The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-07-26
fint Things About Iroa and Goal

issued by james NJ. Swauk. Se..ret.ry
Of the American Iron and Sleti As,o,
citation. will prove highly interesting e
the general reader.
Iron was first made in America IA
1910, at q point on Falling rrsel. s
branch OF the James river, in Virginia.
The first iron manufactured west oi
the Allegheny mountains was made in
fayette county. Pa. John HAYDEN, Of
that county. has been awarded the
honor OF having made ..the first iron in
a smiths fire" as early as 1890.
AS Tar as can be ascertained, the
first rolling mill west of The Allegheny
mountains was located on Cheat river,
in what is now West Virginia. The
dafe of its erection is unknown.
The first rolling mill in Pit.sbury
was built by Christopher Cowan, an
Enslishman, in 1872. 1t lad no pnld-
ing furnaces, nor WAS il intended to
roll bar iron.
The first rolling mill erected wes. of
the Allegnenies to puddle iron and roll
bars was built in 1876 and 1877. III a
place called hliddletown, better Known
as Plumsock, in Faycttc county, Pa.
Pig iron manufactured with bitumin-
GUS coke is claimed To have first been
made as a regular product in the United
States by i, H. Oliphant, at Fairchance
Furnace, Fayette county. Pa. in 1886.
1t appears that anthracite coal was
first used in q blast furnace in Mary
land. In 1910. Jesse b. Quinby les ii
fled. in the suit Of Farr & Kumzi against
the Schuylkill Navigation Company,
that he used anthracite coal at Hart
ford Furnace. Maryland. mixed with
one-haf charcoal, in 1915.
Knocked bituminous coal was first
used in a blast furnace about the year
1643. In the Shenango Valley, Pa.
Tho first use of Lake Superior iron
ore in . blast furnace was in 1853. by
David and John Agnew, proprietors
Of the Sharpsville furnace. at Sharps-
vile. Mercer county. Pa
Cast-steel was made in the American
colonies at an early day. In 1905 there
were two steel furnaces in Pennsylva-
MIA. producing $50 ton of steel annual
ly. One of these was located in Phila-
delphia county. In 1910 the steel pro-
duct of the whole country was 918 tons,
OF which Pennsylvania produced 53l
tons. in v furnaces-one each in Phi
ladelphia city. Philadelphia, Lancaster,
Dauphin and Fayette counties.
Bessemer steel was first made in the
United States at Wyandotte. Mich, In
the autumn of 1864.
The first Bessemer steel rails rolled
IN this country were rolled at the North
Chicago Rolling Mill, on the 24th of
May. 1865. from hammered blooms
made At the Wyandotte Rolling Mill.
from ingots Of steel made at the expert
mental steel works at Wyandotie. Tho
first steel rails rolled in the way Of
regular business were rolled by the
Cambria Iron Company, at Johnstown.
Pa, August, 1867, from ingots made at
The works of the Pennsylvania Steel
Company. near Harrisburg. Pa.
Siemens Martin open hearth steel
was first made in the United States in
December, 1868. by Cooper, Hewitt &
Company, proprietors Of the works Of
The New Jersey Steel and Iron Com
pany, in Trenton, N. J..
The Siemens gas furnace was first
ased in this country at the copper
works Of Park, McCurdy & Co., in
Pittsburg. It was completed August, IA, !
1868. and was used for. melting and
refining copper. But this furnace was
irst regularly introduced In the United
States by John A. Griswold & Co., at
Troy, N. Y. The license for its con-
itruction was granted September, 1867,
md it was used as . heating furnace in
he company's rolling mill.
The first successful application in this
country of the Siemens furnace to the
pudding Of iron was at the rolling mill
bf the American Silver Steel Company,
1t Bridgeport, Conn, in 1859. PRIOR to
This an unsuccessful attempt was made
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10. 1910
The hrst iron rails OF any kind made
IN tn1s country were cast BY the. Lehigh
Navigation Company, at their foundry
IN the upper end OF Mauch Chunk. Pa.
In 1926 A few hat rails were rolled
prior to 1872, but such rails were only
bar Iron. The manufacture OF heavy
wrought rails was commenced Mt the
MI Savage Rolling Mill, In Allegheny
county. Nd, in 1874. The mill was
erected especially for this purpose.
Ihe rails were Of the U pattern, known
In Wales as the Evans patent They
weighed AZ pounds to the yard. The
Montour Rolling Mill, at Danville. Pa.
was built in lS45, expressly to roll
rails, and hero were rolled. in October
OF that year, the first I rails made in
the country.
The first iron vessel built in the
United States was launched at Pitts
burg in 1859. 1t was named the Valley
Forge. For general navigation pur-
poses it was completely successful.
other ron vessels were built at Fits
ourg within the mex decade, among
them an iron Tor ocean service,
and an IRON steamer Michigan, Tor
service on the ake-oos quilt Tor the