Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-12-15
Our Industrial Works.

THE MANUFACTURE OF RAILWAY suppIIEs--DIA-
MoND STATE IRON co.
We have already noticed the erection, by the
Diamond State Iron Company, of extensive
additions to their works, at Third and Church
streets. The new buildings are now partly
furnished with their machinery and the company
has actively commenced operations in the new
department, they have added to their business
the manufacture of railway supplies.
The first of the new additions is brick build
ing 1870 by 80 feet extending Third street from
the Companys office nearly to the bridge and
two stories in hight. This is mainly used as q
machine shop for the Company's own work and
contains three lathes, one a large one for turning
rolls, drill, planer, nc.
In addition to these there are III this building,
three machines connected with the Company's
new branch of manufacture, one nut-tapper
which will cut the thread on four nuts at once,
another bolt-cutting machine which cuts threads
on two bolts at once and the other facing ma
chine for smoothing the nuts. The number of
these machines will soon be increased as the
other machinery already turns out bolts and nuts
more rapidly than these machines can finish them.
Adjoining this building and forming an l. with
it is the new $ Railway Supply Mill" a large
frame building with skylight and slate roof SIM
liar in shape to the Company's large rolling mill.
1t is 81 by 45is feet. 1t contains two machines
for making spikes, bolts or nuts and each of
them makes either at single operation with
great rapidity biting off red hot iron and splitting
out spikes from its ponderous jaws at the rate
of from thirty to fifty minue or as fast as the
workmen can thrust the bars in. Each machine
has capacity of about three tons of railroad
spikes day.
Near this is hot-press nut machine. a pom
derous and powerful affair, capable of turning
ont about two tons of nuts per day. The bars
are fed to it red hot and it makes either square
or hexagonal nuts, cutting them oil and punching
them at the same operation. II makes nuts for
"a inch to two inches in size, this being the tlle
OF the hole be it understood. two-lllcf mt
is about four inches square.
There is also in the building, but not yet ~
operation, Mabbit patent Hammered CHAR
machine, and bolt machine for making bolts aud
nuts, but as neither are yet in operation we VIII
not attempt to describe them. The building. of
course, contains the necessary furnaces for
heating the iron, and also has one or two black
smith FORCES.
In the large mill of the main works there has
also been erected machine for making fish
plates. The bars pass to it rel hot. directly
from the rolls and it cuts stralghtens. and
punches the plate all at one operation. Its ca
paciy is 10 or IL tons a day, OF all the furnaces
can supply the iron for.
The company is already filling orders to the
full capacity of its new machinery, and is as
rapidly as possible getting other machinery IN
order to enlarge its manufacturing facilities. 1t
continues of course, the manufacture OF bar
iron in its large mills, but IL IL hopeu .hat soile
day the new department will absorb all the IRON
the old mills can turn out.
This manufacture of railway supplies is a new
branch of the iron business hero, though it is a
| very extensive industry in many parts OF tile
| country. Wilmington seems favorabiy situated
for the business, as is evidenced by its extensive
manufacture of car wheels, and We do not doubt
that the live and enterprising corporation which
has commenced the business will push it to the
utmost,