The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-22
HIS NATAL DAY
IS RECALLED
Father of Steel Industry in
Poor Health.
(National News Association)

National News Association)
BETHLEHEM, Pa, Aug 22.--John
Fritz, known far and wide as the
father of the steel industry in the
United States, attained his ninetieth
birthday anniversary yesterday. The
dinner given at the Waldorf-Astoria in
New York ten years ago in celebra-
ton Of the eightieth girthday OF Mr..
Fritz Is still remembered as one OF
the most remarkable gatherings ever
assembled in this country Of captains
of invention and industry and the CEN
trail figures of finance allied with the
iron trade.
1t was hoped that some similar af-
fair might be held to commemorate
Mr.. Fritzs ninetieth year, but the pre-
carious condition of his health caused
the idea to be abandoned. For the past
six months the veteran ironmaster has
been in very poor health and during
much of the time has been belfast.
During this time messages of inquiry
and cheer have been received at his
home almost daily from leading men
in the iron and steel world, from An
drew Carnegie down to the active
present day plant managers, many of
whom in years past were numbered
among Mr.. Fritzs tsboys."
John Fritz long ago earned his title
Of father of the steel industry not by
any single invention or discovery, but
by contribution of new devices, new
methods and practical work in build
ing up the industry in the United
States. With only district school
education, gained near his birthplace
in the middle part of Pennsylvania, he
gained a position in the steel indus
try that has been recognized by the
whole world.
AT the age of 16 Mr. Fritz left his
fathers farm to work in country
machine shop, with view of learn
ing the trade of a machinist. After
various experiments in steel making at
Morristown and Safe Harbor, he went
to Johnstown, where he remodeled an
old mill and built what is now known
as the Cambria Iron Works. 1t was
at this period that, in connection with
his brother, George, he designed and
erected the we'll known three high
boomers with their automatic ia
bles and the three high mill" These
inventions started an economical revo-
luton in steel manufacture.
When the United States government
some twenty-five years ago, decided
to build a modern navy of armor-plat-
ed vessels equipped with guns of great
calibre, there was no plant in the
country where the plates, guns and
forgings for such ships could be made.
Bethlehem was selected as the site
for the projected plant and Mr.. Fritz
was chosen as the man to build it. He
went to Europe and spent somesmonths
in studying the plate and gun making
plants there, and when he returned he
builtAh plant that surpassed it's Euro
pean models. Among other features
it contained the greatest hammer and
the most powerful press in the world.
When Mr.. Fritz built this, the first
armor plant in America, such men as
Schwab, Corey and others who subse-
quently became famous in the steel
industry, we're still boys.
Mr.. Fritz is the only man now liv-
ing of the small group that introduced
into the United States the Bessemer
steel process. A great economical
revolution was thus effected, from
which has flowed the tremendous de-
velopment seen today in steel manu-
facture in the United States. In 1898
the British Iron and Steel Institute
gave Mr.. Fritz the Bessemer gold med
al, which is the highest distinction q
steelmaker can receive.