Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-12
CREATING DISCORDS.
The Scarcity of Natural Gas Makes
Trouble.
SOME THREATS OF A STRIKE MADE.
WOrkmen Object Decidedly to Changing
Turns.
THE PHILADELPHIA COMPANY SHORT

The insuficiency of the supply of natural
gas to some of the mills within the city and
neighborhood is causing deal of dissatis-
faction all round.
The Philadelphia Company is no longer
able to keep up with the demand, and some
firms are looking for a supply elsewhere.
Shoenberger & Co. have been idle for the
past week while waiting for line to be run
into their works from the Equitable Com
pany's main, to which company the firm has
decided to change.
The managers Of Carnegie, Phipps q
Co. s Union Mills were notified by the Phil
adelphia Company on Saturday that for the
present the supply of gas between the hours
of o'clock in the morning and II o'clock
would be short, and in turn the puddlers
were informed of the fact They were told
that it would be necessary for the day pud-
dlers to start in at r. noon, and work until
$50, making five heats, to be followed by
the night turn, which would commence
charging at 10 o'clock and work until 6
A. NJ. To this scheme the men
DECIDEDLY OBJECT,
and have refused to work any longer
on the all night turn rule. They
suggested to the managers that they
should work six heats, or three heats in
each turn, which could be effected in 10 or
IL hours. The managers want the men to
work but five heats, and also require the
two turns to work week about. but the men
object to this arrangement also. They pre-
fer each turn to alternate every second day.
The loss in output to the firm is about 40
tons of iron each week, and the men claim
that they could make 80 heats if the man.
sgement would allow them to work "a heats,
as they suggested, but under the existing
rule each turn can make but 25 heats. A
committee of the men has been appointed to
consult with the firm in the premises.
The managers Of the Vesuvius mill,
Sharpsburg, asked their puddlers last week
to change the working hours for one week.
They agreed and commenced to work at
l o'clock P. NJ, each turn to make four
heats, but it was impossible to make eight
heats between that time and 6 o'clock next
morning. The puddlers went to work yes
terday morning at the usual time. It was
stated that the restriction on the output of
muck iron last week was equal to so TONS
In view of the continued scarcity of gas,
several of the. furnaces recently repaired
have been remodeled so that they can be
made ready for coal in few minutes.
GOING BACK TO FUEL GAS.
At the Pittsburg Forge and Iron Works
arrangements are being made for a return to
fuel gas in the finishing department.
The Pittsburg Tube Works, Soho, which
has been idle for the last two weeks, owing
to the insufficient supply of natural gas, re-
commenced work yesterday on half turn,
but during the day the supply became weak
and there is possibility of the mill having
to shut down again.
William Charles & Co., of Allegheny,
stopped four OF their nut furnaces, owing to
the shortage of gas, and laid off four of their
hands. The rest of the men wanted to d.
vide up the work so as to keep those laid off
in work, but the firm would not hear of it.
Subsequently the firm discharged all its
men.