USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > Catasauqua > A history of Catasauqua in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania > Part 4
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The Company pays into the Borough treasury the sum of twenty-five cents per annum for each pole bearing not over four wires, and an additional five cents for each additional wire raised. The service of the Bell is superb. Six operators are in charge of Catasauqua's Exchange, and the number of patrons in the Bor- ongh at present is two hundred thirty-one.
On Febuary 5, 1900, Council passed an ordinance granting privilege to the Lehigh Telephone Company to enter town and conduct business. The Company paid the expenses incurred in draughting and publishing the ordinance, and agreed to supply the fire-engine houses, office of the Chief of Police and Council chamber with phones free of charge.
The franchises granted by this ordinance shall not be assignable or transfer- rable withont the consent of the Borough authorities on pain of forfeiture of said rights and franchises.
The services of the Lehigh have improved steadily until today they compare favorably with the best. The Exchange is manipulated by five persons, and the number of patrons in town is one hundred seventy-six.
A wise and proper provision with all parties, erecting poles and stringing wires in the Borough of Catasauqua, is that the Borough reserves the right to
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THE HISTORY
place fire alarm apparatus on poles, and string wires upon them, as may be expedient.
POLICE FORCE.
The first High Constable of whom we have found any record was Charles Sigley, who was appointed March 18, 1853. An ordinance prescribing certain rules for the government of the department was passed in 1870. Bartley Clark was then High Constable and William Koons his assistant.
Charles E. Sheckler was appointed June 7, 1875, and has served as public guardian ever since, save a brief intermission of four years, 1908-1912, when J. Henry Leiekel was chief of Police.
Chief Sheckler is a familiar figure on our streets which he guards zealously against vagrants and the seions of evil and harm. Our Lockup is not an institu- tion which inspires much of aesthetics but it serves our Borough well as a terror to evil doers. It is a dark background to the sublime picture of human being out of which the penitent errorist may the better behold the beauty of a righteous life and solemnly resolved to walk in the rays of its happy day, when freedom's air is breathed again.
It is interesting to note the names of men who wore brass buttons and swung the Billy to the measured time of their gait.
John Hinely
Joseph Schwab Edward Allender
Charles Sigley
E. F. Huffort
George Shellard
John Wint Osbin Laub Chester Mertz
Peter Loux William Bloss
Jerry Schoenenberger
Henry Sellers
Hopkin Hopkins
William Mason
Mr. MeKeifer William Moat Elias Bush
Joseph Lazarus Edward Biekel Andrew Smith
Bartley Clark
Joseph Mertz
Howard Benvenuti
W. A. Hilbert Andrew Smith
Alvin Roth
HEALTH.
On the fifth day of June, 1893, Town Council passed an ordinance whereby a Board of Health was created for Catasauqua. In compliance with an Aet of Assembly, the Borough was divided into five Districts. The Secretary of the
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Board and the Health Officer were placed under bond to the amount of one hun- dred dollars and three hundred dollars, respectively.
An ordinance of thirty-two sections was adopted by the Board, June 13. 1893, giving directions for the removal of obnoxious or infectious matter, warn. ing against wilful filthiness, and prescribing the best methods of preventing the spread of disease.
The Health Officer is amenable to many rules, chief among which is the duty to inspect cellars and other apartments of the homes of the Borough with a view to cleanliness and the health and happiness of our people.
Austin A. Glick, Esq., has served as secretary of the Board since its or- ganization. The Health Officers were William K. Biery, January 6. 1893 to March 2. 1896: Stephen Frick. March 2, 1896 to May 31. 1909; James Dyatt. May 31, 1909 to August 3, 1913; C. Frank Hunsicker, August 5. 1913 -.
The members of the Board besides Secretary Glick are: President. Charles Milson, M. D., Oscar J. Stine, Clifford HI. Riegel, and Amandus Bover.
THE CATASAUQUAA CHARITY SOCIETY.
At a public meeting held Tuesday evening. Jannary 24. 1911. in the Bridge Street Presbyterian Church, at which every congregation in town was represent- ed, a unanimous vote was cast to organize a Charity Society. Mrs. Jennie A. Griffith of Easton addressed the meeting and gave valuable information as to the manner and method of conducting such a society.
