John Roach & Sons, Morgan Iron Works

Allgemeines

FirmennameJohn Roach & Sons, Morgan Iron Works
OrtssitzNew York (N.Y.)
StraßeEast 9th Street
Art des UnternehmensMaschinenfabrik und Werft
AnmerkungenAdresse: Foot of East Ninth Street. Zusätze zum Firmennamen: [Wigley]: "Morgan Iron Works"; [Dayton]: "Etna Iron Works". Siehe auch gleichnamige Werft in Chester, Pa. - Um 1860 hat Roach zwischen 900 und 1.500 Leute, und er hält die größten Werkzeuge vor. Er ist in der Lage, einen Zylinder mit 112" Durchmesser zu bohren. [Deam] nennt "T. F. Secor & Co." als Ursprungsfirma.
Quellenangaben[Wiley: American iron trade manual (1874) 94+99] [Dayton: Steamboat days (1925) Internet] [Dean: American cane mill (2008) 214] [Ashmead: History of Delaware County (1884) 391]




Unternehmensgeschichte

Zeit Ereignis
1838 Gründung unter der Leitung von T. F. Secor, Charles Morgan und William H. Caulkin unter der Firma "T. F. Secor & Co." am Fuß der 9th Street und East River.
1850 George W. Quintard erwirbt die Firma "T. F. Secor & Co."
1852 Kauf einer kleinen Gießerei von John Glass. Roach beginnt mit einem Kapital von 200 Dollar im Jahre 1852. Er verwendet seine Profite, um eine größere Fabrik einzurichten. Als diese gebaut wird, heuert Roach Mechaniker aus konkurrierenden Firman an und läßt die Verhältnisse in Europa studieren.
1858 John Roach nimmt seine Söhne in die Unternehmensleitung auf und firmiert seitdem als "John Roach & Son".
1867 Ende der Leitung durch George W. Quintard
1867 John Roach, bisher Eigentümer der Etna Iron Works, kauft die Morgan Iron-Works, eine große Fabrik am Fuß der Ninth Street, am East River




Produkte

Produkt ab Bem. bis Bem. Kommentar
Dampfmaschinen 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] Vorgabe: Steam engines
engines? 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] Vorgabe: Engines
Schiffe 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] 1874 [Wiley: American iron trade (1874)] Vorgabe: ships
Schiffsdampfmaschinen          




Allgemeines

ZEIT1852
THEMAFirmenbeschreibung
TEXTThe Etna Iron Works was important with other large steam engine building enterprises when New York led the world in steam. John Roach & Son were proprietors, the beginning being a small foundry purchased from John Glass. Roach started with $200 capital in 1852. As he was able he devoted profits to preparation for a big works. When the time came to build, Roach hired on as a mechanic in competitors' shops and sent a confidential agent to study conditions in Europe.

Roach's force in 1860 numbered from 900 to 1,500 men, and he provided the biggest tools. He could bore a cylinder 112 inches diameter and work was crowded through his plant so fast that progressive partial payments came close upon each other. T. Main, a well-known engine designer, was superintendent and a strong organization of responsible foremen made it a well-disciplined shop.

Engines for Bristol and Providence were built by Roach for the Merchants' Steamship Company with cylinders i 10 inches diameter, and for Risiny Star, Warrior and the monitor Winooski, with double turrets, and the steam frigate Nashaminy. Roach's old Etna yard built engines for the steam ram Dunderberg, with cylinders 112 inches diameter by 12 feet stroke.

The fame of John Roach's shipbuilding plant at Chester, Pa., came to overshadow his earlier engine building in New York. American manufacture holds no more romantic figure than John Roach, who began as a foundry puddler and won a position of world importance. Roach contracted to build machinery when h# had never built an engine, knew little of engineering, and was an iron molder with a small foundry making castings for house and bridge work.

The patronage of William H. Webb greatly helped his credit with merchants and at the banks, but his credit was chiefly based upon his

engineering success, and Roach's great business was largely on a credit basis.
QUELLE[Dayton: Steamboat days (1925) Internet]


