James Peter Allaire | Calicia Allaire Tompkins | Hal Allaire | Arthur Brisbane | The Huguenots | John Roach | Rev. Thomas Tanser | Rev. George W. Doanne | Allaire Family Cemetery
JOHN ROACH - "shipbuilder, was an historic figure and has left the impress of an elevated character and extraordinary powers of mind upon the thought and history of the nation. He was born in Mitchellstown in County Cork, Ireland, Dec. 25, 1813, and traced his early ancestry to gentle blood. His father, once a prosperous merchant, had been financially ruined by endorsing for friends; and so great was the adversity, which this disaster brought upon the family, that John Roach, the son, was denied the advantage of even a fairly good education. With a meager equipment of book knowledge, the lad came to the United States at the age of fifteen, in the steerage of a sailing ship, landing in New York to find himself unknown, without friends, without capital, in the crowds and rush of a great city. The sturdy Irish lad, who thus made his modest entrance into the metropolis, was destined, however, to become an eminent, patriotic, and remarkable citizen of the new world, and, by his genius and indefatigable [p.542] exertions, to bestow a prestige upon the flag of his adopted country at sea, conferred during the prime of his life by few, if any, of the descendants of the oldest families of the country.
His first employment was in The Howell Iron Works in the woods of Monmouth county, New Jersey, then owned by James P. Allaire. He dwelt in the quaint little village, which had grown up around that furnace and foundry, accepted such work as he could do, learned the iron worker's trade and spent his nights in diligent study. He was noted then, as always in after life, for his overflowing energy, his honesty, good nature and strictly temperate, almost abstemious, habits. He was saving and placed all that he could spare of his wages in the keeping of Mr. Allaire, with whom he remained for ten years. Then, affected by the Western excitement, he made his way to Illinois to explore the possibilities of that region. Drawing a few hundred dollars of his money from Mr. Allaire, he purchased a farm where the city of Peoria now stands and made a payment upon it. Sending East for the balance of his money, he then learned that Mr. Allaire had failed. Mr. Roach thus lost every dollar he had in the world, including what he had paid on the farm, and was obliged to work his way back to New York, having no money to pay his fare. It may be said here that while he failed in his first attempt to become a farmer, he succeeded in later life and became the owner of ten or more farms in Westchester county and along the Hudson river.
Upon his return from the West, too sturdy to be discouraged, Mr. Roach then, in association with other mechanics, started what was practically a co-operative foundry on Goerck street in this city. It was a business which involved competition with well established rivals but was pushed with energy and was successful. Machine work and boiler making were in due time added to the foundry; and, through Mr. Roach's incessant activity, his ingenious management, honesty and excellence of his workmanship, The Ætna Works began to make an enviable reputation. At this juncture, their boiler exploded. Overwhelmed with the disaster, most of his partners withdrew. Mr. Roach was left alone. His ability and integrity enabling him to borrow capital, he resumed the business and soon created a large, profitable and increasing industry. It was he, who, in 1860, obtained the contract for and then constructed the bridge over the Harlem river at Third avenue, only recently removed. A massive iron drawbridge, it was one of the most important works of its class at the time, and its strength and perfect working during its thirty-three years of existence afforded conclusive evidence of painstaking and thorough workmanship.
At the end of the Civil War, Mr. Roach was in possession of a flourishing business. His mind, ever busy with the opportunities of his industry, strongly inclined to large and important affairs, was then considering the condition of the American mercantile marine. He was especially struck with the predominance of the British flag among the shipping of this great American port, and came ardently to desire the restoration of the American merchant marine to its once proud position in the trade to Europe. Inspired by the thought of playing a part in securing for American ships a share of the enormous foreign commerce of the United States, he began the realization of his plans in 1868 by buying The Morgan Iron Works and thereafter The Neptune Works, The Allaire Works, and The Franklin Forge, all in New York city, some of them devoted to marine engine building. They were all consolidated under the name of The Morgan Iron Works.[p.543]
During this period, he was investigating minutely and carefully the methods of iron ship building on the Clyde. In 1871, he purchased the ship yard of Reaney, Son & Archbold at Chester, Pa., and engaged in, iron ship building. Mr. Roach then entered upon that career of intrepid effort and inspiring achievement, which has made his work forever a part of our country's history. In February, 1872, the yard took the name of The Delaware River Iron Ship Building & Engine Works.
