USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 38
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The inventory of the personal property at Johnstown at the time Wood, Morrell & Co. leased the Cambria Iron Com- pany, amounted to $192,378.32. The schedule is complete in detail, and some of the items are important in view of values and quantities of materials and equipments, namely :
"Lumber $5,200.00
Red brick burnt and unburnt 1,500.
14 carts
450.
5 wagons 200.
21 head horses
1,890.
Tools, shovels and picks, etc.
600.
12 cars, at $90
1,080.
6 cars, stone, at $60 360.
Coal and ore cars
450.
Foundry tools and flasks 1,000.
Blacksmiths' tools, etc.
1.500.
Machine shop tools, etc.
5.000.
Ore raised
2,000.
Castings for puddling and blast
5,000.
Fire brick 5,000.
Rolls, etc.
2.000.
Bedplates, etc. 2.000.
Squeezers, etc.
2,000.
"AT FURNACES.
"About 1400 tons metal, part in town @ $40 $56,000. Addition to charcoal at furnaces 16.000.
Tolls, teams, etc., at furnaces 32,239.03"
Messrs. Wood, Morrell, Townsend and Conarroe then re- sided in Philadelphia, Mr. Oliver in New York, and Mr. Miller at Safe Harbor, Lancaster county. They formed a partnership to operate the Cambria Tron Company, the purpose being set forth thus: "taking from the Cambria Iron Company a lease of all their estate, lands and works in Cambria and adjoining
416
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
counties, and purchasing the stock for carrying on the manu- facture and sale of Iron in any form or any kind, Brick, Cement, Charcoal or any other article of merchandise that can be manu- factured or produced out of or from the lands and property of the Cambria Iron Company."
They were to commence operations May 1, 1855, and to continue until July 1, 1860, unless the same should be sooner terminated by giving such notice as was agreed upon in the lease. Each of the partners contributed the sum of $30,000. The active managers were Charles S. Wood and Daniel J. Morrell, each of whom was to receive $5,000 per annum for his services.
On October 12, 1855, the term was extended until July 1, 1861, and in November, 1860, the firm extended its partnership agreement to February 1, 1862, unless the Cambria Iron Com- pany should take possession and operate the works prior to that date.
On January 31, 1856, Mr. Conarroe sold his interest to George Trotter. Notwithstanding the fact that Wood, Morrell & Co. were obliged to rebuild the frame mill and replace the machinery, which had been destroyed by fire in August, 1857, the firm was financially successful, but it became entangled by reason of the death of some of the partners, and by an assign- ment for the benefit of the creditors of other parties who in- herited interests. On May 8, 1858, Mr. Oliver made a declara- tion of trust for the benefit of Mary Newkirk Oliver, his wife, George Heberton Newkirk, William Henry Newkirk and Matthew Newkirk, Jr., whereupon the latter assigned his in- terest to William Henry Smith, of Philadelphia, for the benefit of his creditors. Mr. Oliver appointed Thomas Marsh, of Phila- delphia, to represent his interest in accordance with the terms of the declaration, and died May 8, 1858. Mrs. Mary Newkirk Oliver also died, and they not having issue, her father, Matthew Newkirk, Sr., inherited an interest in the firm, while he was in-
solvent. On March 29, 1862, he made an assignment for the benefit of creditors, naming William Henry Smith as the trustee. Marsh and Smith were making claims for the same, or parts of the same, interests of William Henry Oliver, which, of course, was very unsatisfactory to a successful firm. On July 5, 1862, Wood, Morrell & Co. paid Marsh $10,000 on account of his claim.
The firm again became entangled by a new partner with-
417
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
out its consent. when George Heberton Newkirk died intestate, on September 22, 1861, leaving an infant daughter, Emma New- kirk, to inherit his estate.
The stockholders of the Cambria Iron Company met on December 10, 1861, and decided to take over the property and operate it as the Cambria Iron Company, and to pay Wood, Morrell & Co. the sum of $51,099.35 for its equity in the prop- erty. This transfer took effect on January 1, 1862.
In 1862 the bonds were due, and instead of foreclosing, Wood, Morrell & Co., who held them, proposed to buy all the outstanding stock at ten per cent, and to pay King & Shoen- berger the sum of $100,000, which the New York and Boston parties had agreed to give at the time of the New York organiza- tion. The proposition was accepted, and King & Shoenberger secured something like $160,000 for their interests, thus cancel- ing the bonded indebtedness.
Cambria Iron Works, about 1864.
