The E-14 B -- was it a secret government code? No, a most popular collector's item today. Its full name, Hemingray CS - E-14 B, has much significance to the modern day collector. Its beautiful colors have fascinated collectors since the first ones were discovered in the mid 1960's.

The location was the town of Ft. Pierce, on the east coast of Florida. John Neal of Ft. Pierce, a long time bottle and treasure collector, became interested in insulators in the middle 1960's. John, nearly blind, and his wife were traveling down the highway which parallels the Florida East Coast Railway. The FEC, a mainline railroad, has tracks which follow the east coast of Florida from Miami to Jacksonville. (It is interesting to note that the Hemingray 54 A's and B's were located on this same line, only further to the north.)

Workmen were busy dismantling this toll line when John and his wife stopped to investigate. What they found turned out to be, not clear or blue glass, but the unusually colored "opal glass". The linemen were happy to have someone haul them away. They were also instructed to check the railroad dump in town. When they arrived, there were more of these unusual "moonstone" insulators waiting to be picked up. Upon closer investigation of these glass oddities, they had discovered the unknown Hemingray E-14 B.

Of the 50 or 60 originally found, only a few turned out to be the best colored ever located. In the following years a small number of others were found scattered around the southern part of the state. Most were found near Lake Okeechobee, largest lake in southern United States. Most of these actually turned out to be in either poor condition or weak color.

Investigation of the peculiar insulator showed that this was indeed an experimental piece produced by Hemingray under the direction of Owens- Illinois. The remainder of the same line on which the E-14 B's were found, was equipped with Whitall Tatum CSC, date coded, 1946. This is a good indication as to the date of the E-14 B, but is not confirmed.

The significance of the "E-14 B" is not known. However, the "CS" on the reverse side does indicate that this insulator was intended for a carrier system. Carrier is a method in which several telephone circuits are assigned a different frequency and carried simultaneously over one pair of wires. (It must be remembered that this is only a simplified explanation of a rather complex system.) Special glass with certain insulation properties is necessary to operate a carrier system. Hemingray, along with several of the other glass companies, was quite involved at this time in trying to find the glass properties necessary for the carrier system. Hemingray experimented with E1, 2 and 3, E-14 B and others (some for carrier). Both Corning and Whitall Tatum also had their experimental oddities.

The unusual color has been given various names, such as "vaseline", "opalescent" and "moonstone". According to an article that appeared in the August, 1973, issue of Old Bottle Magazine, "Small phosphorous pellets were stirred into the molten quartz glass at very high temperatures. Then ... the insulators are always annealed by slow cooking to prevent cracking or fractures ... The fire and color of the opal depends on the internal planes that reflect back the light. Fractures of the internal quartz cause the red fire, blues, greens, and the yellows". The annealing process "might have been omitted ... and the insulator would have (minute) internal fractures like true opal..." This is only one of the several interesting theories as to how this vaseline glass came about. Another theory of a few years back claimed that the E-14 B was colored by the sun; but this is very doubtful. In addition to the vaseline colors, milkglass has been found. It is doubtful that any of the milkglass insulators were ever used on the line, as they were located in the Hemingray, Muncie, Indiana, dump.

The E-14 B glass has unusual properties, unlike most others. Although this glass is very weak and soft, it also seems to absorb impurities from the soil where it was buried. The soil around Lake Okeechobee is high in acid, and this tended to "eat" up the glass. I saw a beautiful top of a piece sticking out of the ground, but the lower half of the E-14 B insulator under the surface was almost gone, as if it had been dissolved in the mud. Some of the earlier collectors learned what their cleaning acid did to this E-14 B glass. After a short time in the solution, all that was left was a pile of broken glass.

The darker shades, which tend to be more scarce, also tend to be in less than mint condition, while the lighter colors tend to be in better shape.

In addition to the E-14 B's that were found in Florida, some were located in the Muncie dump. These are reported to have been well mixed with other Hemingray experimentals.

For the past several years, rumors have been circulating regarding an amber E-14 B. One was reported to have been found in an isolated area in Florida several years ago. It is doubtful that Hemingray ever made one in amber. Who knows, it may be like the carnival mickey mouse?

Prices have changed over the few years since E-14 B's were first found. Prices of $100 are well remembered. Today, the plain vaseline colors tend to sell around $25 - $30 and up, if mint. Good white milkglass go much higher, when available.

Although a failure as an electrical experimental piece, truly the E-14 B is a success in any collection.