John Henry Croskey dead, invented insulator machine

JOHN HENRY CROSKEY DEAD.

John H. Croskey, aged 66 years, well known in the glass trade through his connection with various patents for the manufacture of glass of different kinds, died suddenly at his residence, 459 Atlantic avenue, East End, Pittsburg, on Wednesday afternoon of this week at 2:30 o'clock. of neuralgia of the heart. Mr. Croskey had been ailing for a week or ten days, but no serious result was anticipated, death coming as a shock to his family and friends. Originally Mr. Croskey was identified with the machine shop of the Jones & Laughlin Iron & Steel Co., later being engaged at the Ripley glass factory on the South Side, where he had charge of the mold-making department. He was a splendid mechanic and during his career invented a number of appliances for the economical production of glassware, such as tumblers and like articles. He, in connection with Joseph Locke, who is now operating a high grade glass engraving shop in Mt. Oliver, this city, were the patentees of a method of making wire glass, the wire netting being covered with asbestos for the utilization of which invention the Besto Glass Works were erected at Latrobe, but shortly after the factory started Messrs. Locke and Croskey disposed of their interest and at a later date the factory passed into the hands of the Mississippi Glass Co., by which concern it is now being operated. During the past two years Mr. Croskey has been devoting his time to a contrivance for manufacturing insulators, work being conducted at the experimental plant of the H. L. Dixon Co., in Carnegie, Pa. This invention many believed would revolutionize the manufacture of insulators, but, as is often the case, it failed to come up to expectations and the experimental plant was closed about a month ago. The machine, which it was intended to utilize for the manufacture of insulators, it is believed can be turned to account in factories producing tumblers and jellies, and to that purpose it will doubtless be put. Mr. Croskey was always a hard working man and a splendid citizen, His death will be regretted by a host of friends. He is survived by his wife and one daughter, the wife of Wm. M. Bell, who, with her husband, resided at the home of her parents.