Steel/Iron Works Accidents

Occupations and the like.

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Currie
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Post by Currie » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:22 am

Hello Lizzie,

I checked the US papers I can access, mainly NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post & Chicago daily Tribune but couldn’t find anything useful to add to what Bob has said.

A search in google books often brings up stuff that a normal google search will not. There’s a 1920 publication by the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland which has on page 426 what looks like the start of an obit that extends into page 427. It may be identical to the one you found but it’s only a snippet. It also includes “While on the other side of the Atlantic, Mr. Cunningham superintended the laying down and starting of the plant of the Middlesborough Iron and Steel Works”. If this is a different obit it’s often possible to tease out these snippets into something much bigger. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6U9 ... ham%22&dq=

There’s most of a section on Middlesborough in a limited preview of the Kentucky Encyclopedia, on page 634 if you can get that page in the preview and if your eyes can handle it.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=8eF ... &lpg=PA634

Here’s what Middlesborough looked like at the time.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=8VD ... oC&pg=PA15

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

LizzieS
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:02 am
Location: Inverness

Post by LizzieS » Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:59 pm

Hi Alan,

The pages from the two books make interesting reading, thankyou.

The orbit. in the publication of the Engineers & Shipbuilders is interesting. I am only able to see the little there was on page 246 and that tells me more than the orbit I found in the Glasgow Herald as it mentions his early years. The part you quote re "while on the other side of the Atlantic...." is in the orbit. I have. Is it possible for me to be able to see the whole article?

He seems to have been a member of a number of Institutions so I guess there maybe more orbits in other publications :!:

Thanks yet again.

Lizzie

Currie
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Post by Currie » Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:03 am

Hello Lizzie,

It’s a matter of searching within the book or within google books for terms around the edges of the bits that you can see or have worked out and hoping to get extra bits in the search results or to break into a new snippet. There’s a page break in this one which wouldn’t help. If you want to post the exact wording of the Herald Obit or send it to me there may be bits in that which could help to unlock other text or snippets although it’s possible that may not work at all. I seem to be bogged down at this point at the following:

Page 426
Peter Nisbet Cunningham was born at Coatbridge on 3rd September, 1853, and received his early education at the Free Church School, Coatbridge. Later, he studied under Dr. Ross at ………

Page 427
…….. open-hearth steel process. He acted as manager of the Blochairn Works of the Steel Company of Scotland for many years, and afterwards proceeded to the United States to study the process of manufacture there. While on the other side of the Atlantic, Mr. Cunningham superintended the laying down and starting of the plant of the Middlesborough Iron and Steel Works in Kentucky. On returning to this country he was appointed general manager of Messrs. Stewarts & Lloyds’ Clydesdale Steel Works at Mossend where he remained for ……..

Some editions have been digitised by the Internet Archive or are for sale at various places but I can’t see anything for this edition. There must be a good chance one of the Scottish Libraries has a copy. The organisation is still in existence at http://www.iesis.org/

Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland
By Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland
Published by The Institution, 1920
Item notes: v.63 1919/1920

All the best,
Alan

LizzieS
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:02 am
Location: Inverness

Post by LizzieS » Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:17 pm

Hi Alan,

The following is the full text I have from the Glasgow Herald. As you can see the bit about "across the atlantic" is the same but it starts off very differently. I'm really intrigued as to what the rest of the first sentence says, though whether this will help find it I'm not sure.


"The death is announced at Northcote, Uddingston West of Mr P N Cunningham general manager of the Clydsdale Works at Mossend of Messrs Stewarts and Lloyds (Limited). Mr Cunningham who had been in failing health for some time, was an engineer of outstanding ability and as a steel works manager he ranked high in his profession. He was the pioneer of the successful introduction and development in this country of the basic open-hearth steel process. He acted as the manager of Brochairn Works of the Steel Company of Scotland for many years and afterwards proceeded to America to study the process of manufacture there. While on the other side of the Atlantic Mr Cunningham superintended the laying down and starting of the Middlesborough Iron and Steel Works in Kentucky. On returning to this country he was appointed general manager of the Clydesdale Steel Works at Mossend where he remained for over 24 years.
Mr Cunningham was a past president of the West of Scotland Branch of the Iron & Steel Institute, a member of the international Iron & Steel Institute, a member of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland and Vice President during the war and a member of the committee on Chemistry and Metallurgy of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow.
Mr Cunningham was also associated with the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration for the steel trade in the West of Scotland in which his persuasive counsel had a good influence. He was 67 years of age and is survived by four sons and two daughters."

Regards
Lizzie

Currie
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Location: Australia

Post by Currie » Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:31 am

Hello Lizzie,

There was enough there to break down the wall.

Page 426 and 427
Peter Nisbet Cunningham was born at Coatbridge on 3rd September, 1853, and received his early education at the Free Church School, Coatbridge. Later, he studied under Dr. Ross at Gartsherrie Academy. After serving his apprenticeship as an engineer with Messrs. Dick and Stevenson, of Airdrie, he occupied an important position with Messrs. Miller & Co., Vulcan Iron Works. He was intimately associated with the steel industry almost throughout his career, and was the pioneer of the successful introduction and development in this country of the basic open-hearth steel process. He acted as manager of the Blochairn Works of the Steel Company of Scotland for many years, and afterwards proceeded to the United States to study the process of manufacture there. While on the other side of the Atlantic, Mr. Cunningham superintended the laying down and starting of the plant of the Middlesborough Iron and Steel Works in Kentucky. On returning to this country he was appointed general manager of Messrs. Stewarts & Lloyds’ Clydesdale Steel Works at Mossend where he remained for over 24 years.
Mr. Cunningham, who had been in failing health for some time, died at Uddingston on 17th August 1920. He was a prominent figure, and to a forceful personality he added a largeness of heart and depth of feeling which found an outlet in any movement for the amelioration of the workers.
He was a past president of the West of Scotland Iron and Steel Institute and a member of the Committee on Chemistry and Metallurgy of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. He served on the Council of the Institution from 1911-1919, and during the last five years of that period was a Vice-President.
Mr. Cunningham joined the Institution as a Member in 1884.

That appears to be about all there is as far as I can tell. It seems to cover most of the ground of the other one except that it doesn’t mention his age or his family.

To see some of the snippets and strings of text try these searches in Google Books http://www.google.com.au/books?hl=en

"largeness of heart""amelioration"
“Institute and a member””Cunningham”
“Gartsherrie Academy””messrs dick”
“president of the west""committee on chemistry"
“1911-1919""cunningham joined"
“steel process""works of the steel"

All the best,
Alan

LizzieS
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:02 am
Location: Inverness

Post by LizzieS » Tue Jan 27, 2009 4:24 pm

Hi Alan,

Thank you so much for all the time and trouble you have taken over this.

I did try searching in the publication using various words in the orbit I had and found some of it but couldn't get the piece about this early years. What you have sent is great and I imagine thats the whole article. I guess they wouldn't put in his age and about his family in a technical publication

Regards

Lizzie

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Post by Currie » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:38 am

That’s okay Lizzie, only too pleased I could help. It was a very interesting exercise.

All the best,
Alan

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