Show WILLIAM J SILVER william J silver of salt lake one of the pioneers of utah passed away on monday november 6 at the ripe old age of 86 years his death being caused by general debility the deceased was a native of london england but has been a resident of salt lake for fifty nine years during which time he has witnessed the growth of this city from a mere village to a metropolis of importance and in this growth he has been largely instrumental for he was a producer and builder and at least one great iron and steel manufacturing establishment in salt lake is the outgrowth of his humble efforts performed under great difficulties more than forty years ago nearly all his life mr silver has been interested in iron and steel use and fabrication and was in all probability among the first to build and operate a foundry in this city the plant was a small one in the beginning but as the years came and went the enterprise gained foothold until an organization was perfected known as the silver bros iron works managed by his sons the personnel of the management including john A silver president hyrum A silver vice president and joseph A silver secretary treasurer and manager the plant had now attained large proportions and at the time of its transfer to the salt lake iron steel company was fully equipped for the handling handlin g of almost every requirement in its line and was a credit to salt lake and the west the career of william J silver was a most interesting one and his mem memory ory will be long remembered and revered in his way he was an empire builder and monuments to his ability enterprise and loyalty to his home town can be found in hundreds of fine structures which grace our streets and in almost every walk of industrial life he met difficulties with a resolute and undaunted spirit and overcame them and yet withal he was of a quiet and unassuming nature respected and beloved by all who knew him mr silver built the first steam engine ever used in utah this was in november 1868 at the time facilities for such a task west of the rocky mountains were limited gray iron was practically unobtainable while brass could be obtained in limited quantities only and while the casting of this engine was of brass no unnecessary amount of copper was used for the making of the castings mr silver paid a dollar a pound furnishing the material himself which cost twenty five cents a pound As a result he was enabled of furnishing his own copper saving as the to make a considerable at that time was price of brass castings pound so far as possible the engine was per made of wrought iron the material for iron taken from which was obtained from broken down wagons the base plate was composed of flat plates bolted together these plates being made from the tires of old wagons the bolts were made from old log chain links the frame connecting rod main shaft and other forgings forg ings were forged from old wagon irons for a flywheel mr silver was fortunate in obtaining a gear which had been part of a threshing machine and this gear was used for this purpose without tearing off the teeth grey iron being ng altogether too valuable a material to waste for mere looks alongside the flywheel was a wooden belt pulley the engine had a 3 by 7 inch cylinder and mr silver received for it it was built to drive woodworking wood working machinery mr silver also constructed the first steamboat to be used on the great salt lake it was built for general conner then in charge of ft douglas and was named the kate connor it was a flat bottomed scow with pointed ends it was ninety feet in length by thirty feet wide the machinery for this boat was supplied by mr silver although he did not build the engine for this equipment a crank and flywheel steam pump was obtained and by disconnecting the water end and gearing the pump pum p to the paddle wheel shaft it was made to drive the boat the pump had no globe valve and such a thing could not be obtained in the then territory of utah eventually a two inch plug cock was found and this was made to serve the purpose of a throttle the boat was used on the lake for several years and gave excellent service not long after the first engine was built by mr silver the first merchant iron was brought into salt lake consisting of halt half a dozen ag inch round bars mr air silver immediately purchased all of this iron at 25 cents a pound his first vice cost him 65 the above seemingly runs into ancient history but is interesting as showing what this pioneer machinist was obliged to contend with in the early days and also to show the successes which eventually crowned his untiring efforts the sympathy of the mining review is extended to his bereaved family his sons and grandchildren all of and daughters t el whom can well take pride in the enviable record he has made and in the good name he left behind him when going to his final reward |