Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-21
ANOTHER MAMMOTH PLANT. !.
Delaware Forge and Steel Go. Bucs 200
Acres Along the Chrlstiana River.

Delaware Forge and Steel Go. Bues 400 |
Acres Along the Christisna River.
The Delaware Forge and Steel Co.,
recertly Incorporated with capitali2a-
tion OF s., 0C0, 600, has bought about zoo
acres of land on the north side of the
Christiana below the mouth OF tina
Brandywine, on which it proposes to
establish an Immense forging Plant.
The new concern has the largest capital
Of any bona hde company doing bust
ness in Delaware under the new incor
poration law. Its inoorporators are }. y.
Osgood of New YORK, one of the largest
steel men In the county, who is also
connected with several coal and coke
companies John Fritz of Bethlehem,
Pa, the builder of the Bethlehem
Forge, and known throughout the
country as q great forge maker; II. $.
Smyth OF Bethlehem, a well known
capitalist; john Strambaugh, Jr., an
iron man and capitalist of littsbuig;
Seward Rabbit of Pittsburg, who is
connected with the Todd Engine Go. of
Youngstown, 0. !: Waiter NJ. Gorham Of
, Philadelphia director Of the Diamond
| Steel Co. Howard I. Wallace OF this
CITY, president of the Diamond State
Steel Co. i; William Lawton. president
| of the Wilmington Board of Trade, and
j. Ernest Smith. the attorney. The
company's charter was prepared and
filed by Mr.. Smith, who also handled
the purchase of the large block OF prop
erty. a...0
Tho officers of the new concern are:
President. John Fritz; Vice-P President,
Seward Babbitt; Secretary and Treas
urer, Howard 7. Wallace.
1t is understood that considerable
number of large capitalists OF New
York and the middle west will be inter-
ested in the company.
The land purchased was secured prin-
cipally from William Lawton, Alvin X.
Morrison and Thomas ]. Talley. 1t is
bounded by Fourth street, the p, w.
& b. cut off. the Christian and the
National Dredging 90. and government
proper ties.
The company will make heavy forgings
and under tho powers of its chart ter
may largely extend the branches of its
business in any line consistent there.
with, and this will necessitate the EN-
ployment IF larger number of skilled
laborers than is now contemplated, 1t
is expected that several thousand men
will be employed and 1T will be a class
of men which will be beneficial to the
, CITY.
A lmost Immediately the company
will commence the erection of it's office
, buildings. The forge alone will occupy
/ 400 by LOCO feet and will neoessitate the
T expenditure of half q million dollni s.
, Besides this there will be a large
i machine shop of about the same size
J as the forge building. One line of bust
ness which the company will prepare tc
' handle is the making Of shafts for yes
a sells. Some of the large shafts have tC
!. be made in England or Germany. In
I one recent year 132 vessels either hao
{ shafts repaired OF new shafts made,
( work being done in England or Ger.
9 many. Mr.. Fritz, the head of the new
Q concern, made, the new shaft for thu
I steamer Oregon at Bethlehem.
I The company expects the Levy Cour
! to build Seventh street bridge thi!
r. year, and that will make convenien
Q access to the works.
a In discussing the reasons for bring
ing this large concern here, one of tn,
4 men interested said Monday that the,
!. were four: First, the securing of tn,
L 100000 appropriation from Congress
d to make a 26.fcot channel ut higi
a water and to build two jetties to en-
/. able that depth to be maintained
n second, the fact that the Christians
n harbor is the ideal spot between tn
n bay and Philadelphia for the location
\ of plant of this size and nature, be
ia cause the channel is practically KEEP
70 free of ice in winter and is below tn
70 shoal water of the horseshoe; third
a the work of Mr.. Wallace in interesting
,e capitalists and iron aud steel men il
,e the benefits of Wilmington, and fourth
d the bene6oent effect of the new genera
in incorporation law, which bears out til
is assertion made by its friends that
" would have the effect Of bringing me-
ri industries to Delaware and Whining
III ton. The Diamond State Steel Co. an
f. the Delaware Forge and Steel Co. al
believed to be but forerunDers of othe
as industries, that will locate here bt
an cause of the Iiberality and fairness {
an that law. For the securing of til
n. 5000, 900 appropriation for the harbo
of credit is largely due former Senate
a. Gray and former Representative Hand
n. and to William Lawton and Alvin /
Ia Morrison of the Board of Trade.