USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Dover > Dover dates, 1722-1922 : a bicentennial history of Dover, New Jersey , published in connection with Dover's two hundredth anniversary celebration under the direction of the Dover fire department, August 9, 10, 11, 1922 > Part 21
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Here ice is produced at the rate of twenty-five tons every twenty- four hours by a process depending on the use of brine and ammonia, circulated in pipes in such a way as to freeze water into blocks weighing three hundred pounds.
The water is obtained from an artesian well sunk on the premises to a depth of 175 feet. This water is carefully filtered and distilled before freezing. The plant is operated by a small number of men. The machinery is driven by steam power.
Thus, independent of the season of the year, water from a depth of 175 feet below ground is made to yield a harvest of crystal ice.
The capacity of the plant is to be increased so as to produce fifty to seventy-five tons per day.
EXPLOSIVES
THE HERCULES POWDER COMPANY
STORY OF THE KENVIL PLANT
If you should drive from New York City to Lake Hopatcong, you will, when about 40 miles from New York, come to the city of Dover where iron was being worked in the early history of our country. Beyond Dover you climb a long hill and can see to the right the furnaces of the Wharton Steel Company, one of the Pioneers in blast furnace practice. On top of the hill you might pause to look at the broad, flat valley ahead and below you. You are on Mine Hill, an eminence that has been furnishing iron to this country since Colonial days. Not a quarter of a mile to your left is the oldest iron mine in America, "The old Dickerson mine," which was operated from about the year 1700 until some 30 years ago. Less than a quarter of a mile to your right is an old caved in mine where was used the first dynamite made in America east of the Rockies. About two miles in front of you at the foot of the hills on the other side of the valley, you can see the buildings of our Kenvil Plant, the second Dynamite Plant in America and the oldest Dynamite Plant now work- ing on its original location. On this Plant the first Nitrate of Ammonia Dynamite were made; the first successful Acid Recovery in America was built; the first machinery for mixing and packing Gelatin was invented and used, and here probably one of the first long pipe lines for transporting acid was erected. The history of our oldest Plant contains indeed many splendid pages.
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During the last part of the Civil War and for several years after its close, business in this country was in a thriving condition. The demands of the war had stimulated industry; European com- panies built plants in this country to avoid the tariff, which had been made exceedingly high; the construction of western railroads, such as the Union Pacific, opened up the vast new West to business of the eastern states, so that iron was much in demand. Unheard of prices were being paid for iron ore; high grade ore that had lain at the mines in 1862 because it would not sell for $3.00 per ton was, in 1865 to 1872, bringing $13.00 per ton f. o. b. the mines. This was before the days of the Iron Mountain and Mesaba districts of Lake Superior. Marquette County in Michigan was, indeed, an important source of iron ore, but Sussex and Morris Counties in New Jersey were the very centers of this industry.
To this famous mining district came men of the Giant Powder Company of California to select a site for a second Dynamite Plant. A site was chosen near the mines, satisfactorily distant from thickly populated districts, and having an abundant supply of cold water which could be used for controlling the temperature of the Glycerine nitra- tion. Ground was broken in July, 1871, and the first Nitro Glycerine was made in December of that year. The Nitrating House was fitted with two nitrators operated by hand, which made 300 lbs. of Nitro Glycerine per charge, each making two or three runs per day. The Dynamite was hand packed in pasted cartridges by Chinamen who had been brought from California for that purpose. The first product turned out was No. I Giant Powder, and contained 75 per cent. Nitro Glicerine and 25 per cent. German Kieselguhr. All packing was first done in an old farm house known as the Hulse Homestead and tradition says that the Chinamen packed, slept, cooked and smoked all in the same building. At first smoking was permitted everywhere on the Plant until a fire occurred from a man smoking in the mixing house. The fire communicated to the powder, but was put out by a bucket brigade without serious damage to the building.
