The Replogle Steel Company of Wharton, New Jersey

An artist’s rendition of the Replogle Steel Company’s Wharton Blast Furnaces.

(Taken from a print in the possession of the late William Trengove)

There follows a brief description of the layout of the plant, followed by a closer look at the equipment. Phil Baggley, 2022. Click on the sidebar left to navigate .

Layout of the plant

Below is a description of the plant taken from Fred Clement's book "Blast Furnace Practice" published in 1929. Although there is no direct reference to the prevailing economic conditions at that time, the 1920 reconstruction was short-lived. The book "Iron mines of northern New Jersey" relates that The Wharton plant had been dormant for several years when it was purchased by J. Leonard Replogle. He invested considerable sums having the plant reconstructed by the contractors J. Arthur McKee of Cleveland Ohio. During the first world war there was a surge in business but by 1924 the furnaces were closed.

"Thereafter the company passed under the control of the Warren Foundry & Pipe Co., a reorganisation of the Replogle enterprise, and was sold by it to the Central of New Jersey Railroad. Photographs in the book show the tall chimney stacks being demolished about 1933.

The Wharton plant was entirely reconstructed in 1920 and was representative of a modern American lay-out of a works of moderate size, when served by railroad only. The equipment consists of two blast furnaces, each of a rated capacity of 3500 tons per week spaced at 364ft., 3in. centres, and complete with four stoves and dustcatcher with gas washing towers in accordance with standard American practice.

The works covers 100 acres. Space has been reserved for the addition of two further production units as well as for sintering machines and other auxiliaries.

The Wharton & Northern railroad serves the works, and all the incoming ore, if it is to be stocked in the ore yard, is switched over the dumping track, shown on the south side of the property and carried on concrete trestles. It is unloaded on to the yard, from whence it is picked up by the ore bridge crane and either put into stock or into the bins. The ore bridge has a span of 160ft. with 68ft. overhang on the bin side, and a travel of 600ft., giving a storage capacity of approximately 300,000 tons of ore.

The cast houses of each furnace are served by shunt roads, leaving the through roads clear, and both metal and slag can be handled from each unit can be handled expeditiously to their respective destinations. All the iron is dealt with in casting machines, whilst the slag is carried in ladles, each of 330 cub.ft. capacity., to the pits arranged at the eastern end of the works, where it is poured out and solidifies in layers. Later, it is picked up again by a steam shovel working along the pits, and after crushing in the breaker is sold for ballast and for other purposes.

The weight of materials to be handled per week when both furnaces are in service is as follows :

Pig Iron 6580 tons Coke 7200 tons Ore 11180 tons Slag 4800 tons

Limestone 2303 tons Dust 751 tons

Apart from the sale of crushed slag, no other by-products are developed. The coke for the furnaces is not made on the site. The blast furnace gas is used for making steam in Stirling boilers of 25000 lbs. per hour capacity, both the blowing and generating units being steam driven. The water supply is obtained from a reservoir which is fed from one of the company's mines. The furnace pumping equipment consists of four pumps, having a total capacity of 5,500,000 gallons per 24 hours.

YEARLY INDEX OF THE BLAST FURNACE AND STEEL PLANT January 1923

page 134

" The Replogle Steel Company, Wharton NJ, has placed the second furnace in blast at its local mill, and the plant is now on a regular producing basis. The Company's mill at the Scrub Oak mine in this same section, has also been placed in service, and it is proposed to resume mining operations in the near future. In connection with the acquisition of an interest in the Wickwire-Spencer Steel Company by J. L. Replogle, head of the company, it is said that there will be a change in operations at the Wharton furnaces, the production being entirely utilized at the Wickwire-Spencer works. Plans are being proposed for general expansion.

page 260

"The Replogle Steel Company is completing repairs at its large blast furnace at Catasauqua, Pa., including the relining of the stack, and plans to have the unit ready for service at an early date. It will be blown in, it is said, with a full operating force, with expectation of keeping in blast for many months to come. The company is also arranging for extensions in its furnaces at Wharton NJ., and the second stack will be blown in shortly. A full working is being employed, and operations are also being advanced at the local iron ore properties."

Below is an enlargement from the original site plan showing the blast furnace plant.

Additional notes

• • Iron mine railroads of Northern New Jersey written by Larry Lowenthal is out of print but features more photographs of the Wharton furnaces.

  • The photographs here were loaned by Bob Zeke, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Dover NJ. Bill Trengove copied them from 1.5 x 3 in. prints.

  • The artists rendition of the Wharton furnaces was loaned by Ken Kramer - former employee of the Mount Hope Mine. It measures roughly 2ft x 4ft.

Railroads

The railroad passing to the north of the furnaces was the main line of the Delaware Lackawanna & Western RR., going from Hoboken to Buffalo.

The Highbridge branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey was built to serve the furnaces and terminated there.

The Wharton and Northern RR entered the town from the north on a high trestle at least a half mile long. It entered the works at the point marked "future storage bins" on the site map. This was at an elevation almost on a par with the stock bins.

The Mount Hope Mineral RR linked up with the CNJ right outside the works entrance and continued to haul iron ore out of nearby mines long after the furnaces shut down.

Water

The furnace reservoir received water from the overflow of the Morris canal. Just above the words "Morris Canal" on the site map can be seen the intake where the water passed underground to the reservoir. They also pumped water from the mines. The site of the reservoir was reclaimed and a glass plant built upon it.