USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 101
USA > Pennsylvania > Lebanon County > History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical > Part 101
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Miteriol. If of Ir ofiron wood. or stone.
Misterul.
wood. oralove.
J. P. Rutherford ..... 520
Robert R. Epler.
20
30
Robert Mcclure
Abuer Rutherford ...
20
30
Join B. Rutherford
...
Joseph Giray ..
10
Win. W. Rati rHori 10
...
Josiah Eslo
25
Jarues Walker .... 1;
5
Johnta Eller.
20
Thou- Eller.
20
40
s. S. Rutherford ..
30
John Futter
10
1+1
Sanmel Gtav.
William K. E.pr ....
10
13
Marguret Bigger.
J. Wallace
3
5
10
20
Alex. Willy' hvirg ...
1.5
...
B Jordan.
15
William Gilmore
10
20
Elizabeth Elder 1
...
31 B. Cowden.
15
10
Jolin W Cowden. ...
15
20
S425
$510
Elizabeth G E.py
10
220)
Jackson G. Rather-
25
r. W Battingtan.
Tu
3
Margaret Ruther- foul
10
Robert Wilson
Matilda Brown.
...
For wood. Iron or Originally the congregation owned a tract of twenty James Gilchrist S acres in the shape of a parallelogram, whose length Mary Gilchrist. 10 10 atunc. Thoumes Gilchrist .. 10 10 was about three times its width. Nearly forty years ago a portion of this tract was sold, leaving a The old south wall was taken down, and during the summer of 1>52 the grounds were extended ninety feet, and the whole covered with wood, and so it stond until the summer of 18x2, when the wall was square of six or eight acres, covered largely with forest-trees, among which are several giant oaks that were doubtless trees when Columbus landed on the shores of America. Near the centre of the tract ! again repaired, and a new roof of wood placed thereon.
Robert Gilchrist ..... 15
...
Maty C. Rutherford
13
STEELTON BOROUGH.
IN 1866, within the territory now comprising the boundaries of the flourishing town of Steelton there were only six families residing. The Pennsylvania Steel Company were organizing and prospecting for a site for their contemplated works. The board of directors came by a special train and quietly exam- ined the land now occupied by them. The object of their visit was not surmised. A few weeks afterwards Rudolph F. Kelker and Henry A. Kelker were ap- proached and solicited to make sale of the land. This, at first, they hesitated to do. It was a heritage from their father, Frederick Kelker, and they desired to transmit it to their children, for which reason, and the associations connected with it, they had always refused offers to purchase it. The land was covered by a warrant to Thomas Renick, bearing date of March 27, 1738, and by a patent to Richard Peters, bearing date of March 19, 1747, "a tract of land in Paxtang township, Lancaster County." Frederick Kelker purchased the first tract of land of the heirs of John Snavely, April 1. 1830, at thirty-seven dol- lars per acre, and another tract of the heirs of Felix Landis in 1843. When Dr. Lamborn, for the Penn- sylvania Steel Company, observed what was to be the character of the works they intended to con- struet, Mr. Kelker consented to transfer the land to them. The matter was noised abroad, public interest was awakened, and different places desired the works to be located near them. There were gratuitous offers of land, and competition was strong. At Harrisburg subscriptions were invited, and a mass-meeting of its citizens held in the court-house, where impromptu speeches were made. The majority were in favor of locating the works below Harrisburg. The amount of land purchased by these contributions was a- fol- lows : From Rudolph F. Kelker thirty-eight aere- and one hundred and thirty-four perche- at three hundred dollars per acre, and from Henry A. Kelker forty-three acres and one hundred and fourteen perches at three hundred dollars per acre. The line extend- from the centre of the canal to the river at low-water mark. The deed was given Jan. S. 1.00. The entire amount was estimated at $24,577.50. Sub- sequently the company bought with their own means fifteen acres and fifty-two perches from Rudolph F. Kelker at $300 per acre, equal to :4597.50. So the total cost of the land was $29,175. This does not in- elude the recent purchase of land from Henry Gilbert