This was the beginning of our Kenvil Plant. The man first in charge of the nitro glycerine manufacture was Mr. Fred Johnson, who also had charge of the plant until Mr. Charles Varney arrived in 1872. We shall never know many of the difficulties which these pioneers encountered and overcame. We do know, however, that Mr. Johnson, who was a chemist as well as a practical N. G. man, had considerable trouble with the purity of his glycerine and we know that he consulted chemists of the neighboring mines in an effort to find some means of freeing his glycerine from the grease and dirt with which his product was contaminated. Mr. Charles Varney was first Plant Superintendent, holding that position from 1872 to 1875. In 1875, Mr. John C. Schrader became Superintendent and he was succeeded in 1879 by Mr. R. S. Penniman. In 1882 Mr. Penni- man left and Mr. Alfred Lovell, who had been in charge of the Judson
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Plant from 1881 to 1883 now became Superintendent of both Plants and remained in charge until 1889. Mr. Penniman came back to Kenvil as a chemist in 1885 and succeeded Mr. Lovell as Superintend- ent in 1889, continuing in that capacity until 1903. The next Super- intendents were Mr. Charles Warner from 1903 to 1909; Mr. A. P. Van Gelder from 1909 to 1918 and Mr. S. B. Moore from 1918 to the present time. :
Some Dynamites were made with explosive dopes in 1872; the dope consisting of ground rosin, sawdust and "potash saltpetre." Soon after Mr. Penniman came to the plant he began to experiment with the use of nitrate of ammonia and when he left in 1882, it was with the purpose of manufacturing a nitrate of ammonia explosive on a plant of his own. He did perfect the manufacture of this product (coating it with vaseline to protect it from moisture), on his plant in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. Mr. Penniman returned to Kenvil in 1884 or 1885 and began manufacturing the first nitrate of ammonia dynamites.
Shortly after his return, an attempt was made to operate an acid recovery at Kenvil. Such an attempt had been made in California a few years previous by two Germans, but after the expenditure of con- siderable money, their efforts were declared unsuccessful and their proposition was dropped. At Kenvil a plant was built and operated by Mr. Butterworth of the Butterworth-Judson Company. For a long time, Mr. Butterworth gave this Plant his personal supervision, but the process was very costly, because he was using glass containers and a cascade system and the glass was breaking at a very discourag- ing rate. Mr. Butterworth finally gave up the attempt and the work was carried on by Mr. Penniman, who obtained better results by keep- ing the fires more constant. Eventually, Mr. Penniman went to lead and iron pans for concentrating sulphuric acid and the recovery became a success. These were two tremendous strides in the dynamite busi- ness, for it meant the elimination of a troublesome waste in the shape of spent acid and the saving of a great deal of money by the recovery of this acid and the use of nitrate of ammonia.
The first big work for which Kenvil supplied dynamite was the construction of the Lehigh Valley Railroad tunnel at Belwood, New Jersey. In 1876, the Kenvil plant made powder for the first Hell Gate deepening. This order consisted of 50,000 lbs. and shipment was made by canal boat by way of the Morris Canal, which borders the plant property. The Kenvil Plant has been under five different com- panies in its history-Atlantic Giant Powder Company, Atlantic Dyna- mite Company, Eastern Dynamite Company, E. I. duPont deNemours Powder Company and, since 1913, the Hercules Powder Company. Up to the time of the Hercules Powder Company in 1913, Kenvil was devoted entirely to manufacturing dynamite and materials for dynamite manufacture. During that year, however, a Smokeless powder line was built at Kenvil and the manufacture of Smokeless powder began in the month of September. Up to the end of that year approximately
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15,000 lbs. of Smokeless powder had been made and just one pound packed. This was indeed a small beginning for the tremendous output which the Kenvil Plant attained during the war. The history of the wartime manufacture of Smokeless Powder at Kenvil is too big to be included here. Its triumphs are among the first of the remark- able wartime achievements of this company. It might not be out of place, however, to state that Kenvil produced more than 3,000,000 pounds of Cordite during some months of the war and was equipped to make more than 100,000 pounds of Pyro Smokeless daily for the U. S. Government when the Armistice was signed. In 1917, two T. N. T. lines were constructed at Kenvil, which struggled through an unusually severe winter and finally, toward the end of the war, emerged with some splendid record runs for T. N. T. units. Since the end of the war the plant has gradually worked back to a status somewhat approaching that of pre-war days. Its principle product still continues "to be dynamite in all of the various forms which are required in our present day civilization. It also manufactures Smokeless Powder in a considerable variety of forms for the various types of fire arms required for both military and sporting use-among these numbering some of the most famous produced in this country, which have estab- lished an enviable record for their accuracy and uniformity. Being equipped with a complete acid plant, Kenvil produces acids for other plants of the Hercules Powder Company which are not so completely equipped.
