New-York tribune., 1885-01-04
INDUSTRIAL "REMINISCENCES
vrorssIrUpEs OF MANUFACTURING.


trade which exists among States and which has male
rs Indifferent to where we go within our own limits 70
obtain any manufactured production. The eieVa1eo
railroads of aud the Brooklyn Bridge procured
their steel and iron from NewJersey and Pennsylvania
and even from Delaware. Perhaps no manufacturing
suggestions have been In tne'r
ouences than Roebngs wire cables and the steel towers
frat used on high scale in elevated railroads John
A. Roebng the father Of the invalid engineer In BROOK
lyu after receiving very thorough engineering cduca
ton in the military schools Of Prussia removed 70 'ae
United States with the design OF buryDg himself from
mankind He went 10 Western Pennsylvania anu choSe
some land convenient to Q river, and there expectea
never be moested. In the course OF time ehe one.
canal OF Pennsylvania engineered right down t"'
river be and when they came the vicinity OF RoeDng
and un to DAM which the high water
anon swept off, they wero in despair to know now 10
cross the river with any sort OF aqneduct' hoeoi"s
stepped forward and said: You must suspend your
aaueduct on such stream as this" Ihey ia"gnea
him To- scorn as the Scriptures say But aftor trying s
sorts Of methods to get across the river ana Keep '
structure up they finally remarked: "Where is that
crazy putcnmanlv The Dutchman was right there, not
very much agitated any subject and Sill preerrnB
TO be q hermit They went to him and said; "wnat Is
this You were saying about snspending aqueaucts on
wircsi" "You will have to suspend your aqueducts'
said Rocblipg or you will never be able to Keep them
IN over torrent like that which Is liable to rise yards
u 49,
and he suspended the canal so to speak, In the air.
Some time aftorward the Delaware and Hudson Canal
which ascends the roaring valley OF the Delaware had
aso to he carried across tho stream at several points
They called on Roebng and he m dc all the suspended
aaueucts Az that time there were no fac'ties III ts
country to mako wire in large quantities. 30 hoeohug
started Mt Trenton New-Jersey, his wire factory ana
from that point his suspension bridges radiated 70 All
portons OF the older United States. He put up the
btnhn anti
safety to carry great trains OF and george Stephen
son the British engineer. with dOgmatic confidence
sad TINT no suspension bridge would ever carry l0como
tyes and loaded trains When stephenson went 70 open
the Victoria Fridge at Montreal he had to ride over hoeo
lIngs suspended bridge behind locomotive Inc Cih
c!nnat Bridge. erected abont 1867, was the most re-
matkabe suspension bridge the globe until the Brook
Ivn Bridge was begun, which proved to be the
OF Roebng the father and the destruction OK the
health OF his son. Last Sunday died the elder Roeblnss
second wife.
NJ. may he interested 10 know something about the
iron works which such great fabrics a. the ee-
waited railroad Tie Phenx Iron Works on the scnuy-
kill River about twenty-eght miles fiom Philadelphia
which perhaps made the most o the iron Tor both the
elevated railroads and for the Bridge and when are
now making steel tower vadcs to deep gores for
numerous railways began just one hundred ana TWO
wears ago Pudding introduced into that mill about
1928 Anthracite coal first employed In ls4l.
This great factory was one OF the hrst " make IRON
rafters poors, frames. and bridge-work The United
states Government was an early patron "t tue fh1A
iron Works for its buildings which required to be IRE
proof Perhaps the greatest iron and steel mill in the
limited States Ia at Johnstown. Penn II began about
AKA Tn 1860 only seven years after these works
.,arted I wrote as boy some general description oil
them Just after the beginning OF the war the company
WAS reorganixcd with capital OF million ana haf
Now Johnstown which IL the place where the old canal
terminated coming Pttsburg is sach large settle
,nent that the Baltimore and Ono Railroad has opened
long branch line divide transportation there with
tho Pcunsy ivania Company. l observe by the last
CENSUS that Cambria County has manufacturing
eap,ta OF nearly million dollars, and an annual pro-
duct OF over sixteen millions and that II employs In ia
shops about yc thousand bands. nearly oil males The
marvel about place s its location In the midst OF
mountains which from different levels furnish COAL iron
and lime the lime being almost indispensable for Iron
man lsacture as the ore itself The man who In the
villany OF his nature would SIRE magnmeee M"rn & hi
theory utterly beyond religion or PATRIOTISM tnoush
he may consider himself reiorIner.
A. one wandcrs along North and East rivers and
d,ys by seeing some old hulks hauled ashore
faded sign the hrst sie" emnes e 2, srns
engine works developed from Futon's experiment
to put into vessels tn lso7 Fulton brought @ Sa.
erected shop at Jersey CITY, since covered by tne Seco
Iron Foundry. and there number OF mont1rs were ps
as long as he lived getting his iron castings from c-
TH@ %%en NJ fuoS asS is5 '
shops and IL required nearly year Tor MN 20 build
which old yessel think, Is still used in waters
perhaps under the name OF the Chancellor In isi0
the hi, North River steamboats, and tested anthraclte
which had been supposed %9snsss 70 t,. MAKE as
~ run teAmboats on the North River
Aoire passed ont Of active business IN 1850. and T.
secor took his place. The Novelty iron WORKS were
e,ai iished by the Rev Eliphalet Nott President OF
nion olege who brought anthracite coal into general
use for houses and for steam power lie b9It toat
called tho Novelty with new iieas III IT, anu aougn.
.I nm the East River construct H. In course OF time
III. ,b"ps b took tho name the Novelty Works and
as,ei under variety Of Partners In Is2o tne Novey
iron Works incorI GRATED with Zoo 900 cal ital
They still stand the Fast River at Twelithst the
Denater Iron Works on the North River We're ,onnded
In 1900; lnere the sp Ericsson was huili, anu during
the war the original Monitor had her machinery made
there. Delamater for long tmo was IN absolute
control OF these works.
River. began IN 1888; here were ouiit reih'rSanl.
river and ocean Steamers aud Mr. Qnntad In 1890
became absolute @ be Is a"S half ees
In diameter which crosses Oh lii bruge at tue hatie
RIVER % " % M anary sSa Which in sss than six
weeks reyoluonized naval warfare at Fortress Monroc
which had been previously a plaiu obseare establish,
ment Roach only had 500 when he started IN, and
MIR Roach ought up In engine shops anu he soon
started by himself aud put up th" largcst engine shops
the country. cOurso vi u.io Nv "o's" -
aware River his principal establishment III order to got
the benefit Of cheap metal and fuei.
William IT. Webb. whose shipping yard was the most
celebrated OF Its day was tho son o! ship6aiider VINO
m de war yessels for tho Government, IN lsl2 Young
Wrhb MT fifteen left Columbia College to become an
apprentice In his fathers shipyar wheie lie wGraea n
M wears with Q single week OF vacation In lslo
he took his fathers yard and In the course OF twenty
five years built onnage than any naaer n
alan fr,eae called the General Admiral. Two big ships
were built by Webb for the italian Government All
the Sew York shpyar turned out war vessels Tor our
Government.
Westeryelts shpy ard at the foot OF Cherryst orig
mated with q sailor boy who came from the vicinity of
Jersey city. and having gone to sea numerous times
poepcd into shpyaris wherever he happened To be,
and tnen bee apprentice In one OF them, and Ills
rst vessels bult at Charleston by negro slaves