Krupp

kroop, a German family of iron workers. Friedrich Krupp, the founder of the family, built up a small forge at Essen, Prussia, employing three men. He was a man of character and ingenuity. His son Alfred came into control of the works in 1848. He was the first in Germany to introduce the Bessemer steel process and the steam hammer. He made a fortune in the manufacture of iron for bridges, steel rails, cannon, and other heavy work. He built up an establishment employing 20,000 men. Friedrich Alfred Krupp, his son, who died in 1902, continued the work and became the wealthiest man in the German empire. He was the Andrew Carnegie of Germany. The firm is celebrated especially for the strength and accuracy of its cannon. The siege guns used at the siege of Paris in 1870-71 were Krupps. Rifles, car wheels, and armor plate are also specialties. The Krupps were true captains of industry. They coverted Essen from a village into a city. Their works, among the greatest in the world, cover 150 acres. The firm has bought up coal mines and iron mines. A shipyard at Kiel and engine shops at Berlin, as well as other iron works, have increased the facilities of the firm. A fleet of Krupp ships is used to carry material and place goods on the market. Essen, still the headquarters, is a modern town. Under the direct management of the firm, neatness and thrift are apparent everywhere. The younger Krupp built over 5,000 cottages, surrounding each by a garden and leasing on the most reasonable terms. He also established a hospital and an orphan asylum. By arrangement with the government, a fund, withheld partly from wages and drawn partly from the firm, is set aside for sickness and old age. An industrious, honest workman may rest assured that he and his will never lack a roof or want for the common comforts of life. Krupp wages have risen steadily from 32 cents a day in 1853 to $1.09 in 1903.