and others. The subscribers to purchase the land of the Me -- rs. Kelker, and which was presented to the Pennsylvania Steel Company, were J. D. Cameron, $4000; Henry A. Kelker, $3778.75; Rudolph F. Kelker, 82358.25; William Calder, $1000; Simon Cameron, $1000 ; First National Bank, $1000; Har- risburg National Bank. $1000 ; David Mumma, $1000; Alexander Ko-er, $1000; Walter L. Trevwick, 8700 ; Peter Stucker, 8700; Immanuel M. Kelker, $500; George Trullinger & Co., $500; Jacob R. Eby, $500; John B. Simon, 500; Aaron Bombangh, 8500; Dan- iel Sheesley, $500; Geo. Bergner, #500; D. W. Gross & Co., $250 ; A. Boyd Hamilton, $200; W. O Hickok, 200: Henry Boo-er. $125 ( who refused to pay, and the same was paid by Henry A. Kelker; Jacob Boyer, $125: Jacob Eshenaur, 8100; Isaac Mumma, $100; Jacob Reel, 8100, William Parkhill, 8100; Samuel S. Rutherford, 8100; Christian E. Hess, $100; David Ober. $100; Joseph Rudy, 8100 ; Bigler & Son, 8100 ; Martin Wetzel, 8100 ; Fager & Maeyer, $100; Thomas J. Weirman, $100; Henry Brown, $100; Jacob C. Bomberger. $100; Weidner W. Boyer, $100; D. Ep- pley & Co., $100; Geo. J. Bolton, $100; Lewi- Koenig Che-nut Street), $100 ; Abner Rutherford, $100; B. S. Kunkel, $100; J. B. Rutherford, $100 ; J. and J. R. Greenawalt, 8100; Robert Tippett, 8100 ; Jacob S. Haldeman, $100; Michael Frantz, 8100; J. J. Bishop, 875; Jacob Bender, 875; Martin Good, $50; Charles F. Muench, $50; Henry Opperman, $50; John Myers, 850; John Dellar, 850; L. Koenig (Paxtang Street), 850; Philip Lewis, $50; J. Brisbin Boyd. $50; J. Adam Frederick, 850; William Bishop, $25; W. S. Shaffer & Bro., $25; Theodore F. scheffer. $25; John Hoffer, $25; Christian Snavely, 825; Daniel Leedy, $20; John Sautter, $20; George Fearster, >10; George Keil. Sl0; George Hermans- darfer. $10; Ensminger & Adams, $10; George Win- ters. $10 ; Carl Bucher, 85 ; H. Shrenk, 85 ; H. Houts- berger, $5; Diekel & Treida, $5; C. Forney, $5. Total $24,577.50.
Having disposed of this quantity of their land for the Pennsylvania Steel-Work-, R. F. Kelker bought forty-five acres from Abraham Wolf, and twenty-two acres from Jacob Bender, and al- fifty acres for Henry A. Kelker. Completing their purchase-, Mr. Kelker commenced to lay out building lots, and offer- ing them for sale. They were only said to purchaser- intending to build, and not with a purpose to advance
400
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-
-
٢٣
٦
١٢١
IF
٧٠هاء حب بك.
٩٠٠
دميـ
OF PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKS,
GENERAL VIEW
STEELTON, PA.
....
720p.4 ********
صر
٠٠١١٢:٠,٢
INTERIOR VIEW OF BESSEMER STEEL-MILL, PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKS, STEELTON, PA.
401
STEELTON BOROUGH.
the plans of land speculators. This land was the first laid out, and was done by R. F. Kelker in person. The lots were in what was formerly known as Lower Baldwin. The surveying was done in April, 1866, by John W. Cowden. Arrangements were made to have streets fifty feet in width, and alleys twenty feet, and each lot to front on a street, and also on an alley. The prices received for the lots varied from one hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars each, according to location. Henry A. Kelker immediately afterwards began to lay out his lots in what was afterwards called Central Baldwin. Adjoining the latter was the farm of Walter L. Trewiek. A part of this was soll to the Steel Company, the remainder to Charles L. Bailey, of Harrisburg, who subsequently sold to Josiah Dunkle.
After the location of the steel-works, the officers of the company conterred with Rudolph F. Kelker as to the name of the prospective town. They suggested the name of Matthew Baldwin, a distinguished phi- The Bessemer or pneumatic process was adopted, and the construction and arrangement of the steel plant, with two converters of the nominal capacity of five tons each, was according to plans prepared prin- cipally under the direction of Mr. Alexander L. Hol- ley, who became the company's superintendent Jan- uary, 1867. The work of erection was pushed as rapidly as possible, and in May, 1867, was sufficiently advanced to commence the manufacture of steel in- lanthropist, and the founder of the Baldwin Loco- motive-Works at Philadelphia. The name, however, presented difficulties which perhaps were unforeseen. There was a town in Allegheny County called Bald- win, and also a post-office in Butler County of the same name. When the need of a post-office arose, the name chosen was "Steel-works." The post-office was established in 1871, and Joseph B. Meredith ap- pointed postmaster. In October, 1880, the po-t-office . got>, the first blow being made May 25, 1867. The name was changed from Steel-works to Steelton, and the town, including the surrounding villages, subse- quently incorporated as Steelton.
