Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-05-27
Pros HErfs -N,-cizAfs' .Mssa.irG
Manufacture of Railroad Iron i'm The
United States.

We give place TO the following communication from an
intelligent correspondent residing Lynchbug, Va and
large kholder IN the edegar lron Company" OF that
State Our correspondent IL will be seem refers
tract from the Miners Journal" published the Mcr-
chants Magazine for Janury. 1885, that
the first railroad Iron made IN ls44; and
pendent subsequent number OF Our Journal, who
states that the Great Western Iron Company on the
Allegheny riyer, produced IN 1872 hundred tons
railroad iron:
IT, flf Of Ns-s-, e-s Cse-risl Rsrlrr
SE-In the January number Of your truly valuable work
Sod article the manufacture OF railroad iron. taken
from the Mners Journal in which il siaied that only
year have elapsed the first ofr1road iron
made IN this county aud again in your February
number, this subject noced and the belief expressed
that 'hs credit : due 10 The Great wes'eu Iron Comps
ny a Pennsy wanna Tor introducing THIS rlp0rtan bgsnc
o the brsness into county Both OF these
erroneous, doubtless uniniennonay / have
doubt that the hrs railroad iron made the United
Sises Manufactured BY the Tredegar IrOn Woks
Richmond Va. The evidence will Offer sustain the
claims 0f Richmond .. think pretty conclusive. give
from letter Of John +. Tanner. ESQ sec
retsT 81 the IreceEar Iron Company dated Richmond,
Let February, 1916 whom made application for accu-
inormatun, after resdng your January number lest
my memory should misead me. Nr. Tanner SAYS, 'tbe
hTst railroad made these works manufactured
1851 eighten hundred end ,hrtyseven In ISIS.
made Considerable quantity for Richmond Frede
rcksbufg aud Potomac Railroad Company. and other
roads in ihs State" Ever nee that period occasional
orders for railroad iron have been executed these works
The Tredegar works erected in 1885, commenced
operaions think, the SIh May, 1897. They were built
by Edward Cunningham, John a. Cunningham, and Fan
cs b. Deane, JT who conducted them private account
Ih lst January 1898; when a Joint stock company was
formed, under charter Obtained the legislature Al the
session OF 1875; to which company Messs Deane 81
Cunningham sold their works So would tho the
individuals who projected and completed the Tredegs
rolling mill were the pioneers IN the manufacture Of rail
road iron in the United States.
The capital stock OF the Tredegnr Iron Company il
2SOOa the annual product turned out about $3.50 OO(
coal consumed from 900 200 900 bushels pig iron
about 1000 tons annual payments for labor, from 40 OO
10 10000 dollars. This establishment manufa cures
great variety OF sizes OF bar iron, rods hoops bands
sizes, rounds and squares, locomotive engines sore,
nonlds boat plates, and rods for iron vessels othe
IN the Union The quality its production equal to ih
best iron found IN our markets, Of English or American
manufacture. b, sides the works for mnknl
maleabe iron, OF almost every description, which the want
OF commerce require there attached to them very large
foundry with machlneshops, fitted up the best name
with alhes &c. for building engines sugar mills anC
indeed machinery Of every description Also large Dor
ing mill and oil necessary apparatus finishing ordnanc,
OF the largest size ordinarily used, either army
navy From the Tedegar foundry castings of excel
lent quality aud great variety annual turned out The
ordnance made there is regarded equal tie best which
ihe government pocures elsewhere, OF which fact the
cords OF the war and navy department will afford ample
testimony.
feel much confidence in claiming for the Tredesar
works the credit Of introducing several important
branches Ci iron manufacture as well as railroad iron.
believe locomotive rolled axes fret made there ant
Al my information DO correct, they have great extent
superseded the English and American hammered axles-
The may be said Of boat-rb irons these were also
first made the TrodeRar works and am told that even
now there descriptions Of this important article used
10y government in building vessels which can only be
procured at these works
Without intending any dsparbgemeni TO other works Of
the enterprise OF my ielOwcitzen the Northern Statss
am induced 10 make this that cor
rect information may be placed before the public and
condy, that IL may be known that the unrvaed advantage.
possessed by Virginia. for the manufacture Of ron are no,
30 entirely neglected as many believe them 10 be-
STOCKHOLDERS or THE TnEDEGAR CoAFASY.
Merchants Magazine for Feb. 1876, Vol. XVI, No 2,
page 2I2.