We cannot leave the subject of the Kenvil Plant without pausing for a moment to call attention to the caliber of the man who was the Superintendent for the greatest length of time. Mr. Penniman was a man of considerable resource and ingenuity, as will be seen from what has been said of him above. But he was more than this-a man of broad vision and in many ways far ahead of his time. At the present day, portions of an acid line may be seen which he built from the Jersey Central tracks to the Acid Plant for blowing acid from tank cars directly into storage tanks. This was a project which he built on his own initiative in the face of many declarations that acid could not be 'blown such distances. Old residents now in the neighbor- hood of the Kenvil Plant speak of him with veneration. Many, of them own their own homes due to the solicitation of Mr. Penniman, who started his employees in a Building and Loan organization. To this day, some of the old employees of the plant still bring their $5.00 a month to 'be deposited in the Building and Loan which was started by Mr. Penniman. In 1903, Mr. Penniman was transferred to the west coast to become a western General Manager of the duPont Plants. He died away from this part of the country, but Kenvil will always claim him as one of her greatest sons.
Kenvil Plant comprises 1215 acres of land and has about 80 tenant houses for employees. The Technical Club is situated a few hundred feet from the gate and during the war housed about 35 tech-
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nical men. The Hercules Club of Kenvil is more than a Recreation Club House for the employees of the Plant; it has become the com- munity center for the surrounding country and villages. The Club is equipped with bowling alleys, pool tables and a store.
The Plant and its auxiliary dwelling houses and clubs constitutes. a community which can almost be described as self-contained, merely lacking a store to make it justify that description.
THE PICATINNY ARSENAL By Howard S. Deck
The Picatinny Arsenal is located in the Middle Forge Valley, Rockaway Township, Morris County, New Jersey. It includes 1,616 acres surrounding Picatinny Peak and Picatinny Lake; also a strip of land 50 feet wide from the Arsenal grounds proper to Spicertown. The original tract included also 315 acres, now a part of the Naval Storage Base. Roughly, the tract extends from Mt. Hope and Hickory Hill on the east to the ridge of Green Pond Mountain on the west, and from the southern end of the mountain on the south to the foot of Lake Denmark on the north. There are several interesting items in the geological history. Here originated the celebrated "Pudding Stone" or Green Pond Mountain conglomerate. It is believed that glaciers covered this territory on at least two widely separated periods. To those who can read the trail, the spoor left by these rivers of ice is plainly marked in many parts of the Arsenal grounds. The leveling of the mountain spur, which once extended south from the Peak, is such a trail mark. The reversal of the flow of Green Pond Brook is also laid to their charge. Before the days of the mastodon, the bones. of a number of which have been found within 20 miles, this brook flowed northward and emptied into Lake Passaic.
The Indians who at a later date claimed the vicinity as hunting ground were of the Lenni Lenape tribe and known to the early settlers; as Rockawaks. Their claim to the land was covered in the treaty of Easton (Pa.) in 1758.
The following is a brief list of the early owners : Dutch by right of discovery ; King Charles II by conquest, Treaty of 1664; James, Duke: of York, by deed; Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkley, by deed ; the Twelve Proprietors, by deed. The returns on the Arsenal tract were taken up by John Reading, one of the Proprietors, in 1723.
In 1749, Jonathan Osborne purchased the site at the foot of Pica- tinny Peak, built a dam and erected a forge. Later, when a forge was built at Lake Denmark, the Picatinny Peak forge was known as the Middle Forge, presumably because of its location on Green Pond Brook midway between Mt. Pleasant and Lake Denmark forges.
Little is known of the early history of the forge or its owner. Ore was transported on horseback in leather bags and the finished bar iror in the shape of a horseshoe on pack saddles. Four hundred to five
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hundred pounds was considered a pack load, under which horses made fifteen miles per day. From Middle Forge the route to tide water lay over Mt. Hope to Rockaway.
