FURNACE SKETCHES
Submitted by
Jean Griesan
As stated in the
REGISTER, two or three weeks since, we shall give, as far as we are
able, a sketch of each Furnace in this iron region. In this we hope
to receive the hearty co-operation of the different Furnace men. Give
us the facts, and no matter about the shape they come in – either in
the form of a communication; or in a manner that we can put them
together, in articles of our own. The first Furnace built on this
side of the river in this region, was Union; Franklin, the second;
Pine Grove, the third. We are obliged from deficient information in
reference to Union and Franklin, to commence with Pine Grove; this
“breaks the ground,” let others follow.
PINE
GROVE FURNACE
(For
the Register)
This furnace was built during the
year 1828 by Andrew Ellison, Sr., Andrew Ellison, Jr., and Robert
Hamilton, who, from a tour through the county in the fall of 1827,
became convinced that there was ore enough to justify them in building
and therefore selected the site and made entries of land. Whether
their investment proved profitable may be told before the conclusion
of this article; enough will be seen to show that their conclusions
were good in regard to ore.
How much land they entered I cannot
now state, but it doubtless would have been seed sowed on good ground
had they entered ten times as much as they did as it would have
prevented small purchasers from scouring land enough on which to start
a whisky shop, either to be bought out at a great advance, or to prove
as in many instances, an eyesore to a Furnace.
Many incidents I shall omit, as the
famous “rat story,” which others, eye witnesses, could tell better
about, if they would, but I shall confine myself principally to what I
have seen with my own eyes, and to the figures from the books.
As before stated, Pine Grove was
built during the year 1828. The difficulties of building a Furnace at
that time, and of getting things from a distance, I will pass over.
On reference to the journal kept at that time, I find this entry:
“Fired Pine Grove Furnace January 1st, 1829, and Blowed
January 13th, 1829.”
Up to the year 1832 the business was
carried on under the style of “Ellison & Hamilton,” when by the
introduction of another partner (why didn’t our correspondent name the
other partner!) the firm was changed to “Ellison, Hamilton & Co.”
About the year 1834 Andrew Ellison,
Jr., died, and the property was rented to Robert Hamilton, at an
annual rent of seven thousand five hundred dollars.
Up to this time, 1834, the Furnace
had been carried on under many disadvantages; most of the iron was
made into stoves and castings. Sundays, however, were devoted to the
make of pig iron exclusively. It would be hard to come at the exact
quantity of iron made during these five years, but it was considered a
fair business when the Furnace made three or four tons in 24 hours,
or, very fair, thirty tons per week of seven days.
Robert Hamilton having rented the
Furnace at a very high rent it stood him in hand to push the business
with all possible energy, and he made contracts for castings, stoves,
salt kettles, and continued this business during several years.
In 1837 a new era dawned on the iron
business, the introduction of heated air into the blast. Some three
or four Furnace men met at Vesuvius Furnace carried on by Hurt, Gould
& Co., and there agreed that they would test the hot blast
principle – to employ a man to put up a hot blast at Vesuvius, and if
it proved to be a satisfactory experiment Hurd, Gould & Co. were to
pay all the expenses, but if a failure the expense was to be divided
among the agreeing parties. Wm. Firmstone put up the hot blast; it
proved satisfactory to all parties. This was the introduction of hot
blast into Lawrence county. Mr. Hamilton immediately had a set of
pipes, very different from those now in use, made and put up at Pine
Grove; although it was contended by those opposed to the principle
that the iron was weakened by the hot blast and made unfit for casting
purposes, but the result proved that it was the very kind of iron that
foundries wanted. Pine Grove persevered in the hot blast through
difficulties, Mr. Hamilton still renting the entire property until
1840 --- making six years in all that he had rented the portion of the
Furnace belonging to his partners. During the last year under his
rent he abandoned the casting business, and made nothing but pig iron.
In this year, 1840, Robert Hamilton
became the sole owner of Pine Grove Furnace, and from the commencement
of the next blast an accurate account has been kept of all the sales,
of all the iron made, &c., some of which figures will presently
appear. Mr. Hamilton associated with him as partners John Ellison,
James A. Richey and Joseph S. Peebles, under the style of “Hamilton &
Co.” This partnership continued three years, to January 1844, and
during the time the Furnace made 4,500 tons of pig iron.
