The daily gazette., 1880-04-02
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WHAT JOHN ROACH AND THE PHILA-
DELPHIA 3 READING RAILROAD
ARE DOING FOR CHESTER.

=
WHAT JOHN ROACH AND THE PHILA-
DELPHIA . READING RAILROAD
ARE DOING FOR CHESTER.
The travelling correspondent Of the
Ledger says: Extensive improvements
are now under way by the Chester
Rolling Mill Co., in South Chester,
and by company recently formed in
Philadelphia, which will add to the
population and wealth of this section
Of our State. The Chester Rolling
| Mill, which was started some five years
ago, and has been running ever since
Slnder favorable and profitable circum-
stances, has been found to be too
small to keep up with the increasing
demand for the quality of iron made,
and therefore it has been thought ad-
visable to make extensive improve
ments. To do this the capital stock
has been increased to $500 900, all of
which has been taken by well-known
parties in Philadelphia and in this
vicinity. The old directors of the Com
pany were John r. Roach, Garrett
Roach, ID. r. Houston and G. B..
Houston, with Mr.. John Roach as
President and @. b. Houston Treas
urer and General Manager. In few
days there will be added as directors
Mr.. Samuel M. FELTON, and Samuel A.
Crozier. ~. Co.,
The company own thirty acres of
land fronting on the Delaware and
running back for some distance to-
wards the p, w. and B. Railroad,
and with which the works are con-
nected, as well as with the liver
branch of the Reading Railroad. The
buildings now on the ground are 200
by 478 feet, and in them are two pud-
ding mills, having II furnaces, with a
capacity'of so tons per day; a plate
mill for making ship and boiler plate,
with two sets of rolls. capable of turn
ing out 45 tons every twenty-four
hours, and the mil is now run that
number of hours except Sunday also,
mill for rolling angle, beam and
scalp iron, with capacity Of 35 tons
per day. There are two large gas
heating furnaces, and one Universal
mill for rolling plate iron from one
eighth of an inch to six inches in thick
ness, and from two to twenty-seven
inches in width, all with one pair Of
horizontal rolls somewhat in shape of
the ordinary plate rolls. Attached,
however, are two pairs Of vertical
rolls, one pair in front and one pair
behind, which give the plates parallel
edges as rolled to the eproper thickness,
and save the shearing Of the ragged
edges, which always are found when
the iron is rolled in the old way. The
guides to the plate and the. vertical
rolls ensure not only smooth edges, but
a uniformity in width. There are to
move this machinery four large Corliss
engines and eight smaller ones. The
steam hammer, for hammering pud-
died iron, is a five-ton one, and SO nice
ly arranged that small boy is en-
| phl4d ", s.,n..~es> a ---stl ,serfeot -D"s0.
Tho new work now under way by the
Company is preparatory tn the erection
Of TWO blast furnaces, which will be 10
feet high, with IS feet bOsh, and furn
shed with Whitewell fire brick
stoves and all the latest and most ap.
proved improvements. The foundations
for The first furnace will rest upon piles,
now being driven, on land near the river
front, and Il is expected that 1t will be
| in operation befor the close of the year.
A wharf, which will be used for the un-
loadlng of ore and other material, Is now
being built near the contemplated fur
mace. 1t will extend some 900 feet be.
ond low-water line, TO water of suffi
cient depth to accommodate all classes
of vessels.
The Chester Tube and Iron Company
have extensive buildings adjoining, on
ground owned by the Rolling Mill Com
pany, and employ 200 men in the man
ufacture of oil pipe, boiler tubes, &C.,
the capacity of the establishment being
about 1900 tons per month.
just south of these establishments Is
tract of several hundred acres of land be-
longing to the Reading Railroad Com
pany, aud of this the Railroad Company
| has given % acres to q Philadelphia
company, upon which they intend to
erect large iron furnace. The work
upon the improvement, 1t Is said, will
shortly be commenced.
About mile from these mills is
located the highly cultivated farm of
Mr.. Samuel NJ. FELTON,, formerly Presi-
den of the p. W. and B. Railroad. 1t is
beautifully situated upon the sloping
| ridge which skirts the Delaware from
Chester to Wilmington, and the grounds
around the neat and large mansion are
handsomely laid out with great variety
of trees. all of which we're planted by