Today in Wheeling History: October 11—Washington Rumble of Wheeling receives U.S. Patent No. 248,059 for an improved furnace design (1881).
George Washington Rumble, born in 1819 near Morgantown, West Virginia, became one of Wheeling's most respected industrialists and civic leaders. After learning the brick mason trade with Mr. Fretwell, Rumble married Mary D. Dunlop in 1848 and settled in Wheeling, where he established himself as a prominent manufacturer and dealer in pressed stock, common brick, and fire brick. His business, Washington Rumble (Firm), operated from his office and residence at 2111 Eoff Street in Centre Wheeling.
On October 11, 1881, Rumble received U.S. Patent No. 248,059 for improvements in heating and puddling furnaces used in iron manufacturing. His innovative design utilized waste heat from furnace walls through an intricate system of air-heating flues and passages, which preheated fresh air before combining it with combustion gases. This increased furnace efficiency and reduced smoke, addressing a significant industrial concern of the era. Rumble's hollow-wall construction also prevented rapid deterioration of the furnace structure.
Beyond his industrial achievements, Rumble contributed significantly to Wheeling's development, helping construct Old Bethany College and building the first puddling furnace in Wheeling. He also helped establish the old Point and Washington mills. Rumble served multiple terms on Wheeling's City Council as a member of the First Branch from the Sixth Ward. Tragically, in April 1890, at age seventy-one, Rumble fell from a ladder while working on a South Side residence, suffering fatal head injuries. He died shortly before noon on April 8, 1890. His funeral, held April 10, was attended by fellow council members, police honor guard, the bricklayers' organization, and numerous trade union representatives. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, leaving behind his wife, four sons, and one daughter.
To learn more: Google Patents - Heating and Puddling Furnace (https://tinyurl.com/47hd8dhv), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2m6myw2t), University of Alabama - Invoice from Washington Rumble (https://tinyurl.com/ywsbwtdr), Wheeling Daily Register - A serious accident (https://tinyurl.com/566wsama), Wheeling Daily Register - Small Talk (https://tinyurl.com/4zszmr8m), Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - Funeral of G. W. Rumble (https://tinyurl.com/53suvrfw), Wheeling Daily Register - Death of an old citizen (https://tinyurl.com/j2f7bkcr), Specifications and Drawing of Patents Issued from the U.S.Patent Office (https://tinyurl.com/2n6kcer9)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Find a Grave, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wheeling Daily Register
George Washington Rumble, born in 1819 near Morgantown, West Virginia, became one of Wheeling's most respected industrialists and civic leaders. After learning the brick mason trade with Mr. Fretwell, Rumble married Mary D. Dunlop in 1848 and settled in Wheeling, where he established himself as a prominent manufacturer and dealer in pressed stock, common brick, and fire brick. His business, Washington Rumble (Firm), operated from his office and residence at 2111 Eoff Street in Centre Wheeling.
On October 11, 1881, Rumble received U.S. Patent No. 248,059 for improvements in heating and puddling furnaces used in iron manufacturing. His innovative design utilized waste heat from furnace walls through an intricate system of air-heating flues and passages, which preheated fresh air before combining it with combustion gases. This increased furnace efficiency and reduced smoke, addressing a significant industrial concern of the era. Rumble's hollow-wall construction also prevented rapid deterioration of the furnace structure.
Beyond his industrial achievements, Rumble contributed significantly to Wheeling's development, helping construct Old Bethany College and building the first puddling furnace in Wheeling. He also helped establish the old Point and Washington mills. Rumble served multiple terms on Wheeling's City Council as a member of the First Branch from the Sixth Ward. Tragically, in April 1890, at age seventy-one, Rumble fell from a ladder while working on a South Side residence, suffering fatal head injuries. He died shortly before noon on April 8, 1890. His funeral, held April 10, was attended by fellow council members, police honor guard, the bricklayers' organization, and numerous trade union representatives. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, leaving behind his wife, four sons, and one daughter.
To learn more: Google Patents - Heating and Puddling Furnace (https://tinyurl.com/47hd8dhv), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2m6myw2t), University of Alabama - Invoice from Washington Rumble (https://tinyurl.com/ywsbwtdr), Wheeling Daily Register - A serious accident (https://tinyurl.com/566wsama), Wheeling Daily Register - Small Talk (https://tinyurl.com/4zszmr8m), Wheeling Daily Intelligencer - Funeral of G. W. Rumble (https://tinyurl.com/53suvrfw), Wheeling Daily Register - Death of an old citizen (https://tinyurl.com/j2f7bkcr), Specifications and Drawing of Patents Issued from the U.S.Patent Office (https://tinyurl.com/2n6kcer9)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Find a Grave, Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wheeling Daily Register
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