New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-05
IRON AND ANTHRACITE.
A EMIOENTENNIAL IN THE UEHIGH VAL
LEY.
THE FIRST SMELLING WITH HARD coAL-wHAT
DAVID THOMAS SUCCEEDED ~ DOING WITH
A HOT BLAsr-A CELEBRATION TO-
DAY IN THE LEmGH VALLEY.

DAY IN THE LEIIGH VALLEY.
Allentown, July SpeciaD.-Apart from the Ma
tonal and patriotic significance Of the day the Fourth
Of July possesses to the people of the Lehgh valley
peculiar interest in that II marks the fifty first ami
versary Of an event that has developed into National
Importance. From the experiment on that day has
grown industry 50 vast that it has not only been
Sne OF the main factors in promoting the wonderful
material prosperity of this country, but 1t has be-
the barometer by which its commercial condition
is constantly gauged. 1t on the Fourth OF July,
$40, after months Of weary labor that the first
furnace successfully and protably to smet iron ores
BIZ the use OF anthracite coal made its first cast
Several attempts to accomplish this end had been
made previously in other parts of Pennsylvania ana
with some degrees of success, but II remained for an
unknown man from distant land to make not only
mechanical but commercial trial of the unoertaR-
Ing.
In 1889 the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
brought David Thomas 10 this country, and at their
suggestion he selected what Is now the site OF the
prosperous iron borough of Catasauqua as place 10
try the experiment Of utilizing iron ores OF Lemgh
County by the use of the coal of Carbon County Single
handed he went into this work. no trained help az
his bidding. no foundries machine shops no mo
chanical engineers no friedrich worthy the name In
the whole land. Every phase Of discouragement
consIdred 10 make the trial failure but all obstacles
were surmOunted by the iudomtable determination
Of the man, and the outcome has been marvellous
In 1910 less than 1900 tons Of anthracite pig iron
were produced in the United States In 1890 TO-
100000 tons will likely be the output.
David Thomas who may Justly be regarded as the
pioneer anthracite iron manufacturer Of America,
was born in South Wales November 3, 1894, and en-
tered the lron-mal1ing business as early ms 1872.
Aftr working in various places he went In 1917, 10
the Ynisccdwid Works, BrecknOcNsfre In the south
ern edge anthracite coal basin, tho only one IN
the island Of Great Britain. The works young Thorn
orn int
in the use of anthracite for fuel than those in other
parts of the country inasmuch they had 10 bring
their coke to be used IN smelling iron from ten to
fourteen miles by canal. As early as 1o2O MI
Thomas with Mr.. George Crane One-thrd owner OF
the Yniscedwid Works, began to experiment with an
thracite, burning It in small proportions with coke
tut not with commercial success, In 1925 he had
small furnace built twenty-five feet high, with nine
feet bosh which was put in blast with coke and In
creased amounts of anthracite but the experiments
were not promising and the effort was abandoned
In 1880 the same furnace enlarged and attempts
were renewed discover the secret OF success with
no better results than before and the Improbable
work was abandoned. In 1925 Joshua White and
Brskine Hazard both of Philadelphia, having sue
cossfully used anthracite coal in the manufacture OF
iron wire at their mfll near the Pals Of Schuylkl,
erected a small furnace at Mauch Chunk for the pur-
pose of experimenting 10 the practcabulty Of
smelling iron with the coal Among other methods
heated as hot az possible with common iron stoves
They soon abandoned this furnace and erected new
one In which they used charcoal exclusively, thus &C
knOwledGng their effort 10 have been failure,
though II contained the unrecogniZed suggestion of the
method aftcrwaM adopted TIL true solution OF the
difficulty was furnished In 1884 by one Nelson,
manager of the Glasgow Gas Works, who discovered
the use Of the hot blast One evening" while Thomas
was sitting with Mr. Crane in his library, talking the
matter over he took the bellows and began to blow
the anthracite fire in the CRATE "YOu had better
not said Mr. Crane you will blow II ont Thomas
replied If We only had Nelson's hot blast here the
anthracite would burn like pine" Mr. Crane then
said David that Is an idea.' In fact, 1t was the
origin Of the application Of the hot blast In making
iron with anthracite. In 1886 Thomas went to work
with Cranes consent and built ovens for healing the
blast. The result a success In far greater de-
gree than the two men had dared TO hope after their
MANY Accomplishments and from That time on there
was no difficulty in making iron with anthracite as
fuel.
