so compounded that those 

 elements which are soonest fluxed by the influence of the heat 

 are in greater proportion than they are contained in the body. 

 The porous, low-fired biscuit is dipped into a liquid puddle of 

 glaze. Upon being withdrawn its porosity quickly absoi'bs the 

 excess of water, leaving a dry coating of the glaze compound. 