The steel-works are situated between the river and the canal, on a level traet of bottom land. Steelton until its absorption of Ewington was located mainly on the turnpike running from Middletown to Harris- burg, and extends nearly a mile. The old turnpike runs parallel with the canal. There are streets which are laid out running back upon the adjoining lands.
In 1875, Messrs. Purdy and Ewing laid out a town on the river directly above the steel-works, which was called Ewington. After the incorporation of the borough of Steelton application was made to the court to include within it- limits the town of Ewing- ton, which was directed. The latter had as remark- able a growth and pro-perity a> the old town of Bald- win. Comprised in one municipality, Steelton is the second town in population in the county, containing possibly five thousand inhabitants.
PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKS.
after due investigation of the subject, at a meeting held June 26, 1865, they became associated, and or- ganized the company known as the Pennsylvania Steel Company, and finally secured a charter with liberal provisions. The capital stock first subscribed was two hundred thousand dollars, which was sub-e- quently increased as the progress of the undertaking required, and the business expanded, until two mil- lion dollars have been invested. When the company first organized Mr. Samuel M. Felton was chosen president, and he has ever since continued to preside over the affairs of the company.
The Susquehanna Valley having been early se- lected as the district in which the works should be located, an eligible site was secured about three miles from the city of Harrisburg, and, after the grounds had been surveyed and graded, the exeavations were made and the masonry commenced on the 12th day of May, 1866.
ingo's were forwarded to Johnstown, Pa., to be rolled in the iron rail-mills of Cambria Iron Company (as the rail-mill of this company was not completed), and the rails were then delivered to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and put into service, being the first steel rails ever produced in this country on an order in regular course of business.
At that date the great superiority of steel rails over iron rails for railway purposes had already been dem- onstrated on several of our most important railways, and railway managers were generally beginning to have some conception of the decrease in cost of main- taining their tracks, which could be effected by the Use of steel rails, but as they had been previous to that time supplied only by foreign manufacturers. the cost was heavy, and preeluded the idea of their adoption. except for places where tratlie was very great, with trains so frequent that repairs to track were difficult to make. The importance, therefore, to the railway interest, of the successful commence- ment at these works of the manufacture of steel, and the demonstration that in due time the railways of this country would be no longer dependent on foreign manufacturers for a supply of this most important auxiliary to their progress, can scarcely be over- estimated.
The Pennsylvania Steel-Works are the most prominent establishment of the kind in the United States. The importance of the improvements in " the manufacture of steel as developed by Bessemer, In May, 1868, the rail-mill was completed and went into operation, making rails directly from small ingots. The improvement of the quality secured by Kelly, and others, and the bearing of those im- provements on the interests of railways, was early recognized by prominent men in Pennsylvania, and, I making large ingots, and hammering the steel before 26
402
HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.
rolling into rails, had already been discovered, and in 1869 the company completed a forge department, where the largest steam hammer then in the country was employed in preparing the steel blooms for the rail-mill. The practice of hammering was continued without interruption until December, 1876, when a blooming-mill, with a powerful train of blooming- or cogging-rolls, was completed, by which the capacity of the works was greatly increased; and since then, except when rail order- have specially required hammered blooms, the forge department has been devoted to the production of billets and forgings.
This company increased it- capacity for the pro- duction of steel by erecting, in 1876, an open-hearth plant, with two five-ton Siemens' melting furnaces, for producing steel on the open hearth. This plant was operated with success for several years, and. al- though the product was principally required for rails, a high reputation was secured for the special qualities of "S. M. Steel," of which quantities were made from time to time. To provide room for extending the blooming-mill, the first plant was removed, and has been replaced by a new and improved plaut, with two twenty-ton furnaces, on original plans, embody- ing many important improvements affecting the con- venience of operating and repairing, and the cost of manufacture. The building is brick, with iron roof, and is constructed in the most substantial manner, provided with abundant tracks, elevators, cranes, etc., for the handling of materials and products.
The capacity of the original Bessemer plant having proved insufficient to meet the demand for the com- pany's products, although the output had been many times greater than was contemplated when it was erected, the company decided upon the erection of an additional Be-semer plant, which was completed and commenced operations in 1881.
