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Linn's History of Centre and Clinton Counties, page 435, 436
"John Dunlop erected a forge upon the present site of these works as early as 1798. Logan Furnace, on time borders of Benner and Spring, was erected by him in 1802, and run by Royer & Boggs for a number of years. Among those who came with Mr. Dunlop were John G. Lowrey, Sol. McCormick, a superintendent, John and Matthew Adams. In' 1815, the year subsequent to John Dunlop's death, tile Valentine brothers and William A. Thomas leased the works of time administrator, and purchased them in 1821.
In 1824 the new firm erected the first rolling-mill in Centre County, and this, with additional forges, greatly increased the capacity Of tile works. On account of its great distance from tile works proper, in 1842 Logan Furnace was abandoned, and a new one (now in use) built below the forges. Tile late Abram S. Valentine, Esq, who was a member of time firm, revolutionized the ore-mining industries of tile country by inventing time ore-washer now so generally used.
In 1850 time firm of Valentines & Thomas was dissolved, and a new company, composed of some of the members of the old firm and M. T. Milliken, Esq., who learned time business with the former proprietors, was formed. Mr. Milliken remained a member of the firm until his death, in 1871. He was a man of superior ability in his business. The present firm is composed of Jacob, Robert, Abram, and George Valentine, who manage time business in person. They are men of large experience, shrewd in their transactions, and energetic in business matters. In 1850 the concern was turning out about twelve to fourteen hundred tons of pig-metal and about nine hundred tons of finished iron annually. At present the works are producing four thousand tons of pig iron anti two thousand tons of finished iron.
The iron ore used is secured from hands leased or owned by the company, and is chiefly hematite. The larger proportion of the ore is found in "pockets" rather than in veins, and this is often mixed with limestone or clay, so that separation is necessary. This was formerly accomplished by mixing with the earth, spreading it upon floors or levels, and after becoming dry it was broken or pulverized by hauling large cast-iron breakers over it. This trouble and expense was obviated afterwards by time invention of Abram Valentine, mentioned above, which consists of a shaft upon which are fastened cast-iron teeth. These teeth act as a screw when in operation, amid as the shaft revolves in a long trough filled with water the ore passes through time whole line of teeth and is thoroughly cleansed.
The ore is hauled from the mines to the furnace in huge wagons drawn by six and sometimes eight mules. The furnace is thirty-two feet high from time hearth, and has an eight-foot high. It is run by water-power, and has a capacity of from seventy-five to eighty tons a week. The fuel used is charcoal, for the storage of which there are two large buildings, one seventy-five by eighty, the other two hundred by fifty. These are filled during the summer for winter's use. The ore is hauled to the mouth of the furnace on inclined planes, dumped into the furnace, and goes through what is termed the smelting process, or converting ore into pig-metal, which is accomplished as follows: The furnace being filled from the hearth to the top with alternate layers of charcoal and ore, the charcoal is ignited, and a powerful blast applied. The combustion of the charcoal produces carbonic oxide gas, being a combination of carbon and oxygen in equal proportions. This gas is forced up through the charcoal and ore, until, coming in contact with air at the top of the furnace, it takes fire, and passes off in that continuous flame so often seen issuing forth. The carbon of this gas, acting upon the ore (which in the upper part of the furnace has become heated to a temperature at which it most readily decomposes), combines with the oxygen contained in the ore, thus reducing it to the condition of impure wrought or bar iron. Nearly at the same time the iron in this condition takes up and combines with a certain proportion of carbon, which replaces the oxygen it had lost, and is called carbonate of iron, cast iron, or pig iron. In this state it is easily fused, and passing down till it meets the blast at the tuyeres, it melts and falls down as a fluid to the bottom of the hearth or crucible, where it continually accumulates. When the crucible becomes filled an opening is made, called the notch, which is kept stopped with fire-clay while the hearth is filling, is pierced with a sharp iron bar, and the molten metal flows out into moulds made in a bed of sand or ore dust. Meanwhile the furnace is kept filled, and thus the operation goes on from year to year.
The forge building is located a short distance above the furnace, and consists of a main building one hundred and fifty by seventy-five feet, with an addition at right angles, the dimensions of which are one hundred by seventy-five feet. The machinery of the forge is propelled by two steam-engines of about forty horse-power each.
The next process is the conversion of the pig metal into what is known as wrought iron. This is effected in a quadrangular hearth or fireplace, formed of cast-iron plates and operated by one or two tuyeres, or blow-pipes. The tuyere plates of the hearth are slightly inclined inward, and the back plate outward, while the front is vertical. The bottom of tile hearth is covered with charcoal, and above it is piled a charge of pig iron. The charcoal is ignited, and a blast, at a pressure of about one and a half pounds to the square inch, is applied, producing sufficient heat to melt the charge of metal, which flows down through the charcoal to the bottom of the fire. As it flows past the blast it is partially oxidized, and tile oxide thus formed, with the melted slag or oxide remaining from previous operations, assists in decarbonizing the metal. Tile workman now raises tile partially refined iron from the bottom, bringing it repeatedly in contact with tile blast, until tile oxygen of the air combining with the carbon of tile pig metal carries it off as a carbonic oxide, at the same time leaving in tile slag or cinder, which, at a certain stage of the process, is tapped and drawn off from the hearth. By this operation the "charge" under treatment is converted into a tough, malleable mass of wrought, or, as the workmen say, " natured" iron.
Finally, the mass of natured iron is again brought repeatedly in contact with the blast. The oxygen then begins to combine with, or, in other words, to burn up a portion of this mass of iron, producing more oxide or slag. and in so combining gives out a heat so great as to bring tile iron to a semi-fluid condition, in which it drops down something like melted sealing-wax, cementing into a lump at the bottom of the fire. This is the last operation, and this mass, or "loup," as it is called, is taken to an immense hammer and reduced to a shape suitable for being rolled in the rolling-mill, which is some distance below the furnace. The building is one hundred and twenty-five by sixty feet, and contains a train of 14-inch rolls. The iron as it comes from the forge is thrown into a heating furnace and there kept until it reaches a white heat, when it is pulled out and put through the rolls by dexterous workmen. The iron is made into different shapes for the market. The machinery in the rolling-mill is operated by water.
The Valentines employ more men than any other firm in Centre County, about three hundred persons finding employment at their hands. During the many years the works have existed no time has been lost for want of work, and operations have ceased only when repairs were necessary. In short it has been one of our most reliable industries, and the people of Bellefonte and vicinity have felt its influence for good.
The firm have tile ore-rights to ten or twelve thousand acres of land, and own about three hundred acres in connection with the works. Their mines turn out about forty tons of ore per day, all of which is secured in Nittany valley. Two engines are used at tile mines for pumping water, etc., for the washers.
The charcoal used is produced within a radius of twenty-five miles, and is brought by rail and wagon in beds constructed especially for that purpose. They are hoisted from car or wagon by a crane, emptied from tile bottom, and replaced.
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