In 1862 the Cambria Iron Company was reorganized by ciecting Charles S. Wood president, E. Y. Townsend vice- president, John T. Kille, secretary, and Daniel J. Morrell gen- eral superintendent.
The firm of Wood, Morrell & Co., so far as it applied to the lease of the works, was abandoned, and the property was reconveyed by deed, etc., to the Cambria Iron Company, about September 1, 1862.
Mr. Hite, in describing the Cambria Iron Company in 1856, states its works consists of a "rolling mill. 650 feet by 350 feet. with fifty-six puddling furnaces and five steam engines ; a ma- chine shop, two stories high, with a blacksmith shop attached : a foundry, with a pattern shop upstairs; a pig metal house, for storing the metal previous to puddling; a covered brick- vard, of ample dimensions, in which a small engine furnishes power to grind the clay for two brick making machines: four furnaces, of double the usual capacity. two of which only are yet in operation ; besides wagon making shops, carpenter shops,
Vol. I-27
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
stables, etc. Two hundred dwelling houses are erected for the operatives, besides a boarding house of three stories, offices, storehouses, etc. About 1,500 men and 300 horses and mules are employed directiy, exclusive of those engaged at the four other furnaces in connection with them."
Also the "Johnstown furnace. owned by Rhey, Matthews & Co., employs over a hundred men and thirty mules. The yield of metal per month is near 150 tons."
In 1865, Thomas J. Chapman published a "History of The Conemaugh." and referring to the Cambria Iron Company, in describing the new brick building completed after the fire of August 1, 1857, adds: "In 1863, another mill, 300 feet long by 100 feet wide, was built. It stands parallel with the old mill, and not more than thirty or forty feet distant. Another mill is now in the course of erection. It is attached to the north- ern end of the transverse portion of the old mill. It will cover
over an acre of ground. There are now in operation twenty-two heating furnaces and thirty double puddling fur- naces, a train of rail-rolls, squeezers. * three vertical steam engines, and the fly wheels are innnense castings, weigh- ing forty tons, and make as high as seventy-five to eighty revo- lutions per minute." He describes the process of making an iron rail thus: "The ore is taken from the mines near the works, and after being put through the roasting process, which re- quires some time, it is thrown into the blast furnace, of which there are four in number, capable of running 190 tons per week ; thence the metal is transferred to the puddling furnaces, and after undergoing the process of puddling, it goes thence through the squeczers, and thence through the puddle rolls, when it is ready for the heating furnaces. After being heated in the latter, it is prepared for its final rolling into bars. These works em- ploy 2,700 men and from 300 to 400 head of horses and mules." The output of finished rails was 40,000 tons in 1864, and adds. that when the new building is in operation it would have a capacity of from 60,000 to 70,000 tons. That there are over thirty-five engines used in the works. * "The amount of business transacted by this establishment may be judged from the fact that the internal revenue tax alone, paid by this company for the year 1865, will be over $200,000, or more than one-half of the total collected in the district during the year."
419
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
THE HILL WHERE TIIE ORE WAS FOUND.
Prospect Hill is a part of the Laurel Hill range, and extends along the northern side of the city of Johnstown, from the up- per end of Woodvale (now the Eleventh ward) to Hinekston's Run, in the Fourteenth ward. More properly speaking, it in- cludes the Twelfth and portions of the Thirteenth and Four- teenth wards lying above the river bottom. The Ebensburg road divides the Twelfth and Thirteenth wards. Prospect Hill runs partially in a line parallel with Yoder Hill, on the south- ern boundary line, up to Green Hill, which it then parallels up the Conemaugh river.
Prospect Hill is not as high as either Yoder or Green Hill. The greatest elevation in the Twelfth ward is nearly opposite the Woodvale bridge, where the altitude is 451 feet above the curb line at Main and Franklin streets, and the highest point in the Thirteenth ward is at the reservoir, where the altitude is 411 feet from the same place. The distance in an air line, from the Thirteenth ward schoolhouse just below the reservoir, to the postoffice is 1,800 feet, yet to travel by the most direct road and streets, it is 4,560 feet, or two and a-half times as far by the cir- cuitons route taken in order to overcome the abrupt height.
