The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-02-05
BLOOMSBURY BRASS & COPPER CO.

w thS ySoi ho<V. ~ tIldl tlIuC hdiOIl
Benedict associated with him Israel
Coe in the manufacture of brass but
tons. 1t was the boast of Coe that he
had helped to roll the first sheet of
brass made in America. Coe was
born in the year 1895 and died but a
short time ago in Waterbury, Conn a
city famous for its industries in brass
and copper and owing its celebrity
mainly to his energy, perseverance and
his Yankee shrewdness.
Aaron Benedict, before his associa-
tion with Coe was manufacturing bone
and ivory buttons, and in the year 1912
when the British war ships closed our
po, the demand was greatly increased,
as most of the buttons had been i'm.
ported. The fashion soon changed
and called for snuff colored coat and
brass buttons. Up to this time all the
brass buttons used had been imported.
Coe and Benedict now turned their at
tention to making brass buttons, and
to do this they were obliged to import
their sheet brass, which was hauled
overland from Bridgeport and New
Haven to Waterbury. The margins of
the business and the uncertainties as
togettingthe metal were very great: Coe
concluded that the metal could be
made thinner, thus making a larger
profit, and as the British manufactur-
ers did not roll it to suit them they
now began to roll their own metal in a
small way. Not having the necessary
machinery, nor even a supply of cop
per, they bought worn out copper
kettles, made a proper alloy and
melted the whole in an iron furnace,
carted it with oxen to an old iron roll
ing mill at Woodville near Litchheld.
They succeeded, and decided to build
a rolling mill Of their own in Water,
bury, brought their copper from the
shores of Lake Michigan and was as
tonished the first year to find that their
output was sixty thousand pounds of
metal. This was the foundation OF
the brass and copper business in Amer.
ica, and it grew gradually, making and
supplying the demand for all kinds OF
brass goods until now the annual ou,
put is many millions of pounds.
| About the year 1880 the first seam
less brass and copper tubes made in
America were drawn by the American
Tube Works in Boston, working under
English patents. About twenty years
| after, several other manufacturers
turned their attention to this branch
of the business but the high prices Of
the tubing owing to tie crudeness ol
the machinery and the limited supply
prevented its general use until abou,
ten years ago when the machinery be-
ing greatly improved and four new
manufactures engaging in the business
the prices were greatly lessened and
the quality of the tubes almost per.
fected.
On the 10Th OF February, 1891, pro
posals were opened for the building
of the Bloomsbury Brass & Copper
Company's Tube Works.
The contract was awarueu to Thom
as Corey. In the month of March
ground was broken on Ninth Stree,
near Catharine, on land given by Rev
ID. ]. Waller to Richardson 4 Richard
the then proprietors, as an inducemen
to locate their works in Bloomsbury
Excavation was made to solid grave
bottom on which twenty eight inch
foundation was laid at an average
depth of five feet. The building is I5s
feet 8 inches long, 7S feet, 4 inche:
wide, one story, IS feet from floor te
gable, built of brick with I3 inch wall.
and 20 inch pilasters, covered with &
metal roof, supported by eighteen II
inch trusses, spanning the entire width
OF the building. The floor is laid or
heavy joists, first with two inch plank
over which is laid IT inch maple ant
is supported by los brick piers the
boiler room is 25x3o feet, in which is
a one hundred horse power boiler
built by Criukshank, Meyer & Co., o.
Danville, Pa, also water tank with q
capacity of 1000 gallons which is fed
bya pump from well sunk inside the
plant. The engine which is Corliss
make of one hundred horse power is
set just outside the boiler room. 1,
has six ton fly wheel with two foo,
face which drives the main shaft run,
ming the entire length of the Works.
Next to the boiler house is the cast
ing shop where the proper mixtures
and alloys are made and the metals
melted in crucible furnaces. 1t is then
poured in revolving iron moulds in
which is clay core the tubes when
cast are four and one half feet long
and when cooled after being thorough,
, ly cleaned are ready for the next stage
of the process which is that of anneal-
ing. They are now taken to the NUT
file, an arched furnace aoxs4 feet, in
the construction of which 2s,ooo
pounds OF iron were used, with walls
and tOD two feet thick and hrouoht RI q