Connecticut western news., 1874-03-13
The Ensign Car Wheel Works.

From the Huntington (West Virginia)
 Aduertizer. we clip the following concern tug the Ensign car wheel works: The To- cation ot Huntington, and the advantages of the railroad and river connections, and its proximity to rich timber and mineral lands, mark it as one of the most desirable for establishing successful competive mau- utactories. Caitalists have come to know these advantages and had it not been for the unfortunate money stringency. many enterprises would be in process of building at this place. There are already mary in operation here, and one desiring notice in this connection is the Ensign car wheel works now in daily operation. These i'm mense works were laid out in the summer of 1872 and finished in November last. They are located on First avenue at the corner of Twenty-fourth street, running westward to the river, embracing in all about six acres. There is one main build- ing one hundred and thirty-seYen by ninety feet, used as moulding ani cooling rooms. and supplemented by four smaller buildings used scverally as pugine house, is square building thirty by tir;Iiy feet. The base ment story contains one of Gccenwalds thirty-fve horse power engines, one of Roots Portable Forges one No. noisless sixty inch Boring and Turning machine for boring out wheels and other minor ma chinery used for flushing purposes. The second story is used for making patterns for tue wheels and has one scroll saw, one Victor lathe, one wheel lathe and one rip SAW, furnished from the house of J. A
 Fay & Co. of Cincinnati. This building stands at the western end of the foundry. At the eastern end is the core house thirty bv thirty-two feet, and between these two are the cupola buildings, where the metal Is melted and carried 10 the molds. The cupolas in the buildings are respectively thirty-six and foty-four inches The build ings are composed of brick and stone and present massive appearance. The object of the projectors in locating this Manufac- tory at Huntington was to take advantage of the available means at hand for reaching the markets of the various sections of the country. When the scheme of a trunk line from the sea board to the West is consum
 mated, and connections formed, rapid and easy communications will be made with every point in the United States. At pres ent the company, by the Chesapeake and Ohio road can reach the Eastern and Euro kIao oI, NIc iI10n and by theOhio river, the immense demand of the West is met. The first shipment from these works was made on Mondaylast. consisting of ten car loads of wheels to parties in California. This may be consid- cred as the commencement of heavy trade to that region, where the railroad interest is gaining strength daily The company is composed of parties in the Eastern States who represent both capital and genius. Hon. Wm. H. Barnum, M. C., of Salisbury 1 Connecticut, is President, and MT. Eli Ensign, of this city, Secretary and Treas l urer. The works are under the skillful | management of MT. W. C. Daily, Superin- tendent; Jas R. Moore is the engineer and | Machinist; Thos. T. Hutchins and A. D. How'd, pattern makers in the moulding room are Messrs. Franklin Webb, J. s. Sparrow, W. Vile, R. Fox, s. McElhany, J, Oversight and B. Stanley beside these there are number of other hands engaged in other capacities not necessary to mention in this notice. Whom in full operation the capacity of the establishment is about one hundred wheels per day, and from ten to twenty tons of ordinary castings.