The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-07
IRON AND STEEL TRADE
CONDITION OF PITTSBURGH PLANTS
The Iron Buslass not up to Exp,e.llonl-uu,quAl
DlrISlon o, the Work-PuddIlus Furnaces
Working Double Turp, bat PInIsh-
Ing Departments not full.

PITTSBURGH, Pa, November 6.-The steel
and iron business at this time Of the yeal
is by no means beyond the expectations
Of manufacturers, but is much below what
1t should be. However, there is no imme'
diate depression, but rather general in.
crease from tire general outline given two
weeks ago, and seems not likely to fall of.
It is more likely, in fact, to continue to in-
prove during the coming winter. A re-
porter visited ten iron and steel mills in
the lower portion Of this city and
Allegheny, and spoke to several manutac:
turers in regard to trade. In this the chief
demand continues to be the skelp iron,
which takes the lead in the Pittsburgh
market. at present more than half OF
the mills turn out this quality.
La the first six months of this
year the finishing rolls at the Vesuvius
Iron Works turned out nothing but skelp
iron, and at present, outside OF the nail
business, it Ia the same. The next quality
in demand Is the heaviest supplies for roll
ing stock OF railroads. This branch Of the
trade is a growing one, and the facilities
for manufacturing such is being enlarged.
It Is branch Of the iron trade which ap-
parently, during the last few years has
taken very considerable OF the manulac.
turers' time. Railway supplies, excepting
heavy rails, are made in great many OF
the mills in this city, but the articles refer.
red to are confined to few mills only.
RAILROAD SUPPLIES,
The main one Of these is the Union
Mills OF Wilson, Walker & Co. A stroll
through the works Of Long & Co., at Nc
KEGS Rocks, showed that these supplies
were also made there. The first plant
seen in operation was a large. hammer
fnishing heavy axles. The mill is new
one, having sixteen pudding furnaces,
which are on double turn, making about
81 tons OF muck iron day. About 40
tons Of muck iron was the stock ahead and
none is shipped, which is very encourag-
ing TO the trade, the latter reported very good
with orders for six months ahead. The
lighter grades OF iron in come qualities
commanded fair share Of the general
business, but the majority Of 1t has too
much competition, like the nail and plate
iron trade. Some OF the manufacturers ot
light iron are doing very irregular share
& McCutcheon, in Allegheny, are working
every department single turn, making
about forty tons Of merchant iron day
and about forty-eight tons Of muck iron
Their stock OF muck iron now in the mill
Is not much below $500, which Is mort
than at aoy mill in this city.
HARDLY ENCOURAGING.
This is hardly an encouraging appear
ance for the trade, but the activity of thI
finishing department shows no immediate
cause for dullness in the business. Oh
tho opposite side Of the river at the work.
OF J. Painter Sons, 81 pudding furnaces ar,
worked double turn, making about 14I
tons OF muck bar, which is worked up int
merchant iron asfast as made. The stocl
ahead would not run the finishing roll
three days il any delays in the pudding
department would take place. The mer
chant product at both OF these mills Is abou
the same, being hoops Of all sizes, cottor
ties, bands, lock, hinge and horseshoe iron
At the steel works OF Phillips, Nimick 4
Co., two large new hammers are being pu
up. Some Of the finishing rolls are on
double turn. The Sligo and Clinton Iron
mills are very active. excepting the train
OF large plate rolls, which are idle, and the
puddlers are working sipgl4 turn at the
former, at the latter the puddlers are work.
ing double turn. At the iron works Of ]
W. Friend the forge department is still
idle, all that Is in operation is the one train
OF finishing rolls turning out steel plow
plates. The Pittsburgh Forge and Iron
Works at Woods Run is on single turn
puddlers making six heats.
OPERATING DOUBLE TURN.
The lower mill Of Oliver Bros. & Phillips
is operating tspuddling department double
turn, making about ninety tons Of muck
iron day, which Is all used as fast as 1t IL
made into merchant bar. The present
running Of the mill could not be expected
to be any better. This mill receives about
as much muck iron from other places as
any mill in the city. Recentlya portion ol
the Manchester Steel and Iron Works has
made muck and also finished iron for
Oliver Bros. & Phillips. This steel and
iron works Is operated scarcely half time.
The pudding forge contains thirty furnaces,
OF which half work single turn, six heats
on alternate weeks. The main product Il
structural beams for buildings and bridges.
at the otiie OF this works Mr.. Kloman was
questioned about the trade, to which he
replied: others Is enough to do, but no
money in iron," which is about the gist oil
tha oSn nyataat;nn from, a nnu1har NJ mann.