THEMATätigkeit von John Roach
TEXT When he got two hundred dollars ahead again, - and it was slower work saving now with a family to support, - he determined that he must be something more than a workman in a foundry if his children were to be properly cared for and educated. He finally hit upon the scheme of starting out for himself by buying a small foundry in Goerck Street, New York City, - the Etna Iron-Works, - then in the hands of a receiver, and for sale. The property consisted of only two lots of ground, forty by one hundred feet; but before he left for yet larger works it was enlarged, so as to cover fifty city lots. Nothing ever grew smaller under his hands. Finding three other mechanics, each having two hundred dollars, who were willing to join in the enterprise, the property was bought for four thousand seven hundred dollars, with a small cash payment, which left an equally small cash capital with which to begin business. The firm became Roach & Johnson, and the subsequently famous Etna Iron-Works sought public patronage, - that is, Mr. Roach sought it. The responsibility of the purchase was taken by him, and his partners left the management of everything to him. Where he was bound to succeed, they were doubtful; where he was resolute, they were holding back; where he was enterprising, they were timid. Those days showed the man. He scoured the city for work. He was unknown, without cash capital, credit, or influential friends; but his pluck shone in his face and inspired confidence. The first work he got, after long search, was to make some grate-bars for a Brooklyn distillery. When this was done there was not a dollar left of the cash capital, and he himself took the bars to the distillery, and asked for immediate payment, frankly stating that money with him was scarce, and he would willingly make a reduction for cash. His struggles for success in this foundry were such as few men go through. The partners early became discouraged, and he promptly bought their interest, giving them his note for three hundred dollars and a mortgage as collateral, and keeping them in his employ. Not one of them rose afterwards to a proprietor's place. He made frank statements to the iron merchants of his condition and prospects. His work was always satisfactory, both in price and character; his contracts were always kept to the letter; and his known probity of character gradually obtained for him a limited credit. Often during this period he had to obtain credit in order to support his family, because it took all the money he had to pay his workmen on Saturday night. During all his more than forty years of proprietorship and employment of thousands of workmen, never once did his men fail to receive their weekly wages when they were due.

Mr. Roach's first decided rise was when he was fortunate enough to get a contract for an iron building, and made eight thousand dollars in six months. This work was so satisfactory that his business and credit were increased largely. He took contracts which were beyond the capacity of his works, but tore down the old buildings, and in forty days had new and adequate works in operation, and carried out the contracts. That was characteristic of the man. Any work he could get to do he was sure he could provide the necessary capacity to do.

Business was now fairly prosperous with him when, in 1846, by the explosion of the boiler, his works were mostly destroyed by fire, and what was far more grievous, with accompanying loss of life. No insurance was recovered, and again he found himself nearly ruined. But he had an enlarged experience, an established business, and a sound though not large credit, being so much the richer by his hard toiling years. To go on with his contracts without loss of time he laid pipes and carried steam from a boiler in a factory over two hundred feet away to his own engine, which in the general wreck had singularly escaped destruction. By so doing, in forty-eight hours work was resumed. By extraordinary exertions he overcame the most distressing discouragements and re-established the foundry. There came out once more the indomitable spirit of the man. Business men generally recognized the fact that nothing could crush John Roach, and from that time his credit was good anywhere, and his word was as good as his bond. Pluck and patience and persistency will powerfully tell. All men honor the man who makes himself the master of misfortunes.

With the profits of the business in eight years Mr. Roach built an establishment having facilities to construct larger marine-engines than any yet built in this country. He was bound that nothing in his line should be done anywhere in the world that he could not do. He sent an agent to Europe to examine the greatest establishments there, and thus was able to avail himself of all the advantages in selection and arrangement of machinery. Some of the tools introduced were the largest in the country. Where other works were unimproved he was constantly making advance in facilities. He stimulated the inventive genius of his workmen, and was quick to adopt a good thing when he found it. Having gone through every branch of his business, and understanding every detail, his eye was swift to see and his judgment was rarely at fault. Nothing escaped his personal attention. His capacity for work was wonderful. His pay-lists enrolled from nine hundred to fifteen hundred men. Two immense engines were built by him in these works for the iron-clad "Dunderberg,'' and the engines for the double-end gunboat "Winooski," the steam frigate "Neshaming," the great sound steamers "Bristol" and "Providence," and other large vessels. No work was too great or too difficult for him to do, and do at its best, and no unsatisfactory work went out of his establishment. His superior facilities enabled him to do work in shortest time and at lowest price. In 1858 he took into partnership one of his sons, and the firm became, as at present, John Roach & Son.

But Mr. Roach's ambition was not yet satisfied. The Etna Works, large and complete as they were, lay distant from the river-front and lacked other advantages. In 1867 he bought the Morgan Iron-Works, an immense establishment at the foot of Ninth Street, on the East River. These works were built in 1838 by T. F. Secor & Co., and in 1850 were bought by George W. Quintard, who conducted them until 1867. The engines for a large number of first-class merchant and war vessels were constructed in them. They consist of various buildings, - foundries and shops, - occupying six city blocks, giving a water-front of three hundred feet. Great alterations were made and the establishment was brought to the highest point of capacity and perfection. For the construction of marine-engines of the old style there was no superior plant in the world.

But when the works were brought to this condition another discouraging train of circumstances came on which threatened to make establishment and experience useless and the property of little value, except as real estate.
QUELLE[Ashmead: History of Delaware County (1884) 391]