Dr. Charles L. Fry presented a constitution and by-laws, which were unani- monsly adopted. The reasons for such an organization are the following :
"To promote effective co-operation between Churches and private agencies that relief, when needed, shall be adequate and shall be obtained from proper sources ; to prevent imposition and unwise duplication of relief; to investigate applications for relief; to keep permanent records of all cases investigated: to organize a body of friendly visitors who shall personally attend upon cases need- ing counsel and advice; to procure work for poor persons who are capable of being wholly or partially self-supporting; to repress mendicaney by the above means and by the prosecution of impostors."
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THE HISTORY
The following officers were elected : H. J. Reinhard, President ; A. A. Glick, Secretary ; 11. R. Hall, Treasurer; J. Arthur Williams, Joseph Matchette, P. J. Laubach, J. F. Moyer, E. J. Lawall and William Weisley, Board of Managers.
The receipts for the three years of its existence are $800.07 and the ex- penditures $768.01.
The officers of the Society at present are: HI. J. Reinhard, President ; A. A. Gliek, Secretary ; J. Arthur Williams, Treasurer ; JJ. F. Moyer, E. J. Lawall, J. S. Stillman, Arthur A. Greene, Edmund Randall, Joseph Matchette, Board of Man- agers.
CIVIC LEAGUE.
During the fall and early winter months of 1912, a number of the ladies of town attended a very wholesome Mission Study Class in the Chapel of the First Presbyterian Church. Through the influence of their study, and the mutual conference it afforded, a temper for local betterment was awakened. It there- fore was resolved, January, 1913, to organize a Civic League of Catasauqua and to abet any and every measure that tends to improve and beautify the place of our abode.
Women of other cities and towns were invited to address the League. Much valuable information was attained and the ardor of the ladies enkindled not a little. Forty names were enrolled at its inception. Through the courtesy of the School Board their meetings are held in the High School Building. A concert by the Muhlenberg Glee Club in the High School Auditorium netted them some cash, which added to their small treasury, raised by means of dnes from their. members, enabled them to purchase waste-material receptacles which are located at certain vantage points in the town.
Their officers are : Mrs. Harry Barnhurst. President ; Miss Dorothy Williams, Secretary : Miss Ella Schneller, Treasurer.
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CRANE IRON WORKS.
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THE HISTORY
CHAPTER II .- INDUSTRIES.
CRANE IRON WORKS.
Before proceeding to the statement of certain historical facts regarding this Company, it will no doubt prove interesting to introduce such information as is available regarding the first use of Anthracite coal in the manufacture of pig iron in the United States.
We are celebrating in Catasauqua in the year 1914, the seventy-fifth anni- versary of the erection of blast furnaces from which pig iron was first produced on July 4, 1840, and at which plant Anthracite coal has continued to be used in the making of pig iron at Catasauqua almost continuously since the erection of the first furnace until the present year, and it might be of further interest to note here the fact that the year in which this celebration is being held marks the first year in the history of the furnace plant in which Anthracite coal has not to some extent been used as a fuel for the making of pig iron.
It is not claimed by any one with a knowledge of the history of pig iron manufacture that the furnaces at Catasauqua produced the first pig iron made by the use of Anthracite coal in the United States, but it is true that the furnaces here, erected in 1839, were the first of all the early Anthracite furnaces which were completely successful from an engineering and commercial standpoint and which continued to manufacture pig iron successfully by using Anthracite coal, over a long period of time.
We quote from several authentic articles on this subject as these contain the most carefully compiled information in existence with regard to this branch of the iron industry. The following extract is made from a report of the Penn- sylvania Board of Centennial Managers to the Pennsylvania Legislature at the Session of 1878 and forms a part of a volume entitled "Introduction to a His- tory of Pig Iron Making and Coal Mining in Pennsylvania" by James M. Swank,
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who was the Secretary of the American Iron & Steel Association for forty years, his term of service beginning JJanuary 1, 1873.
"Down to 1838 all the blast furnaces in the United States, with the exeep- tion of a few coke furnaces, used charcoal for fuel. In that year pig iron was successfully made in Pennsylvania from anthracite coal. We present below a complete account of the first steps that were taken to use the new fuel in blast furnaces.
