Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-08
The COKE TROUBLE.
How It Affects the iron Trade OF
Pittsburg.
What the Furnaces are DOING
Pig Metal.
The immense Quantity of 1t Bought
Outside.

PIrrsBURG, February 6.-The coke strike
has caused three of the blast furnaces IN
this city to be banked up, namely, the Chm
ton and the two Lucy furnaces, restricting
the output each day 45O tons. Others may
be banked if the. strike is prolonged. Those
that have their own coke ovens may con-
tinue. About ore-half will not experience
any trouble. The furnaces throughout the
Ohio and West Virginia districts will be
affected more than those in Allegheny
county. They will have to be banked
which will be q great loss to
Pittsburg. There is at no time
more than 1000 Ions Of pig iren made in
this county per day for the mills in this
city, while the net output of finished iron
is at least 22OO tons; including the pro
duct of the Edgar Thompson and Home
stead steel mills it will reach 5000 tons q
day, which was the run for every day IN
the last half of last year. These two
works consume all the metal made at
these five furnaces, which run about $50
tons a day and which is sometimes not
even enough. Besides these furnaces still
in blast is the Isabella No, 2, casting zoo
tons q day for the Etns Iron Works
of Suanp, Chslfant 4 Co., which consumes
65 tons, and j. Painter L Sons, who
use nearly $50 tous. The Carrie furnace
makes rs tons and is owned by the Lolsr,
Sable and Iron and Steel Companies. The
mills OF these three firms consume each
day about $50 tons of metal. One OF the
Shoenberger L Co. furnaces cast 10 tons,
all of which is used in the pudding torges
and steel melting furnace. The daily cast
of us tons from the two Eliza furnaces Is
consumed by the American Iron Works
This comprises the full supply from our
furnaces, leaving the following named
mills, most of which are
ON DOUBLE,
for which pig iron has to be furnished
from other places:
The Pittsburgh Forge and Iron Works,
10 tons; Vulcan Forge and Iron Works.
35 tons; Singer, Nimick 4 Co Go tons;
Star Rolling Mill, 65 tons; for the three
mills Of Oliver Bros. & Phillips and their
steel plant, nearly 800 tons; the Republic
mill, IS tons; Sligo mill about the same;
Elba Iron and Bolt Works, 20 tons; Ken
sington. 30 tons; Linden Steel Mill, 40
tone; La Belle Steel Mill, 80 tons; the
steel works of Hussey, Howe x Co, 70
tons; Crescent Steel Mill, so tons; Spsng
Steel and Iroa Works, Is tons; Black Dis-
mond Steel Works, l25 tons; Fort Pitt
Iron and Steel Mill, As tons; Vesuvius
Iron and Nail Works, 30 tons: Millvsle
Rolling Mill, IS tons. The Union iron
and forge mill and the great Union iron
mill, both of Carnegie, Phipps X Co con-
sumo aboat $50 tons Of metal a day, sup
piled from the two Lucy Furnaces. ,
The great Union has a stock OF metal
that may keep the puddlers en- double turn
for about four weeks. This and the I'M
mense stock Of muck iron, old rails, un-
finished steel and scrap iron will keep the
finishing departments on double tor nearly
two months. Besides these, there ia not a
mill in the city with a stock Of metal suti-
Gent for three weeks, while several carry
u stock that will supply them from one to
two weeks.
the STOCK OF PIG IRON
on hand is very small. The Soho and
Carrie Furnace Companies have all that Is
held by the Pittsburg pig iron producers,
The Isabella Furnace Company has about
500 tons, and all the others whose furnaces
IRE in blast have altogether about half the
amount. 1t is rumored upon good author
ity that A No. / mill iron has been
advanced since last Monday one dollar q
ton. There ia no doubt but that the prices
will advance, and if they do, it is likely
that the 5000 tons in Allegheny, held BY
George W. Case, will be put in the market
Besides this, there ia oyer 40 600 tons piled
I'D in the pards of the Union Storage
Company that may nov soon be bought
no. This sums up the top and bot
tom" of all the meat in and around this
ci,y. 1t would keep our mills going two
weeks. There has perhaps never been
time in which pig iron dealers at q dis
lance have disposed of their wares 80 real
liz as now. If the coke trouble remains
unsettled, there will be no trouble in sel!
ing from 1900 to ! ,5O0tons Of metal every
| dsy in this city. Our iron and steel manu-
facturers are viewing the coke trouble in .
philosophical way They say that there Il
no necessity for shutting down. All tia
they refuse to do is to pay any more TO
metal than they have been paying all along
Those that are compelled to buy mucI
keep lean stock, and have no immedIat
tear of a metal panic, as they say there l
plenty of pig iron in the country.