Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1903-10-29
NEW FERRACUTE
MODEST AT FIRST,

The birth of the new Ferraoute will
begin at once. In few weeks, DOS
sibly within fortnight or three
weeks at most, nearly as many as one
half of the number employed in the
plant destroyed by fire will be again
at the machines and turning out the
high class of work that has made the
name of the Ferracute famous the
world over.
Mr.. Fred E. Smith, the managing
spirit of the Ferraoute Machine Com
pany. was Thursday able for the first
time to give information concerning
the future of the concern. since the
disastrous fire that robbed Bridgeton
of its most important industry, and
the one in which it has for many
years taken the greatest pride.
Since that fateful Sunday night
when the red glare of the great con-
1agration lighted up the clouded, rain
laden skies, Mr.. Fred Smith has been
q busy man. Almost without inter-
ruption he has worked twenty of the
twenty -four hours. caring for the in
terests of the concern, and planning
for the future The mass of details
confronting him and his assistants
have been almost unsurmountable, not
less of these being the adjustment of
the insurance upon the burned plant.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Smith was
able to say that while the insurance
matter had not been fully and abso-
lutely settled, arrangement had been
Il made for the final adjustment.
Il This permitted the plans for the
Il future to be developed.
Every effort to secure proposals upon
new steel structure such as would
! be required for the modern plant de-
! signed. could not at present be se-
cured. 1t was utterly impossible to
| get the building material demanded
within two or three months, and that
would delay the building of a new
plant until spring.
To Immediately resume the import
ant manufacturing of the Ferracute
product, it had been decided to pro-
vide temporary quarters. Upon the
site of the present ruins will be
erected frame building probably
1O0x50 and new machinery will be
placed in the shops and employment
given to about forty people in the new
building. The present force now en-
ployed at the Practical Closure build
ing will be increased from twenty to
thirty. which will make total mum
Der of employees of some seventy.
IA This will enable the company to
carefully mature it's plans for the fu-
ture when big new structure will be
erected.
& This will be splendid news to
Bridgeton. The people have been
anlxously waiting for some cheering
news ever since the plant was de-
Stroyed. That the temporary plant is
Immediately to go up will be taken as
A further indication that the perma-
nent plant will soon be begun. prob
ebly in the coming spring. That the
pew plant will be a model one is
without question. 1t is known that
he company has developed its plans
md specifications with the idea of
building it upon the large tract of
property just east of the old Ferracute
concern.
1t is earnestly hoped that the new
erracute will be at once successful,
md meet with no further embarrass-
nents. No matter what insurance the
company will receive the loss will be
omething of considerable magnitude
p the men who have their money in
Fested in the concern. But there is
perseverance in the management. and
beginning all over again there will
. renewed and increased energysand
be plant will be greater than ever
dding further Importance to the new
Bridgeton of the future.