The new plant has three eight-ton converters, with two pits, and has been arranged and con-trueted on original plans, which secure great facility for the handling of the materials and products, with a capa- ' eity which has already reached an output of over eight hundred tons of steel in one day of twenty-four hours. All the engines, boilers, and machinery of ' the new plant were constructed in the shops of the company, and are all of the most substantial con- struction. The buildings are of stone, with iron roofs, and are reached from all sides by tracks con- veniently arranged.
= The No. 1 Bessemer plant has recently been 1×75. 40),919 31.744 4 . = adapted to the "Thomas Gilchrist" or " basic" pro- 1 == 6 50.263 43,75₺ 1×77 +,.,095 55.82t cess of converting and dephosphorizing, by which ma- 83.765 67.0.1 1.78 1-29 02.1 6 14 .4 terial formerly not available for steel purposes may 67.743 $5,1333 I .-- 0) .. 112 .- 66 be nsed. The first charge was converted May 7. 15-1 127,652 94.1 4 1×52 17,180 126,614 1883, being the first produced in this country by the " basic" proeus .. The company commenced the Bessemer steel is produced from pig-iron, which must he of a particular quality, made from the porost ores, although its appearance is the same as the iron erection of blast-furnaces in 1572 to produce pig-iron for their own purposes, and completed No. 1 furnace . in 1873, and No. 2 furnace in 1875. These furnaces | commonly used in foundries for making castings. It is
were of highly-approved designs and large capacity, since increased very much by the use of the Whit- well patent hot-blast stoves, and have produced ont- puts of iron comparing favorably with any blast-fur- naces in the country. Two additional furnace-, No. 3 and No. 4, of the largest cla-s are in progres-, nearly completed, and will soon enable the company to produce most of the iron they require. \ very large rolling-mill has been erected, and i- now being equipped with the latest improved machinery for rolling steel billets and all shapes of merchant bars. This mill is expected to require for its supply of steel a large portion of the steel from the open-hearth furnaces and from the " basic" converters of the No. 1 Bessemer plant.
The company commenced the manufacture of rail- road switches, frogs. etc., in 1872, and have enjoyed the patronage of railroads in every part of the coun- try to an extent that has frequently required en- largement of their facilities. For this department a substantial brick. building nearly five hundred feet long has lately been erected, and is still receiving ad- ditional machinery. The company have also com- meneed the manufacture of interlocking switches and signals, and have acquired valuable patents covering important improvements in this branch of railway safety appliances.
The repair departments, consisting of pattern- shop and foundry, machine- and smith-shops, and boiler-shop, are all of large capacity, with substantial brick building-, and thoroughly equipped for the re- production of any portion of the machinery and ap- pliances used in the works, also to produce the heavy steam-engines and other machinery that the new plants, mills, and furnaces may require.
No labor strike ha- ever occurred at the works, and in view of the liberality of the company toward its labor, and the intelligence of the thrifty and in- dustrious employés, it is hoped that none may ever occur.
The company has steadily preferred to make quality of prodnet the great object. At the same time the production has increa-ed with a healthy growth, as may be noted in the following memoranda :
1867
1,005 gross tons steel.
non gross tons rails.
1508
4.181
=
1,221
..
1×69 ..
7,097
=
5.629
=
1-70.
11,340
44
6.635
13,208
=
1571
17,2-1
=
=
15,091
44
€4
1-73.
21,924
10,0:53
/
64
1-74
29,231
=
21,076
44
20,616
محدسكا
.H.
عد
FROG DEPARTMENT AND RAIL-MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKO, STEELTON, PA.
٣٠٠
جم
٢٠
=
ساط ش
EXTERIOR VIEW OF DESSEMER STEEL MILL, PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKS.
موسم ١٦٠٩ جم جرام
بيه ط حمات كبغ 100
UTIL
OPEN HEARTH FUAMASE AND ELS .MAING-MILL, PENNSYLVANIA STEEL-WORKS.
403
STEELTON BOROUGH.
the common practice to melt the iron in the convert- ing department, as in this way a better commingling of the various qualities is obtained, but the iron is sometimes brought in the melted state directly from the blast-furnaces in which it has been made in large ladles, mounted on trucks running on elevated tracks, into the converting department. The ladle must in either case stand at a considerable height from the general level that the melted metal may flow through suitable tronghs into the "converting vessels," and the cupolas are placed still higher, so that the iron may run from the cupolas into the large ladle.
