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First U.S. Bessemer Steel Rails

    [p.412] The first Bessemer steel rails ever made in this country were rolled at the North Chicago rolling mill on th 24th of May, 1865, from ingots made at the experimental steel works at Wyandotte under the supervision of William F. Durfee, superintendent. The rolls with which the steel rails were rolled at the North Chicago rolling mill had been in use for rolling iron rails. The steel rails came out sound and well-shaped. Several of these rails were laid in the track of one of the railroads running out of Chicago and were still in use in 1875. The American Iron and Steel Association was in session in Chicago at the time, and several of its members witnessed the rolling of the rails.

    [p.413] The following letter from Mr. O. W. Potter, of Chicago, long president of the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company, written to Mr. William F. Durfee in 1865, two days after the rolling of the first American steel rails in that city, is of historical value and worthy of preservation.

    MY DEAR DURFEE: The meeting of the iron and steel men adjourned yesterday to meet in Cleveland the fourth Wednesday in August. I regret very much you could not have been here, particularly to see how well your steel behaved, and you must allow me to congratulate you upon its entire success, and I assure you I was but too proud for your sake that everything we had to do with it proved very successful. The hammer was altogether too light of course, and it took more time that it otherwise would to draw the ingot down, yet all the pieces worked beautifully, and we have made six good rails from the ingots sent over, and not one bad one in any respect. The piece you sent over forged is now lying in state at the Tremont House, and is a really beautiful rail, and has been presented to the Sanitary Fair by Captain Ward. We rolled three rails on Wednesday and three on Thursday. At the first rolling only your cousin and George Fritz were present; at the rolling yesterday were Senator Howe, of Wisconsin; B.F. Jones, of Pittsburgh; R.H. Lamborn, of Philadelphia; Mr. Phillips, of Cincinnati; Mr. Kennedy, of Cincinnati; Mr. May, of Milwaukee, and three ladies; Mr. Scofield, of Milwaukee; Mr. Fritz, of Johnstown; and Mr. Thomas, of Indianapolis, with four strangers. Everything went so well I really wanted you to see some of the good of your labors for so long a time and under such trying circumstances. You have done what you set out to do, and done it well, and I am glad to congratulate and rejoice with you, for I can appreciate your difficulties, and wanted you to hear some of the praises bestowed upon your labors as you richly deserve. I know this would make no sort of difference to you, yet we all have vanity enough (especially in such cases as this) to feel gratified at any little compliments we know we are entitled to, but I will not tire you with any more, as your cousin [the late Z.S. Durfee] can tell you all and more than I can write, but with kindest regards allow me to remain

                Yours Most Obt.        O.W. POTTER

                OFFICE OF THE CHICAGO ROLLING MILL, CHICAGO, MAY 26, 1865

    The first steel rails ever rolled in the United States upon order, in the way of regular business, were rolled by the Cambria Iron Company, at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in August, 1867, from ingots made at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and by the Spuyten Duyvil Rolling Mill Company, at Spuyten Duyvil, New York, early in September of that year, from ingots made at the Bessemer steel works at Troy, New York, then owned by Winslow & Griswold.

Excerpt from: History of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages: and particularly in the United States, by James Moore Swank, publ. The American Iron and Steel Association (1892) Chapter XLVI, "The Bessemer Process in the United States," pages 412-413. (source) Digitized by Google


    [p.102] The first Bessemer steel rails made in America were rolled at the North Chicago Rolling Mill on the 24th of May, 1865, from hammered blooms made at the Wyandotte Rolling Mill from ingots of steel made at experimental steel works at Wyandotte, Mich. The experimental steel works at Wyandotte were erected in 1864, and were the first works started in this country for conducting the pneumatic or Bessemer process. The rolls upon which the blooms were rolled at the North Chicago Rolling Mill were those which had been in use for rolling iron rails, and, though the reduction was much too rapid for steel, the rails came out sound and well shaped. The first steel rails rolled in the United States upon order, in the way of regular business, were rolled by the Cambria Iron Company at Johnstown, Pa., in August, 18671, from ingots made at the works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, at Harrisburg, Pa. Rails were rolled by the Spuyten Duyvil Rolling Mill Company, at Spuyten Duyvil, N.Y., early in September of that year, from ingots made at the Bessemer Steel Works, at Troy, N.Y., then owned by Messers. Winslow & Griswold, but these were on experimental orders, and not regular ones from any railway company2.
Pear-Headed Rail
Pear Headed Rail, Buffalo, Corning & N.Y. R. R., 1857.

    The early steel rails were rolled in mills which had been designed for iron rails. These were generally pear-headed in [p.103] order to prevent the side of the head from breaking down, and were therefore not adapted to fishing. The connections at the joints were very unsatisfactory, the design preventing the fish plate, or joint, from supporting the head3.

1. See paper on the Development of the American Rail and Track by J. Elfreth Watkins, Trans. Am. Soc. of Civil Engrs., April, 1890, Vol. XXII, p.228.
2. Private communication from Mr. Robt. W. Hunt.
3. The fish plate joint was composed of two straps of iron bolted to the rail. In the English rails two keys of iron were driven between the chairs and the rail and were called "fishes." The term evidently being derived from that used by sailors in "fishing" a joint.

Excerpt from Railway Maintenance Engineering: With Notes on Construction, by William Hamilton Sellew, Publ. D. Van Nostrand Company (1915), pages 102-3. Image is Figure 46 from page 104. (source) Digitized by Google


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