Having attended many of the Cabin Fever Sundays at the Adirondack Museum, I recall it being said that the McIntyre blast furnace was fired only once but a firing (blast?) lasted for quite a long time. Is my memory flawed?
The McIntyre blast furnace was completed in 1854, and though it didn’t operate for long, just about two years, it wasn’t a one-and-done situation. Once these types of furnaces were fired up, they were designed to run continuously, 24/7, for weeks or even months at a time. Shutting them down wasn’t taken lightly; it usually happened only for maintenance, economic downturns, or environmental issues.
In this case, the end came early. Flooding, logistical problems, and the challenges of working with titanium-laced iron ore ultimately forced the operation to close in 1856. So while it’s technically true that the furnace may have only been lit once during its short life, that “blast” would have lasted through multiple cycles of production over the span of two years.
The idea that it was only fired a single time likely comes from how brief, and dramatic, its history was. But in reality, it did function more or less as intended… just not for long.
Having attended many of the Cabin Fever Sundays at the Adirondack Museum, I recall it being said that the McIntyre blast furnace was fired only once but a firing (blast?) lasted for quite a long time. Is my memory flawed?
The McIntyre blast furnace was completed in 1854, and though it didn’t operate for long, just about two years, it wasn’t a one-and-done situation. Once these types of furnaces were fired up, they were designed to run continuously, 24/7, for weeks or even months at a time. Shutting them down wasn’t taken lightly; it usually happened only for maintenance, economic downturns, or environmental issues.
In this case, the end came early. Flooding, logistical problems, and the challenges of working with titanium-laced iron ore ultimately forced the operation to close in 1856. So while it’s technically true that the furnace may have only been lit once during its short life, that “blast” would have lasted through multiple cycles of production over the span of two years.
The idea that it was only fired a single time likely comes from how brief, and dramatic, its history was. But in reality, it did function more or less as intended… just not for long.