Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-23
ENTERING GREAT
BUILDING BOOM
Millions Being Spent by Cor
porations and individuals
For Improvements

That Steelton is entering on the
J biggest boom in its history Is ad-
mitted by many men who are in O
position to judge from the immense
improvements which are going on in
the borough, mainly at present by the
Bethlehem Steel Company and the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The former corporation has spent
several million dollars since 1t took
oveP~the plant from the Pennsylva-
MIA Steel Company early in 1916
and plans made some time ago will
require the expenditure of many
more millions.
One of the many improvements
and probably the costliest of all, is
the modernizing of the blast furnace
department., which. when complet-
ed, will consist of a five-furnace Gen.
tralized plant, extending in a south
easterly direction from point be-
low Swatarp street. These furnaces
have a capacity of 500 tons OF pig
metal daily and when the first of the
battery was completed it was referr-
ed to as the million dollar furnace
Two of these big furnaces have been
in operation for some time and a
third one is being rushed to compile
ton as rapidly as possible.
Many New Houses
While there have been no very
large buildings erected in the bor-
ough proper in the last two years,
yet there has been considerable i'm
provement in the matter of new
uwellinghouses and the alteration OF
others into apartments, thus in
creasing the housing facilities. These
facilities will be greatly enlarged
when the new dwellings in North
Front street, extending tor one whole
block from Jefferson to Eleanor
streets, are completed.
one of the most extensive build
ings to be erected in Steelton, out
side the steel plant during the pres
ent year will be the new freight
station for the Pennsylvania. rail-
road in the bed OF the old canal
above Trewick street.
81 Miles of Streets
According to Borough Engineer
Callaghan, the borough has 81 miles
OF streets and alleys, five miles OF
which are paved. There are also 10
miles of Sanitary sewers, nine miles
of storm sewers and s19 miles of
water mains.
The valuation of the real estate
owned by the borough is placed at
S37,Sl1.97 while the total Valua-
ton OF the borough, according to the
last triennial assessment is given at
$5,675,595. According to the audi
tors report tor 1916 the receipts of
the borough for last year were
$lO3,s6O.94, and the expenses for
same period were sSs,O5O.16.
Schools Rated High
The borough owns It's water supply
and the receipts from this source for
1916 were 3S,911.29. The balance
of the receipts for last year are from
a variety OF miscellaneous sources.
The borough's force of policemen
consists of the following officers and
patrolmen, Chief, Thomas V. Gard
ner; sergeant, Leon Hand; desk SER
geant, Valentine Masters; patrol
men, Joseph Trombino. James w.
Pearson, John Wynn, kevan Burrell,
Gus Behman and Samuel Bower
master.
The borough fire department is
composed of six volunteer companies
which are so we'll drilled that the
fire losses here are smaller than in
most other boroughs in the State.
The borough council recently decided
to motorize the fire department and
$4,000 for the pur-
chase of two combination, hose,
chemical and engine; two combina-
ton hose and chemical and one COM
bination hook and ladder and chem
ical. The last named apparatus has
been delivered and the remainder are
expected to arrive in the borough
inside the next few weeks.
The borough schools have the rep
utation of being in advance of sim
liar institutions in the boroughs of
the State and are the equal to the
public schools of many cities of the
third class This opinion was voiced
recently by a noted educator of
neighboring State, after making an
inspection of the school methods in
vogue in Steelton.