Prospect Hill is divided into what are locally known as Up- per and Lower Prospect. The first bench of the hill is on Lower Prospect and the second on Upper. Thus it will be observed that Johnstown lies between Yoder Hill and Prospect Hill up to Green Hill, where that prominence divides the city. Yoder Hill and Green Hill form the Stonycreek valley, and Green Hill and Prospect Hill, the Conemaugh valley. The Little Cone- maugh river flows at the base of Prospeet Ilill and the Stony- creek river along Yoder Hill to The Point, where thereafter it is the Conemangh river. Between the two rivers and in the business part of the city, the distance from river to river, at Franklin street, is 2,250 feet; at Market street, 3,800 feet; at Walnut, 2,065 feet, and at Union street, 1,375 feet.
From about 1846, when Rhey's Furnace was built at the foot of Prospect Hill, within two hundred feet of the present lo- cation of the passenger station of the Pennsylvania railroad and nearly opposite thereto, until 1868, when the Bessemer steel process revolutionized the iron and steel industries, Prospect Hill was a valuable factor in creating the prosperity of Johns- town. The ore deposits, the abundance of coal in this hill, and
420
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
the transportation facilities afforded by the Pennsylvania ca- nal, were the primary causes of locating Rhey's Furnace there; and when the canal was abandoned and was succeeded by the Pennsylvania railroad, the Cambria Iron Works were located at the base of Prospect Hill for the reason that a superior quality of ore, in great abundance, was to be had in this hill. The ore therein mined ceased to be a factor, however, when the Bessemer process was introduced, as it did not possess the qualities neces- sary to make good steel. But it did make the best iron that was offered in the market.
The railroad rails made of iron by the Cambria Iron Com- pany always had an advantage over all others in open competi- tion, owing to their superior quality. They possessed an ele- ment of flexibility that other manufacturers could not obtain in their products, for which the ore in Prospect Hill was largely responsible.
Before the introduction of steel rails the great danger to the railroad traveler during the winter season was an accident caused by broken rails, which were, at that time, made of iron. Daniel J. Morrell frequently related, with profound satisfac- tion, an incident which occurred on a Western road, where the foundation of a small culvert was washed away by a flood and the tracks were suspended across it by the Cambria rails, over which an engine and train passed safely. This, he thought, was a sufficient recommendation for the Cambria rail.
The mineral right to all the ore, coal, and other deposits in the Thomas Afflin survey, which included the lower end of Pros- pect Hill, was sold by Eli Benshoff to George S. King & Com- pany, on September 26, 1845. Benshoff had purchased the whole tract, consisting of 39034 acres, from Mark Graham, on the 18th of May, 1837.
Shortly after the purchase by King & Company four iron ore drifts were opened in Prospect Hill, on the easterly side of Hinckston's Run, and the ore was used in the Rhey & Mathews furnace, by King & Company and the Cambria Iron Company. Other ore mines were worked along the slope of the hill from that portion of Prospect Hill eastward to a point above the Woodvale factory.
Probably the richest piece of real estate ever known in this vicinity was the "Round Mound," as it was called, where the reservoir now stands. It is said that its yield of wealth was equal to that of any piece of land of similar size in the gold
421
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
fields of California. The vein of iron ore in the hill was from one to four feet in thickness, and under the "Round Mound," it was mostly from three to four feet. It was common wages for the ore miners to make $5 and $6 a day, and sometimes $8 to $10 when the four-foot lodgment was struck, as they were paid $2.70 per ton.
It is said the "Round Mound" was purchased for $800 and that the company declined $80,000 for it. This was the top vein above the cokeyard seam of coal. Under the coal was another vein of ore known as the "Kidney" seam, but it was not so valuable, nor was it worked to any great extent.
There are very few people who know that there is a tunnel from the lower end of Ihmsen avenue, through old Prospect Borough up to Woodvale, but such is a fact, although it has probably fallen in and would be difficult to find. It was made by the ore miners, and was used as a roadway for hauling the ore from the crop above Woodvale to the furnaces. The ore mines were worked to some extent until 1871.
In 1854 a stone quarry near the top of the hill, above the old blast furnaces of the Cambria Iron Company was operated, from which an inclined plane extended to the works.
At that time a spring of water was flowing from the hillside a short distance east of the stone quarry, and about midway up the hill, but it has long since ceased to flow as it did fifty years ago.
The ore beds are yet discernible in the opening made along the ridge of Prospect Hill above the Pennsylvania railroad, run- ning through the Eleventh and Twelfth wards and the aban- doned mines in the hill on the east side of Hinckston's Run, in the Fourteenth ward. Drifts were also made near the Ebens- burg road, but not to a great extent. The coal in Prospect Hill that was convenient and could be economically mined was taken out many years ago, but, farther back, some yet remains in its natural seams.
