. American engineer . lehem, Pa., on Feliruary 13 at the age of 91. Mr. Fritz was born in Chester county. Pa.,on August 21, 1822. Hereceived his early edu-cation in a countryschool and became anapprentice in a black-smith shop in 1838. In1844 he went to a milltor rolling bar iron atCiiatesville, Pa., stillserving as an appren-lice. .After three monthsbe was made a mechanic,and three months laterhe was given charge ofthe industry as iron-master. In 1852 he wasassociated with a brotherand two brothers-in-lawin the establishment of asmall foundry and ma-chine shop at Catasan-qua. and two years la
. American engineer . lehem, Pa., on Feliruary 13 at the age of 91. Mr. Fritz was born in Chester county. Pa.,on August 21, 1822. Hereceived his early edu-cation in a countryschool and became anapprentice in a black-smith shop in 1838. In1844 he went to a milltor rolling bar iron atCiiatesville, Pa., stillserving as an appren-lice. .After three monthsbe was made a mechanic,and three months laterhe was given charge ofthe industry as iron-master. In 1852 he wasassociated with a brotherand two brothers-in-lawin the establishment of asmall foundry and ma-chine shop at Catasan-qua. and two years laterhe assisted in the construction of the Cambria Iron Works atJohnstown. In the same year he was made superintendent ofthat company. In 1860 he was called upon to design the plantof the Bethlehem Iron Company. He accepted, and when theplant was completed he was made superintendent and was there that he helped perfect the Bessemer process, whichwas introduced in 1864. He was one of the very first to recog-. John March, 1913. AMERICAN 167 nizc its sifinilicaiKX, and a larKc measure of its siiccess is due tohim. In 1886 Mr. Fritx Imilt for tlie_ Bethlehem company a plantfor the manufacture of armor plate, which was the first plantof its kind in this country. He introduced processes from Eng-land and France for the manufacture of this product. He re-signed his position as president of the Bethlehem Steel Companyin 1893 and retired from active business. Mr. IVitz was a vice-president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineersfrom 1882 to 1884, and was president in 1896. He had also beenpresident of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, andwas an honorary member of the American Society of Civil En-gineers. In 1893 he was awarded the Bessemer medal by theIron and Steel Institute of England, and in the same year waselected an honorary member of that institute, one of the great-est honors an engineer can receive. His eightieth birthday wascelebrated
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