In 1840 Jesse B. Quinby testified, in the suit of Farr & Kunzi against the Selmylkill Navigation Company, that he used anthracite coal at Harford furnace, Maryland, mixed with one-half charcoal, in 1815. He believed himself to be the first person in the United States to use anthracite coal in smelting iron. In 1820 The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company erected near Manch Chunk a small furnace intended to use anthracite in smelting iron. The enterprise was not suc- cessful. In 1827 unsuccessful experiments in smelting iron with anthracite coal from Rhode Island were made at one of the small furnaces in Kingston, Ply- month County, Massachusetts. These experiments failed because the blast used was cold. About 1827 a similar failure in the use of anthracite took place at Vizille, in France. Doubtless other unsuccessful attempts than those here record- ed were made to smelt iron ore with anthracite coal, but these were probably the earliest.
In 1828 James B. Neilson, of Scotland, obtained a patent for the use of hot air in the smelting of iron ore in blast furnaces, and in 1837 the smelting of iron ore with anthracite coal by means of the Neilson hot-blast was successfully accomplished by George Crane, at his iron-works at Ynyseedwin, in Wales. Mr. Crane began the use of a blast furnace obtaining 36 tons a week. In May of that year Solomon W. Roberts of Philadelphia visited his works and witnessed the complete success of the experiment. Mr. Crane had taken out a patent on the 28th of September, 1836, for smelting iron ore with anthracite coal. Upon the recommendation of Mr. Roberts, after his return from Wales, the Lehigh Crane Iron Company was organized in 1838 to manufacture pig iron from the anthra- cite coal of the Lehigh Valley. In that year Erskine Hazard went to Wales for the company and there made himself acquainted with the process of making anthracite iron. IIe ordered to be made such machinery as was necessary, under the direction of George Crane, the inventor, and engaged David Thomas, who was familiar with the process to take charge of the erection of the works, and the manufacture of the iron. Mr. Thomas arrived in the summer of 1839, and to his faithful and intelligent management much of the success of the enterprise is due. The first furnace of this company was successfully blown in on the 4th of July, 1840. But it was not the first successful anthracite furnace in this country, as will presently appear.
On the 19th of December, 1833, a patent was granted to Dr. F. W. Geissen- heimer, of New York, for smelting iron ore with anthracite eoal, by the applica.
10
THE HISTORY
tion of heated air. Dr. Geissenheimer made experiments in smelting iron ore with anthracite at the Valley furnace, northeast of Pottsville, but they were not successful, although the results achieved were highly encouraging."
There are mentioned several experimental operations at Cressons, Schuyl- kill County; at South Easton, Northampton County ; and at Maneh Chunk dur- ing the years from 1836 to 1839.
He continues :-
"The next furnace to use anthracite was the Pioneer, built in 1837 and 1838 at Pottsville, by William Lyman, of Boston, under the auspices of Burd Patter- son, and blast was unsuccessfully applied July 10, 1839. Benjamin Perry, who had blown in the coke furnace at Farrandsville, then took charge of it, and blew it in October 19, 1839, with complete success. This furnace was blown by steam- power. The blast was heated in ovens at the base of the furnace, with anthra- cite, to a temperature of 600 degrees, and supplied through three tuveres at a pressure of 2 to 21/2 lbs. per square inch. The produet was about 28 tons a week of good foundry iron. The furnace continued in blast for some time. A premium of $5,000.00 was paid by Nicholas Biddle and others to Mr. Lyman, as the first person in the United States who had made anthracite pig iron continuously for one hundred days. Danville furnace, in Montour County, was built by Biddle, Chambers & Co., and was successfully blown in with anthracite in April, 1840, producing 35 tons of iron weekly with steam-power. Roaring Creek furnace, in Montour County, built by Burd Patterson & Co., was next blown in with an- thracite, May 18,, 1840, and produced 40 tons of iron weekly with water-power. A charcoal furnace at Phoenixville, built in 1837 by Reeves, Buck & Co., was blown in with anthracite, June 17, 1840, by William Firmstone, and produced from 28 to 30 tons of pig iron weekly with water-power. The hot-blast stove which was planned and erected by Julius Gniteau of the Manch Chunk furnace, was situated on one side of the tunnel head, and heated by the escaping flame of the furnace. This furnace continued in blast until 1841. Columbia furnace at Danville, was built in 1839 by George Patterson, and blown in with anthra- cite by Mr. Perry on July 2, 1840, and made from 30 to 32 tons of iron weekly, using steam-power. The next furnace to use anthracite, and the last one we shall mention was built at Catasauqua, for the Lehigh Crane Iron Co., in 1839, by David Thomas. It was successfully blown in by him on the 4th of July, 1840, as we have stated, and produced 50 tons a week of good foundry iron, water- power being used.