His first iron vessels were built for the coasting trade, and later he launched many large and costly steamers for the service to foreign ports. It was characteristic of a man who did nothing haphazard, that every ship he built was the product of previous thorough investigation and careful reflection. If a steamer were for the trade to a shoal water harbor on the Southern coast, or for Long Island Sound, or for a transoceanic line, the exact practical depth of water, the distance from port to port, the nature of the traffic, the tonnage and bulk of the cargo, and every other conceivable fact which would govern the shape and speed of that particular vessel was previously ascertained; and the ship was designed and built for its own especial service. As a consequence, his ships were successful; and with growing experience, he produced successively better and better vessels, until his reputation as a builder was securely established. Large contracts were awarded to Mr. Roach by the Federal government as well as by the various American steamship lines. In the nearly twelve years of his active work, he launched from his yards 126 steam and war ships.
As orders came to Mr. Roach's yard, he enlarged his works until they covered a space of twenty-three acres, were superbly equipped, employed more than 2,000 men, and represented an investment of about $3,000,000. His sons as they successively reached their majority became assistants of their father in the business. Another exceedingly valuable coadjutor of Mr. Roach was his confidential practical man of affairs, Mr. George E. Weed, who became associated with him in 1861. Mr. Weed's ability, coolness, clear judgment and untiring energy led to his promotion to the practical management of The Morgan Iron Works and he remains to this day one of the most valued officials of the company.
During all this period, Mr. Roach was active with voice, pen and personal influence, in awakening a public opinion, favorable to the establishment of American steamship lines to foreign lands. He was the author of many pamphlets of great value, made several important addresses, promoted the holding of conventions, and pressed his views strongly on public men, with many of the most distinguished of whom he had an intimate acquaintance. It may be said here, that to the end of his life, Mr. Roach felt keenly the lack of some of those details in a finished education, which can only be supplied by the schools; but, in a strange way, nature had made up for the deficiencies of his formal training by endowing him with a mind, strong, penetrating and original, and with a rare ability to array facts in an orderly grouping, to comprehend their broad bearings, and to utilize them so as to awaken the interest of others. Having learned early in life to think and act for himself, his active mind was continually presenting to his contemplation new, fresh and vigorous ideas. It was impossible to converse with Mr. Roach for an hour, without being powerfully impressed with the nobility of character inherited from some gentle ancestor, the fertility of mind, the greatness of the man and his absolute loyalty to the flag of his adopted country. In the long and hard fight for recognition of the American mercantile marine by the American people [p.544] and their Congress, upon which he entered in 1871, he became the most influential, most active and most highly respected authority on this subject in America.
Mr. Roach did not live to realize his ambition to found a line of splendid steamers to ply between New York and Liverpool, but he did aid the establishment of various lines of American steamships, which carried the American flag to Brazilian and other foreign ports. At his death, ninety per cent. of the American steamers in the foreign trade of the United States had been built by him.
Of the occurrences of the three years preceding his death, it is difficult to speak with moderation. Mr. Roach had long been a Republican, a consistent advocate of Protection to American labour, and the author of "An Unanswerable Argument" in defense of that policy (which remains unanswered to this day) and had often subscribed generously to Republican campaign funds. In 1884, a Democratic President and Cabinet, then newly installed in Washington, immediately entered upon a policy apparently designed to crush that brave, true and able patriot, John Roach. He had built the beautiful dispatch boat, the Dolphin, for the navy. A partisan Secretary of the Navy refused to accept this ship, alleging "structural weakness," withheld payment of large sums of money due, made war upon Mr. Roach, and compelled him to assign and close his works. There was never a particle of structural weakness in the Dolphin. She proved her strength and sea-going qualities triumphantly upon many trials, and, when too late, was duly accepted. But, meanwhile, the heart of John Roach had been broken by the closing of his works. His depression of mind developed a fatal malady and he died Jan. 10, 1887. The cruelty shown to him, although since repented of, will never be forgotten by the American people.
Mr. Roach was married, in 1836, to Emeline Johnson and the union brought them nine children, William H. Roach, now deceased; John B. Roach; Sarah E. Roach; Garrett Roach, now deceased; Garrett Roach, 2d, now deceased; James E. Roach, deceased; Stephen W. Roach, deceased; Stephen W. Roach, 2d, and Emeline Roach. His sons, with George E. Weed, now conduct the business which he established." - 4