In 1888 the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
offered TO any persons who wOnld establish fur
mace Law ont $50 900, and successfully on an
thracte coal exclusively for three months, the vain
able water privileges extending from the Iokendau-
qua TO the Allentown dam along the Lehlgh River.
Under the inducements of this offer the Lehgh Crane
Iron Company consisting OF members Of the Coal and
Navigation Company, was organized the year and
in the fall Of the year Erskne Hazard one Of the
leading spirits Of the company went TO Wales to en-
gage some competent person to come TO this country
and superintend the erection Of furnaces He went
to Mr. Crane vino recommended Mr.. Thomas. To
gether they went TO see him. At first he was re-
mctant to leave his native land but at last in
nuenced by a liberal offer and the consideration that
his sons would have better opportunities IN America
than they could hope for In Wales or In Great Britain,
he consented. In May, 1889. Mr.. Thomas and his
family sailed from Liverpool the clipper Rosclus,
" In ne non I lrf49ss
dcnted time of twenty three days. reaching New York
on June g. Before leaving England he had his blow
and an "f a f6r the hstr6cs of the shp 50 When
IN other machinery arrived the projectors OF the
works were almost badly of as If none had been
sent Tier T arge nS enough al t o cast such Winds rs
Sere needed. Finally the Southwark Foundry of
Pmladepna enI iG o nre9 MA In Sng 81 i-ag
ground broken at Cranevle, now Caasauqua, for
Wales. none being at that time manufactured in this
country After many difficulties and discOuragements
the furnace was finally blown in at o'clock IN the
hematite and one third NewJcrscy magnetic. The
irtf run 0f iron made July fifty one years ago
From This time the manufacture Of iron by anthracite
was successfully conducted at the Crane Works and
continously except for the slight cessatons incident
To ali Industrial O. establishments.
The first furnace was f6ny-two feet high with
twelve feet boSh. 1t was operated by br:astwheeI
twelve feet in diameter and twenty four feet long.
The motive power the water Of the canal. Tho
furnace remalh1 in blast until its frs Tcre quenchsd
Ii4i period Of SIX months during which 1,O7s tons
we're produced Tie largcstNntput for one week
0ftv-two tons. Now the Crane Works have furnaces
which produce IN week much and better iron than
The old furnace did in It's first six months. The old
furnace wa, blown in again after the fpshet May
Is is41 and then remained iu blast until August s,
1872 prOducnc I'm that time 3,3l6 tons OF pig iron.
or course there those who predicted failure and
Mr.. Thomas was regarded as visionary. Tn. re
mark made by a leading charcoal master al win cat
ali the iron yOu'l make with anthracite gave
prrssOn 10 the almost general sentiment Of those
DAYS II Is needless 10 say that he did not keep his
promise although Mr.. Thomas sent him word that
be had q hearty dinner ready for him, cooked I'm the
complnV's first furnace. David Thomas acted 81
pcrlnendcnt OF the Crane Work, from 1850 10 1868,
when ne vas succeeded hy h- sons. samuel and
John, and later bv his s0n-in-law the late Joshua
Hunt John Williams. the cashier entered the
conipany'S employ forty five years ago, and for
thlrty-two years has held hs present place IN
1854 the Thomas Iron Company was formed and tho
extensive works bc-uu AZ lIOkcndauqua now Is the
leading pig-ron manufacturing concern in America
rs quotations ruling The market price II pslrpn
Mr. nhnmns was argeY lnieresioh In other ndnstrial