The " converters" or " vessels" are large egg -- haped affairs, made principally of heavy plate iron, with trunnions, on which they turn up or down, and they are connected with powerful hydraulie machinery, by which they may be made to turn as de-ired. The converters are lined very thiekly with fire-bricks and other refractory materials adapted to resist the in- tense heat. The bottom or lower part of the lining is made of perforated fire-bricks (called tuyeres), through which the air is blown into the converter, and this part is made to be readily removed and re- placed when necessary. The air is conveyed by pass- ages extending through the trunnions of the converter, connecting with pipes leading from the engine.
To receive a charge the converter is turned down, so that the mouth is opposite the end of the troughs or "runners." through which the iron flow- down and pours into the converter, the iron giving off quantities of sparks and making a brilliant spectacle, which is, however, surpa-sed by that presented when the air is let on and the converter turned back to the upright position, as the powerful blast of air itwenty to twenty-five pounds pres-ure per square inch) when it first bursts through the metal forces out shower- of. bright sparks, which for a moment appear to fill the air.
As pig-iron contains about two per cent. of silicon and four per cent. of carbon, and as the steel must be practically free from silicon, and have only about four-tenths of one per cent. of carbon, to convert the iron into steel the silicon and carbon must be entirely removed. By forcing through the molten pig-iron such immense quantities of atmospheric air the car- bon in the iron combines with the oxygen of the air, and, being consumed, passes off in the form of gas ; the silicon being also oxidized is removed from the iron; and when all of these elements are thus ex- pelled the material arrives at the condition (chemi- eally) of pure iron, and is then ready for the addi- tion of the recarbonizing material, which returns to the charge enough carbon to give the steel the re- quired carbonization.
To convert a charge requires from fifteen to twenty minutes. At first there is comparatively little fame passing out of the converter, but it rapidly increases, passing with a dull roar into chimney-stacks above the mouth of the converter. As the blast continues.
the flame increases more and more, and grows in bril- lianey until it rivals the light of the sun and becomes too bright for unaceustomed eyes, passing ont of the stacks high into the air, lighting up at night the vieinity, the noise having also increased to a roar, which may be heard at considerable distance. After the carbon has been expelled the flame loses bril- lianey and drops very noticeably, the blast is shut off, and the converter is turned down. A- the converter is turned down the last again sends out a splendid shower of >parks. At this point the reearbonizing material is introduced. This is Spiegelei-en, a metallic combination of iron and manganese with carbon. It is melted same as the pig-iron, and a quantity proportionate to the weight of the charge is run into the converter. It instantly pervades the metal in the converter, throwing off flames of a very peculiar hue as the manganese and carbon combine with the metal, and the charge at once becomes steel and is di-charged into the steel ladle.
In front of the converters are two semicircular pits several feet deep, and in the centre of each pit the powerful hydraulie crane which supports the steel ladle is placed. The steel ladle is swung around under the mouth of the converter and the steel is poured into the ladie, after which it is swung baek over the cast-iron moulds that are ranged along the side of the pit, and the steel is discharged through the bottom of the ladle into the moulds, where it soon eungeals and takes the form of "ingots," containing enough steel for several rails. After the steel is poured out of the converter another charge of iron is run into the same or another converter, and the above repeated. As there are three converters in the converting department of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, one is always ready to use, and the process goes on day and night. As soon as the ingot loosens itself from the mould by contraction the mould is stripped off, and the ingots are loaded soon as possi- ble, while red-hot, on trucks for removal.
The ingots, ladles, mould-, and all heavy articles are handled by the aid of hydraulic cranes, whose power is derived from powerful pumps that furnish a pressure of two hundred and eighty pounds to the square inch, the pressure being applied by persons stationed where they can observe every operation and apply the pressure as it is needed.
When a charge of ingots has been loaded on the truck», a small locomotive speedily moves it to the blooming-will, where the ingots are reheated in fur- naces, and are then passed through the blooming- rolls, which reduce the size to seven inches square. The ingot is then cut into pieces of length required to make a rail, which under the name of blooms are conveyed to the rail-mill, where the blooms are re- heated and rolled into rails. After the rails have cooled they are inspected to find any defects, mide straight and true, and drilled at the ends for the splices.
404
HISTORY OF DAUPHIN COUNTY.
STEELTON SCHOOL BUILDING.
When the borough of Steelton was incorporated, one of the most perplexing questions was how to provide school facilities for the rapidly-increasing population that would be in keeping with the enterprising char- aeter of its citizens and the affairs committed to their charge. It became evident the provisions of the statute laws regulating common schools would be en- tirely inadequate, and that for a number of years large sums would have to be expended for school sites and the erection of school buildings. By the usual experience the prospect was that upon undesir- able locations ill-adapted and indifferent buildings would be erected for schools as necessity compelled,
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