Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument

SalamanderThis 10-ton chunk of iron formed in the hearth area of the furnace. While there are a number of things that can cause the formation of a salamander this one was probably due to a failure in the masonry of the hearth which allowed molten iron to break through the side of the crucible. The deterioration of the firebricks from the heat and pressure of the molten iron is a possible cause. When this happened it caused a costly shut down so that the hearth could be rebuilt.
A salamander could also form on the side of the furnace stack if the ore and limestone were not properly loaded. In this case the salamander could clog one or more of the tuyeres and put the fire out by preventing air from getting into the furnace.
Since a salamander is a single large piece, it must be pulled out of the furnace in one piece as you see it here. Try to imagine doing the job with muscle power alone as it was done here. The combined efforts of a large force of men and oxen were probably required for the job. We do not know how often these failures occurred, but at least 13 salamanders like this one have been discovered at this site!

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  North Canaan, CT  |  Litchfield County  |  06024  |  Connecticut  |  United States of America

Birth of an Industry
What Is This Place?
Casting Arch & Furnace Hearth
Tuyere Arch
Samuel Forbes
East Canaan Veterans Monument
North Canaan
Joseph Deferari
North Canaan Veterans Monument
North Canaan Korean - World War II - Vietnam Veterans Monument

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.