Mr. Hamilton now having the Furnace
entirely under his own control determined to try an experiment which
he had long desired to try as there was now no person but himself to
blame or to injure in case it should not succeed, the stopping of
the Furnace on the Sabbath. That it would not succeed was
predicted to him by many of those he considered his friends, yet he
was resolved to try it although it might cost him the loss of many
years gain which the Furnace had hitherto made him. He was disposed
to give it a fair trial; he took down the old stack (which might have
lasted many years notwithstanding its props), and built a new stack
which is now in use, and shows for itself the work of a master
workman. Several thousand dollars were expended in improvements of
the most permanent character; the boilers were then put on the top of
the stack; and the heat was then first conveyed from the trundle head
under the boilers to the hot blast, also an improvement adopted and
set into operation profitably by a Mr. Towers, doing away with the old
fashioned siphons and adopting in their stead circular rings made from
a pattern furnished by Peebles, Wood & Co., Hanging Rock. These
improvements consumed the greater part of the year 1844, and from the
20th day of December in that year dates the stoppage of
Pine Grove Furnace on the Sabbath.
No one but Mr. Hamilton and those
employed by him can be aware of the troubles that commenced about that
time. For instance, the pump refused to throw water, and for several
days the cause was not discovered. Many there were who were not slow
to invent a cause, which I will not repeat. It was a bad time to
commence an enterprise of the kind, in the winter; it is better to
start a Furnace in warm weather, but the edict was that from that time
forward Pine Grove was to be carried on under the Sabbath keeping
principle. How it has prospered under this principle will be shown by
the tables accompanying this sketch, taken from a book set apart for
that purpose, subject to the inspection of all who are curious to know
the number of tons of iron made by Pine Grove Furnace during the day,
week, month, or year.
From Dec. 20, 1844 to Jan. 6, 1847
Mr. Hamilton carried on the Furnace on his own individual account,
long enough to satisfy him and all those favorable to the project,
that there was no reason for blowing a Furnace on the Sabbath day.
During that time many hard things were said of Mr. Hamilton and his
folly, but he lives to see his Sabbath keeping system, at present
adopted by many Furnaces, and hopes to live to see the day not very
far distant, when the puff of a Furnace shall not be heard on the
Sabbath.
About the 1st of Jan.,
1847, Mr. Hamilton associated with him John G. Peebles, John F.
Steele, and Samuel B. Hemstead, the first as Manager, the second as
Clerk, and the last as River Agent, at Hanging Rock, under the style
of “R. Hamilton & Co.” This firm continued until Oct. 25, 1850, when
Mr. Steele died very suddenly, than whom a more gentlemanly young man
could not be found, and all who had business with him will testify, to
his fair dealing and honesty. Passing the grave yard at Pine Grove
will be seen a beautiful marble monument, enclosed by an iron fence,
bearing this inscription: “John F. Steele, born March 1, 1822, died
Oct. 25, 1850;” also a neat little slab bearing the inscription
“Little Mattie,” buried one day previous to the death of the father,
who in common health attended the burial and little did he think that
in so short a time was his body to be placed beside that of his little
daughter.
During the time that the Furnace was
carried on by R. Hamilton & Co. an accident occurred, which had it
happened two or three years before (like many smaller accidents) would
have been attributed to stopping the Furnace on the Sabbath. I refer
to May 9, 1850, when an accident occurred that resulted in the instant
death of John Willis. It was but a few hours after the blast had been
put on, and many persons had collected in the pot house to see the
Furnace let out its first (or second) bed of iron. The iron was just
let out when an explosion occurred with an awful noise and scattered
pieces of timber were flying about in all directions. What a moment
of suspense, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters hastening to
the scene. It was a remarkable preservation, as it happened, of those
about the Furnace, and only Mr. Willis lost his life. A contribution
was taken up for the support of the widow and the children, and all
who lived on the ground were glad to contribute to the support of
those who had been deprived of a husband and parent who had sustained
an excellent reputation for honesty and industry.
The damage by this explosion amounted
to several thousand dollars, but all the fixtures were put up on a
more permanent plan, all repairs were made, and the Furnace was again
in blast in 20 or 21 days, and would have been several days sooner but
for the delay in procuring new boilers. From that time the Furnace
has been prosperous.
After the death of Mr. Steele, as
before stated in Oct. 1850, the other partners purchased his interest,
and the firm became “Hamilton, Peebles & Co.” The Furnace worked well
and very many letters were received from persons engaged in the same
business, requesting an account of how the Furnace worked, quantity of
iron made, and many like questions.
And here let me say that this sketch
is made without the knowledge or comment of Mr. Hamilton, or any of
the above named parties, Hamilton, Peebles & Co., consequently many
things will probably be omitted that might be of great interest; and
those acquainted know them to be men not in the habit of “gassing,”
but prefer doing business in a manner for which the world is not much
the wiser, and anything pertaining thereto has to be ascertained as
best can be, consequently their private business is a matter best
known to themselves. ---- The writer of this sketch has respectfully
asked them for a statement from their own hand, but they positively
declined publishing anything, remarking that it might be considered
“bragging.” But the following account, which is correctly copied from
the books, I can see no harm in publishing. Previous to the year 1841
the amount of iron made by the Furnace cannot be correctly
ascertained, as it was mostly made into castings.
From this statement it will be seen
that from 1841 to 1854 the Furnace made almost 23,712 tons of Pig
Iron. Let us suppose that from Jan. 1829 to Jan. 1841, a period of 12
years, during which, as before said, no accurate account was kept, the
Furnace made 600 tons per year, it would amount to 7,200 tons. Add to
the above and you have 30,712 tons of Pig Iron made by Pine Grove.
Now it is commonly supposed that 200 bushels of charcoal are required
to make a ton of Pig Iron. (Some Furnaces require more and some
less.) Here then is the enormous amount of 6,112 – 1000 bushels of
charcoal used. Also 2 ½ tons of burnt ore to the ton of Pig Iron
gives nearly 80,000 tons of ore used, and limestone in proportion.
And I may add that more than 19,000 tons of this metal has been made
since the Furnace commenced stopping on the Sabbath.
On the 1st of March 1854,
Mr. Hamilton sold one half of the Furnace to John G. Peebles, Joseph
S. Peebles and Samuel Coles, now carrying on the Furnace under the
style of “Hamilton, Peebles & Coles,” and no part of their business is
taken into the above account.
The buildings of Pine Grove will
probably compare favorably with those of any other Furnace, and number
fifty, or perhaps more. There is a school house, or meeting house,
and preaching regularly on every Sabbath; also for the past three or
four years the Furnace has had the constant benefit of an excellent
school teacher, who gives universal satisfaction, so much so that
people send to the school from a distance. Also so I am told there is
a prosperous though small, Sabbath School in operation.
I may remark that there now belongs
to the Furnace somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 acres of land,
the boundaries of which were ran off by the late County Surveyor; and
that the iron made by Pine Grove has ever stood “A No. 1” in any
market wherever it has been sold.
But this communication is already too
long; emissions in the account may be supplied at another time.
Nothing has been stated above but facts, which others in the county,
who have been connected with the Furnace, could have stated in a
better manner, but as they might not be disposed to undertake it you
have my account. I have nothing which I can state in regard to the
financial affairs of the Furnace, but from all I can learn Pine Grove
has made as much money as Furnaces in her class generally make, that
stop on the Sabbath.
P.S. Since writing the above a piece
of paper has come to my notice, bearing date 1830, as follows:
400 tons of castings, at
$60 $24,000
500 tons of pig iron, at
$28 $14,000
100 tons
scrap $ 2,500
$40,500
This was made out to show what the
Furnace had done during the first (or second) blast, and from it may
be seen that my estimate of 600 tons of Pig Iron per year made during
the first twelve years of the existence of the Furnace is probably
full low.
Ironton Register, Thursday, September 14, 1854
