CHAPTER II. ANTHRACITE BLAST FURNACES. The first iron furnace established in New Jersey was located at Shrewsbury. The Oxford furnace, at Oxford, in Warren county, was the second and is probably the oldest in the United States at present in blast. It was built in 1742 by Jonathan Robeson. A pig of Oxford iron, bearing date "1755," is now in possession of the New Jersey Historical Society. Cannon balls were cast at this furnace for use in the French and Indian war and for the Revolutionary army. Many of these are still preserved. The first stack of the Oxford works was 36x10; an additional stack was built in 1872, 50x18. The combined annual capacity now is 17,000 net tons of pig iron.* The product of these furnaces is worked up into rails, nails, etc., on the premises. During the year ending July 1st, 1885, there were only six furnaces in operation at any one time in New Jersey; only one was in blast all the year, and but two for ten months each. The total product was 54,427 tons. There are twenty blast furnaces in the State, which have a capacity of 247,600 net tons. The production of pig iron (net tons) from 1874 to 1885, inclusive, has been:‡ Then the The maximum production was reached in 1882. decline was rapid and continuous until near the close of the year *According to Chief Justice Allen, of Pennsylvania, (1751-1774), one and a half tons of ore yielded one ton of pig iron, of which a good furnace yielded twenty to twenty-five tons weekly. † Nine furnaces were reported in blast on January 1st, 1886. From American Iron and Steel Association reports up to 1884, inclusive, calendar years. Fiscal year. Bureau reports. 1885, when better prices obtained and the production of pig iron largely increased, not only in New Jersey, but throughout the whole country. The Iron Age referring to this improved condition of the trade, observes: "Since the first of October, 1885, there has been a decided increase. At that time seventy-five anthracite furnaces, with a capacity of 20,318 tons, were in blast. January 1st it had increased to 104 furnaces, with 29,811 tons capacity. The bituminous furnaces had increased in the same time from eighty-eight, with a capacity of 43,234 tons, to 114, with a capacity of 54,199 tons." The following table will show the course of prices, obtained for No. 1 anthracite foundry pig iron at tide-water, in the first month of each quarter, from 1870 to 1885, inclusive, per gross ton: Mr. James C. Bayles, editor of the Iron Age, has kindly furnished to us the electrotype herewith given,† which clearly shows all the fluctuations in the production and price of pig iron and steel rails from 1872 to 1885. This diagram, according to the Iron Age, "is based upon the table compiled by the American Iron and Steel Association, showing the prices of No. 1 anthracite foundry pig in Philadelphia per ton of 2,240 pounds, which was kindly brought up to date for us. We have also drawn upon the report of the Iron and *Mr. James W. Swank has calculated the total product of pig iron in the United States for the fiscal year ending July 1st, 1885, to have been 4,473,408 tons, and the production of Bessemer steel rails for the same period, at 975,697 tons. † See below. |