Bethlehem Steel Furnace ‘C’ or No 3
This is an old shot of the furnace taken in 2007. I don’t think much had changed until the start of construction of the Beth Sands Casino. Since then there has been a substantial amount of demolition take place at the site. This is what it looked like prior to Beth Sands Corporation taking over the site for it’s gambling casino construction for future operations.
This shot of the furnace shows the interior with available light. You can see the furnace at the back of the shot. The interior is about 6 storeys high to the peak of the girders and the base is about 80 – 90 feet across. The floor is poured concrete and channels are visible on the right frame where the iron would flow to the submarine style carriers. On the floor in front of the furnace is a slag like by product of the smelting process. Slightly visible are walkways around the circumference of the furnace at intervals moving up the furnace. The total furnace height is not visible from this vantage point and is substantially greater than what is seen here.
There has been much said about the casino proposal both for and against. The spirit of this once proud steel town is feeling the compromise between tradition and a strong work value to one of looking for gainful employment in a totally new but foreign industry. Time will tell how well this works.
Location :Bethlehem PA
Equipment : well seasoned 135 and 120 cameras
Film: 400 ISO Tmax 120