It will be observed that while Mr. Neilson invented the hot blast, Dr. Geis- senheimer was the first to propose the use of anthracite coal by means of heated air for the manufacture of pig iron, and that Mr. Crane was the first to success- fully apply the hot blast of Mr. Neilson for this purpose. Dr. Geissenheimer
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experimented as early as 1833 with ovens for heating air before its introduction into the blast furnace in which anthracite was used as a fuel, and his patent bears date of that year ; but his invention was not successfully applied until after Mr. Crane had made iron at Ynyseedwin. Dr. Geissenheimer is entitled to the honor of having proposed what Mr. Crane was the first to accomplish. His patent limited to the United States, was purchased by Mr. Crane, who, in November, 1838, patented some addition to it in this country. The patent was never en- forced here, but Mr. Crane compelled the ironmasters of Great Britain to pay him tribute. Dr. Geissenheimer died at Lebanon, Pa., where he had long resided.
The discovery in 1839 and 1840, that anthracite coal could be successfully used in the manufacture of pig iron gave a great impetus to the iron industry in Maryland, New Jersey and New York, as well as in Pennsylvania. The rich magnetic ores of New Jersey were first smelted with anthracite coal by Edwin Post, Esq., at Stanhope, in 1840. On the 1st of January, 1876, there were 225 anthracite furnaces in the country, 161 in Pennsylvania."
Vol. III. of the Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers contains a "Sketch of the Early Anthracite Furnaces" by William Firmstone, Glendon Iron Works, Easton, Pa., this paper having been submitted at a meeting of the Association held in Hazleton in October, 1874.
He refers to the erection of the first furnace at Catasauqua and coneludes :
"With the erection of this furnace commenced the era of higher and larger furnaces and better blast machinery, with consequent improvements in yield and quality of iron produced.
It was the commencement of an enterprise that, under the able manage- ment of Mr. Thomas, resulted in building up one of the largest and most suc- cessful works in the Lehigh Valley, now consisting of six blast furnaces, some of them 60 feet high and 17 or 18 feet in the boshes, producing 250 tons of pig iron a week, and using the escaping gas to raise steam and heat the blast."
In the year 1892 there was published a "History of the Manufacture of Iron in all ages, and particularly in the United States from Colonial times to 1891." The author of this history was James M. Swank, to whom reference is made above, and in his preface to this edition, Mr. Swank states :
"In the collection of the materials for this volume I have been exceedingly fortunate in possessing a personal acquaintance with most of the leading actors in the wonderful development of our American iron industry during the present century, and in learning from their own lips and from their own letters many of the incidents of that development. It is the exact truth to say that. if the preparation of this history had been delayed for a few years, it could not have been written, for many of these pioneers are now dead."
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THE HISTORY
This latter contribution may therefore be regarded as an authority with respect to the subject which it covers, and we quote from it a single paragraph :
"David Thomas was born on November 3, 1794, at a place called, in English, Grey House, within two and a half miles of the town of Neath, in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales. He landed in the United States on June 5, 1839, and on July 9th of that year commenced to build the furnace at Cata- sauqua. He died at Catasauqua on June 20, 1882, in his 88th year. At the time of his death he was the oldest ironmaster in the United States in length of service, and he was next to Peter Cooper, the oldest in years. David Thomas's character and services to the American iron trade are held in high honor by all American iron and steel manufacturers. He is affectionately styled the Father of the American anthracite iron industry, because the furnace built under his directions at Catasauqua and blown in by him was the first of all the early an- thracite furnaces that was completely successful, both from an engineering and a commercial standpoint, and also because he subsequently became identified with the manufacture of anthracite pig iron on a more extensive scale than any of his contemporaries. Hle was the founder of the Thomas Iron Company, at Hokendauqua, which has long been at the head of the producers of anthracite pig iron. The first two furnaces of this Company were built by Mr. Thomas in 1855.''
It will be observed that in this statement, Mr. Swank gives us in a very few words the historical position of Catasauqua with relation to the use of an- thracite coal in the manufacture of pig iron.
CORPORATE EXISTENCE.
A charter was granted to the Lehigh Crane Iron Company on May 16, 1839, for twenty-five years under an Aet of the Legislature of Pennsylvania entitled "An Act to encourage the manufacture of iron with coke or mineral eoal and . for other purposes," passed June 16, 1836. The charter was renewed in 1864 for a further term of twenty-five years, expiring in 1889.
In 1872, when an inerease was being made in the Capital Stock, the corporate name of the Lehigh Crane Iron Company was changed to "The Crane Iron Company."
The property, rights, franchises and privileges were transferred on January 30, 1895, to the Crane Iron Works, the existing corporation, which was, upon application, granted a perpetual charter on October 8, 1908.
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ACQUISITION OF RIGHTS.
The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, feeling that their interests would be promoted by securing the business of manufacturing iron from the use of anthracite coal to be extensively established along the line of their canal im- provements and in order to encourage and induce the same, at a meeting of their Board of Directors held JJuly 2, 1839, passed the following resolution :-
" Resolved, That the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company will give in fee simple all the water power of any one of the Dams between Allentown and Parry- ville except so much thereof as may in the opinion of the Managers be necessary for the Navigation and Two hundred inches of water under a Three feet head at each Lock for propelling Boats and other crafts on the said Navigation. to any Company or individuals or their assigns who shall actually expend or cause to be expended Thirty Thousand Dollars in improving the Site for Iron Works and in making the experiment of Manufacturing iron from the Ore with anthra- cite coal. should this amount be required to be expended before succeeding in the manufacture of iron. The fee of the water power to become vested in the said Company or individuals or their assigns either upon their succeeding in making iron at the rate of twenty-seven tons a week, or in case of Failure when they shall show to the satisfaction of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company that the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars has been expended as above mentioned in making the attempt. The land belonging to the Company suitable for using the said water power upon, and not necessary for the navigation, shall be in cluded in the Deed. Should they succeed in making iron with anthracite eoal. then not more than one fourth of the water power thus granted shall be used for any other purpose than in the manufacture of iron from the Ore, or in the manufacture of articles from iron thus made. The water in all cases to be so drawn as not to interfere with the navigation and subject to the regulations contained in the Company's printed deeds. The dam must be specified and the work commenced by the first of September One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Nine, and at least Fifteen Thousand Dollars expended in the work within two years from that date."
On July 8, 1839, the Lehigh Crane Iron Company signified their acceptance of the proposal of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, which had subse- quently been confirmed by action of its stockholders, and on December 15, 1840. the Lehigh Crane Iron Co., having fulfilled the conditions imposed, were granted a conveyance of the property and water rights by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co.
THE HISTORY
In a report submitted by the President to the stockholders of the Crane Iron Company on May 28. 1884, the following information with regard to the erection, dismantling and replacement of the furnaces is given :-
"The first furnace, commonly designated as No. 1, was constructed in the year 1840, and was 45 feet in height x 11 feet bosh.
Furnace No. 2 was built in 1842, and was 45 x 13 feet.
Furnace No. 3, in 1846, was 55 x 161/2 feet.
All of these furnaces were fitted up with iron hot stoves, and the three had a total average weekly capacity of about 420 tons.
In 1879. No. 3 fell down, and it was then determined to remove the three old stacks, and to creet new ones upon the sites of Nos. 1 and 3, and to place fire- brick hot stoves upon the ground formerly occupied by stack No. 2. Nos. 1 and 2 were accordingly torn down in 1880, and the new No. 3 was completed and blown in in November, 1880.
The new No. 3 is 60 x 17, and the new No. 1 was completed in 1881, and is 75 x 18 feet.
The cost of new No. 1 was $103,461.74, and of No. 3, $96,211.10. The old boilers had been in use from the original erection of the plant and were no longer safe. They were replaced with new steel boilers, which with the boiler house cost $84,410.23.
The increased capacity of the new furnaces required additional blowing engines, and two new engines were furnished by the I. P. Morris Company and put in operation in January, 1884, at a cost of $31,283.43.
These expenditures have been fully justified by the result. As compared with the old furnaces, which they have replaced, there has been a saving of 1/2 ton of fuel to a ton of iron, and an average saving of about 75 per cent. per ton in labor.
The new furnaces have not yet done as well as may reasonably be expected, but No. 1 furnace made 22,2811/2 tons in the year 1883, of which 19,600 tons were foundry iron ; and No. 3 furnace made 19,5071/2 tons, of which 15,443 tons were foundry iron. The largest weekly output of No. 1 furnace was 510 tons. The largest weekly output of No. 3 was 450 tons.
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