In 1772 the Forge was acquired by Col. Jacob Ford, builder of the historic continental powder mills at Morristown. It was at Middle Forge that the "largest loop" forged in Morris County was made by Col. Ford, in celebration of which we believe his wife baked him a 'short cake." This loop or bar weighed 281/4 pounds. The Forge was conveyed to Jacob Ford, Jr., in 1773, and by his executors to John Jacob Faesch in 1778. Faesch was a Swiss, naturalized by special Act of Congress. He was a master iron worker, operating a number of forges. Under his management the Middle Forges made "cannon, shot, bar iron, shovels, axes, and other iron implements for the Revolutionary Army." Copies of correspondence record that the price asked for cannon was "7d York money per pound," the Continental government furnishing the patterns for the castings. In connection with this work General Washington visited Faesch, Esq., and arranged with him for the services of 250 Hessian prisoners for cutting wood, burning charcoal, and operating the forges. Faesch paid nothing for the services of these men, supplying them only with clothes, shelter, and food. It will be recalled that the King of England hired these Hessian soldiers to fight against the colonies, agreeing to pay not only for their services, but also a per capita price on all men not returned. As many of the sur- vivors preferred to remain in the New World, the bill to the King must have seemed unjustly high.
In 1800, General John Doughty, as Commissioner, conveyed the Forge and a large tract to Moses Phillips, Jr., who rebuilt it and oper- ted it as a single fire forge under the name of Aetna Forge. Early in the century, the iron industry had some lean years. On December 18, 816, the Aetna joined with the principal other forges in Morris County n a "petition to the house of congress for the relief of persons inter- ested in the manufacture of bar and cast iron in the U. S."
During Mr. Phillips' ownership noteworthy progress was made in methods of transportation. In 1804, the turnpike from Dover to Sparta was built. In 1806, the turnpike over Mt. Hope connecting with the Dover-Sparta road was built. This marked the passing of the pac"- addle and consequently of "loops" bars. At about the time of the pening of the Morris Canal, 1823-1833, the weight of "bars" was about jo pounds.
The following extract from an advertisement, appearing in the August 14, 1830, issue of "The Jerseyman," is of interest and indicates hat iron in the community was not only an article of commerce but .ccepted as "coin of the Realm":
--- all the above articles are made by the subscribers and warranted of the best quality, for sale at reduced prices for cash or Bar Iron .- McFarlan & Ayres, late Blackwell & McFarlan."
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In 1839, the Forge came into the possession of Jacob Richter and in 1853 of George E. Richter, who operated it for several years, and then allowed it to fall into decay. It was purchased by the Government in 1879.
It is believed that, in its best days, Middle Forge employed not less than 60 men, and produced 10 to 20 tons per week. During its early years it shared prosperity and adversity with the industry in gen- eral. Prior to 1776, rolled bars could not be made here, owing to a prohibitory act of Parliament which fixed a penalty of 200 pounds Ster- ling on each rolling mill.
The trip hammer anvil and tools used at Middle Forge are on exhi- bition at the Arsenal. The anvil is about two feet square and weighs roughly 4,000 pounds. The hammer has a 14-inch square face and weighs about 600 pounds. While gathering data for this paper another hammer was found among the ruins near the old Forge site. There was also found a "puddle" of iron and slag, probably the remains of the last "smelt" at Middle Forge.
The charcoal production rose and fell with the iron industry. Large quantities of charcoal were consumed by each furnace. In 1777, Gen- eral Washington reported the number of "iron works large and small" in Morris County at between eighty and one hundred. The history of the iron industry records instances where the consumption of charcoal was so enormous that its use was regulated by law.
The need of a Government controlled place for the manufacture of black powder was seriously felt during the Civil War, as was, also, the need of Government owned storage. The records of the War Depart- ment show that in 1866, a board of officers was convened in New York City to consider the question and to recommend location of an Atlantic Powder Depot. In July of 1879, the recommended tracts were inspected by Major F. H. Parker, and later the Middle Forge tract became the property of the Federal Government, Major Parker being the first Com- manding Officer.
On September 10, 1880, on the recommendation of Major Parker, the Depot was designated the "Picatinny Powder Depot." In July, 1883, the name was changed to "U. S. Powder Depot at Dover, N. J."
se op Wa for ch un in sin mor Again in 1907 the name was changed to "The Picatinny Arsenal." The orders, reports, and correspondence relating to this period of the Arsenal's history have been published a number of times.