The old' slope mine of the Cambria Iron Works operated by an incline near where the old blast furnaces are, brought the coal from the "B," or Miller, vein to the mills and to the coke yard, which at that time, so it was considered by furnace men, had to be on a level with the mouth of the furnace. It was ahan- doned in 1879. By the modern process the coke is made in the Connellsville district, and in the by-product plant at Franklin.
The older citizens will remember the popular Murray's
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HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
Grove, in Woodvale, at the foot of Prospect Hill, on the north side of the Pennsylvania railroad, where picnics were held until 1871, when it was abandoned because of the progress of indus- tries and the destruction of a portion of the trees therein. These picnics were popular resorts for the public, and much frequent- ed by candidates for office and their friends.
Prospect Hill has lost all its foliage, therefore its beauty had been marred by the smoke and gas from the mills and furnaces at its base, but it has been one of the works of Nature most valuable to the prosperity of Johnstown.
THE CAMBRIA BRIDGE.
On April 2, 1860, P. L. 702, an Act of Assembly, was ap- proved authorizing Wood, Morrell & Co. to construct a lat- eral railroad from the Cambria Iron Works across the Cone- maugh river to connect with the Pennsylvania railroad, and fur- thermore, to connect with the abutments and piers of the Cam- bria Bridge Company, if it was deemed expedient. The Cam- bria Bridge Company was incorporated by an Act of Assembly dated April 18, 1853, P. L. 540, and its capital was not to exceed $10,000.
On July 20, 1863, Wood, Morrell & Co. purchased from Wat- son, Dennison & Co., of Hollidaysburg, three furnaces known as the "Chimney Rock," "Gaysport" and "Frankstown" fur- naces, and formed the Blair Coal and Iron Company.
John Fritz came to Johnstown when Wood, Morrell & Com- pany leased the works, and was the chief engineer until July 5, 1860, when he took his departure for Bethlehem, where he as- sumed the management of what is now known as the Bethlehem Steel Company. There he has made an international reputation as a steel expert and engineer. While in charge of the Cambria works he invented the three high roll mill, and received a patent for it dated October 5, 1858. It was a great success. On the two roll mill the rail bars could only be passed through the one way, but by placing a third roll above the two the bar could be passed back, which almost doubled the output, and it also pre- vented the bars from lapping around the rolls. In six days in May, '59, he rolled 722 tons of rails, which exceeded that of any other mill in the Union.
His pre-eminence has been recognized for many years, but to establish it the more firmly, and to perpetuate the memory of his achievements in industrial progress, at a banquet given by
E. Y. Townsend.
George Fritz.
John Fritz.
424
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
six hundred of his associates, in the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, October 31, 1902, in honor of his eightieth birthday, there was founded the "John Fritz Gold Medal" award. The rules governing the awards are substantially as follows: 1. The med- al shall be awarded for notable scientific or industrial achieve- ment. There shall be no restriction on account of nationality or sex. 2. The medal shall be gold and shall be accompanied by an engraved certificate which shall recite the origin of the medal and the specific achievement for which it was made. 3. It may be awarded annually, but not oftener. 4. The awards shall be made by a board of sixteen members composed of an equal num- ber from each of the four national societies of engineers, name- ly: The American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Mining Engineers, the American Society of Me- chanical Engineers, and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. It was a pleasure to the leading steel engineers and manufacturers to acknowledge his pre-eminence. Irving M. Scott, the builder of the "Oregon," wired his congratulations, in which he said: "All hail, Unser Fritz, father of us all." An- drew Carnegie said: " All honor to John Fritz, rolling mill pio- neer, friend and counsellor of us all." Charles M. Schwab ad- mitted "that he has done more for the steel industry than any man living, and we all acknowledge him as our master and prize him as our friend." Carl Lueg Schroedter cabled from Dus- seldorf: "Happy salutation to the well-deserved chief of iron masters." Robert Hadfield, the inventor of manganese steel, also cabled from England: "Sheffield's heartiest greetings to John Fritz."
