File:Seen in Germany (1902) (14760669996).jpg

Identifier: seeningermany00bakerich (find matches)
Title: Seen in Germany
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Baker, Ray Stannard, 1870-1946
Subjects: Germany -- Social life and customs
Publisher: London, Harper
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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lycooled for many (eight to ten) weeks. After that it isready for the lens-maker proper, that skilled mecha-nician and mathematician of Jena or ot Americaor France, who polishes down its sides with infinitecare, until they reach the required curves. Each ofthese processes has absorbed precious time and hascost much money : the bare glass for such a lenswould cost not less than about $5,000. To thisthe skill of the optician would add in polishing fully;20,ooo more, so that the finished lens, ready forfitting into the telescope tube, would represent anexpenditure of over $25,000. Through such painsand expense as this must science pass that mankindmay add a few facts to its knowledge of some dis-tant star. The German workmen are standing back from thecooling furnace, perspiring, the lens finally cast.A boy comes in with his apron full of beer, a bottlefor each, and they drink in characteristic Germanfashion to the success of the work. It may be manya day before such another lens is made.
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Blo-Tuifig and Dra-wing Thermometer Tubes — the Most Perfectin the World 220 Seen in Germany Thus a great telescope lens is made. The manu-facture of optical glass for microscope lenses is a simi-lar though less spectacular process. The constituents of the ghiss are mixed with greatcare under the supervision of expert chemists, thenthe heating and stirring goes forward for severaldays until the glass is hardly thicker than water andthoroughly mixed. After that it is taken from thefurnace and allowed to cool in the crucible. Ofcourse it cracks into hundreds of pieces, some largeand some small. These pieces are carefully assortedand all the imperfections chipped off. 1 saw twomen, their eyes protected by goggles, employed withhammers at this work. It is interesting, and significantof the care required in these processes, that in spiteof experience and the closest attention, more than onefifth of all the glass melted is regularly rejected, owingto imperfections. These pieces of glass a

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