The meaning of the name Picatinny Peak or Pickatinny Beak, as it appears on earlier maps, has been the occasion of extended and not altogether fruitful search. The interpretation, "The smaller end face of the endless hills," is partial. The name also implies locality, but just what the boundaries of this locality are has not been determined.
From 1880 to 1890 the storage of black powder received first con- sideration. For this purpose a number of buildings were erected. Late in 1886 the Morris County Railroad (now Wharton and North- ern), was built, connecting the depot with the country's transportation lines. From 1890 to 1900 no active effort was made to establish a black
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powder manufacturing plant at the Arsenal. The storage capacity was increased and unsuccessful efforts were made to obtain authorization and funds for an experimental smokeless powder laboratory. In 1906, Congress appropriated funds for this purpose and manufacture began early in 1908, with the factory at a rated capacity of 3,000 pounds per day. The following year this was increased to 9,000 pounds per day. These figures will perhaps mean more by way of comparison. At the time of the signing of the Armistice of 1919, this was less than one per cent. of the country's daily production of smokeless powder. Viewed from another angle, this amount would load 6,000 rounds for the French 75s or 250 rounds for the famous 155s, and but ten full charges for one of our larger seacoast defense guns. It must not be assumed that the powder for these guns is inter- changeable. Powder is made for and can be used in particular models of guns only, and it is rarely interchangeable. For this reason the large quantities of smokeless powder made during the World War for Field Artillery cannot be used in our coast defenses.
Practically all standard smokeless powders are cylindrical, rang- ing in size from the diameter of a pin to the familiar broom stick. The length is usually several times the diameter. Small grains have one perforation through the long way of the grain; larger grains have several. The grains are hard like bone and have the general dark brown appearance of polished American walnut.
Early in the present century the use of modern high explosives as a bursting charge in projectiles received much consideration, and after several years of experimenting, a rather complete plant was put into operation. The machine shop in which the final work on projectiles was done stood on the site of the old Middle Forge.
In 1911 Congress appropriated funds for the erection of a factory for the manufacture of Explosive "D," the authorized bursting charge for armor piercing projectiles. Production was maintained until the summer of 1918, when the more pressing need for personnel in other lines of production led to a shut down. The factory has since been dismantled and replaced by equipment that will permit of more varied production.
Contemporary with the addition of factories there were added the necessary chemical and physical laboratories for the control and test of the material in the manufacturing process. With the develop- ment of the work, there came demands for research, testing, and prov- ing, for which equipment was added from time to time.
With the entry of the United States into the World War we find the Arsenal with factories fitted to manufacture on a small scale, to develop new processes, and to do research work on active agents that go into ammunition. Of greater importance than all of these was the personnel educated in the work and in Government ways and methods. The Arsenal's greatest contribution to the cause of the Allies lay in the training it had given to these men, many of whom, because of ck the knowledge thus acquired, came to stand high in the councils of
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the War Department, and assisted in building the great structure on which the production of munitions was built.
The Names of the Commanding Officers of the Arsenal with the dates of assuming and relinquishing command are as follows :
Major F. H. Parker. Sept. 6, 1880-Nov. 29, 1882.
Major J. P. Farley. Apr. 4, 1883-June 27, 1887.
Major F. H. Phipps. July 1, 1887-Oct. 22, 1890. Major J. W. Reilly. Oct. 22, 1890-Jan. 21, 1892. Col. J. M. Whittemore. Mar. 10, 1892-Mar. 23, 1897. Col. A. R. Buffington. Mar. 23, 1897-April 7, 1899. Col. L. S. Babbitt. May 5, 1899-Feb. 18, 1903.
Col. O. B. Mitcham. July 16, 1902-May 14, 1907.
Major B. W. Dunn. Mar. 26, 1907-June 10, 1907. Major O. C. Horney. June 10, 1907-July 14, 1915. Lt. Col. J. C. Nicholls. July 14, 1915-Nov. 9, 1915. Col. J. W. Joyes. Nov. 9, 1915-May 27, 1917. Col. J. C. Nicholls. May 27, 1917-Oct. 22, 1918. Lt. Col. R. L. Maxwell. Oct. 22, 1918-Jan. 5, 1919.
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