Mr. Fritz gives his experience in building his new train of rolls : "I now prepared to suggest building a three-high mill, which I did, and the suggestion was met with a rebuff, which was not unexpected. The officials called a meeting, and after consultation with some practical iron men, decided to put up a geared two-high mill, and, by greatly increasing the speed of the rolls, the rail would be finished in much less time, and conse- quently at a higher heat, which would prevent the serious trou- ble of rough and torn flanges. I was ordered to build a new mill, two-high, geared. I most emphatically said I would not do it, as two of the most objectionable features of the pres- ent system would still be retained. * * I consequently concluded that I would do as I had been compelled to do before and many times since-assume authority and go ahead, which
425
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
I did, and commenced work on the patterns. The drawings had already been practically completed. After the pattern for the housing was well advanced Mr. E. Y. Townsend, the vice-presi- dent, came out to the works, and I informed him of what I was doing. * In about a week he came to the works again. This time he was armed with a legal document opposing the spending of the money in the way it was being done. He hand- ed me the document to read, which I did. * After some friendly talk on the condition and the importance of the change proposed he said: 'Go ahead and build the mill as you want it.' 'Do you say that officially?' To which he replied: 'I will make it official.' And he did so.
" When I look back to that talk, which took place on a Sun- day morning long years ago, and recall to mind Mr. Townsend and myself, with evidences of failure on all sides, and surround- ed by the gloom of future uncertainties, I cannot but feel it was a critical period in my own history as well as that of the Cam- bria Iron Company. To Mr. E. Y. Townsend belongs the credit not only of the introduction of the three-high rolls but also for a large share of the subsequent marvelous prosperity of the Cambria Iron Company which followed the introduction of the three-high mill and its many accompanying improvements. *
"At length the mill was completed, and on the third day of July, 1857, the old mill was shut down for the last time. * *
The starting of the mill was the crucial period. There were no invitations sent out. As the heaters to a man were opposed to the new kind of a mill we did not want them about at the start. We, however, secured one of the most reasonable of them to heat the piles for a trial. We had kept the furnace hot for several days as a blind. Everything being ready we charged six piles. Abont ten o'clock in the morning the first pile was drawn out of the furnace and went through the rolls withont a hitch, making a perfect rail. You can judge what my feelings were as I looked upon that perfect and first rail ever made on a three-high train.
"Everything worked well up to noon on Saturday, it being our custom to stop rolling at that time. About six o'clock in the evening Mr. Hamilton and myself left the mill, and on our way home congratulated ourselves on the fact that our long line of troubles and disappointments was now over. About an hour later I heard the fire-alarm whistle blow, and rushing back to the mill found it a mass of flames from one end to the other. In less than one hour's time the whole building was burned to the ground, and a story was started that the new mill was a failure and that we had burned the mill to hide our blunder- ing mistakes. The situation of affairs on that Saturday night was such as might appall the stontest heart. The next day being Sunday it was devoted to rest and to thinking over the matter. On Monday morning we commenced to clear up
426
HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
the wreck, all the workmen giving a full day towards it, and to begin the work of rebuilding.
"In four weeks from that time the mill was running and made 30,000 tons of rails without a hitch or break of any kind, thus making the Cambria Iron Company a great financial suc- cess, and giving them a rail plant far in advance of any other plant in the world. This position they held, unquestioned, for both quality and quantity, until the revolutionary invention of Sir Henry Bessemer came into general tise."
THE BESSEMER STEEL PROCESS.
There was a conflict between Sir Henry Bessemer, of Eng- land, and William Kelly, of Eddyville, Kentucky, as to the priority of this valuable invention. Mr. Kelly obtained the American patent for it, but Sir Henry is the general accredited inventor. He successfully completed it in 1858.
The Cambria Iron Company took a prominent part in es- tablishing the new process in the United States. Mr. Kelly came to Johnstown in 1857 and 1858, and made experiments at the Cambria works. On his first visit he made his tests in a furnace having a hearth similar to a puddling furnace. The iron was melted in the foundry and carried in ladles to be poured into the furnace and then fired with a blast until it was supposed to be steel, but it was not. It could neither be drawn nor forged like steel, and yet it was harder in texture than cast iron. In 1858 he came back and made new tests in a different manner. James H. Geer who was then in the pattern shop, and now superintendent of construction for the company, with Evan G. Lewis, Isaac Jones and Valentine Ripple, made his patterns for the trunnions and other castings. It was at this time that Mr. Kelly made the converter which was the first one used in America. When the hot metal was poured into the con- verter and the blast turned on for the first time it was too strong and blew the charge out. On its second attempt he was more suc- cessful as the metal he produced could be drawn out on the anvil or in forge and in appearance was more like wrought iron than either steel or cast iron. It is understood that all of Mr. Kelly's tests were made at the Cambria works. The converter referred to is the one which was on exhibition at the Columbian Exposi- tion, in 1893, and is now at Johnstown, in the Cambria Steel Company's yard at the southern end of the Walnut street bridge.
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