Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-21
mary snesian quoted at s22
DECREASE IN SHIPMENTS.
The Volume of Coke Business Much Less
Than Last Week-Hope of Ending the
Car Famine-Operators Doing Business
in a Conservative Manner.


Than Last week-Hope of Ending the
Car Famine-Operators Doing Business
in a Conservative Manner.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPA7cH.l
SCoTTDALE, November 20.-An improvement
was reported in transportation the past week,
but, for reasons accounted for only in the car
famine. there was wide decline in the volume
of business transacted. A feeling of confidence
was seemingly prevalent in coke circles, but
late developments have no doubt caused many
deviatious from well-laid plans. A few opera
tors, however, still maintain the opinion that
transportation will be restored to
regular condition, and produce laud-
able argument for their belief. They say that
the lake coal trade will soon be over, and the
immense shipping equipments utilized for that
market will then be diverted to the coke region.
Operators are transacting business in a con-
servative manner. They exercise judgment
perative wants, at the same time considering
the state of transportation. OF course the
market is irregular, but the causes are at
trihuted solely to the car famine.
Railroad companies are working energetical
ly to drive away this famine. They have no
apprehensions and seem to possess evidence
that the Improvement is already in sight. Some
of the largest coke companies have notified the
labor organization that as medium of relief
during the car troubles they Will adopt the
plan of making 96-hour coke, which will throw
will enable the coke firms to keep all their
ovens in blast and serve as a preventive to the
accumulation of coke, since the number OF
cars given them is arranged according to the
active ovens. Coke is at present being piled on
yards because of no cars. The demand is char
acteriZed by the usual activity, although
shipments fell away behind the past week. The
works continue to operate six days per. week.
A few companies, however, are still observing
the one day per week shutdown. There are no
deviations from the quoted prices. An increase
or reduction is not believed to be under con-
new wage agreement is formulated that Ques-
tion will be considered.
The inactive ovens in the region number
nearly LOO. The fire has not yet been extin-
guiShed in the Charlotte mine here.
The Mahoning plant of Isaac Taylor,
which has flooded the entire mine. cannot
be gotten out. The idle number of ovens in
the region is indeed small when compared with
the list of actives, which is over 1850. New
ovens are being completed at the Lamont
plants. The fire is still burning in the Hill
Farm mine.
Shipments the past week bear an ungratify-
ing contrast when the comparison is made with
the previous week. Shipments only averaged
954 cars per day, against i, l42 of the week be-
fore. The decrease for the week was i, l30 cars.
Following is the record of consignments of
cars to Pittsburg and river points, 40 cars; to
points east of Pittsburg, LOCO cars: total. 5,720
cars. This was the record of the previous week:
To points west of Pittsburg, 1910 cars; to Pitts
burg and river points $50 car; topoints east of
Pittsburg. 90 cars; total, $3.50 cars. Prices
are the same, as follows: Furnace coke, 81 10;
foundry 81 45; crushed So s.; all I. b. cars at
ovens per ton of 1000 pounds. Freight rates
from the region to points of consumption are
as follows: