Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-02

which was augmented considerably In 1867
and 1888 by the commencement 10 utliiIe
natural gas largely in these sections. Later,
say from 1884 and up TO the present, there
has been a very large development OF the
natural gas industry around Pittsburg, ana
also through Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
Through this time the wrought iron pipe
trade received a wonderful impetus, ana
large number of new mills were erected 10
supply the increased demand, and the OLD
ones added to their capacities.
NEW MILLS IN TEN YEARS.
"Ihe new mills erected since 1880 are:
The American Tube and Iron Company at
Youngstown, o.; Oil City Tube Company;
Paige Tube Company, Warren, o.; River
side Iron Works, Wheeling; Tyler Tnoe
Company, Boston; PitIsburg Tube "orksi
Continental Tube Works, and the Dug uesne
Tube Works. The daily capacity OF the
mills OF the United States is now about z,VVV
tons, and the demand at times mas oeen SO
active as to tax their capacities. Just now
there is barely enough demand TO Keep tne
mills comfortably filled, and the present
average output could be largely aug
mented. The greatest amount OF the In,
creased demand is due to natural gas, ana
from the present outlook the wrought iron
pipe manufacturers will secure large busl-
ness through the same channel for years to
come.
"There have been millions of dollars
invested in oil lines during the past ten
wears. The largest continuous lines OF
wrought iron pipe in the world are the two
si1-inch lines of the Standard Oil Company
running from Olean, n. Y. to Bayonne, N
j., distance of over $50 miles and the
eight-inch line from Lima, O., to Chicago.
which is estimated to have cost 81 800, 900. !"
Jacob Painter, Jr., of j. Painter q Sons
Co., regarded the subject of too much mag
nitude to attempt detailed expression.
The iron business has increased enormously.
Mr.. Painter said: "The prospect for the
present year is not good just now, owing 10
an advance in metal without q proportlonate
advance in manufactured iron. Compar-
ing a period OF five years with any other
similar period, 1 do not think there is very
much variation in the industry except the
natural increase occasioned by propor-
tionately increased demand. A few years
ago when steel took the place of iron In
many instances, the iron industry was tenn
porarily crippled, but 1t is recovering again
and is now on an onward march"
JUST ABOUT DOUBLED.
e. NJ. Byers, of A. NJ. Byers & Co., said
the iron dDOub uOuDlcu W1Lulu
the past 10 years. The consumption of pig
iron alone was z, ,74S, ,817 tons last year, while
it was only 3.409. .211 in 1879, But it was
also nearly doubled in the previous decade.
and more than doubled in the decade
beginning with 1859, when it was only
827 ,609 tons. 1t is because the American
manufacturer has been 80 encouraged that
he is able to furnish structural iron and ma
terials of all kinds for buildings that the
consumption has so greatly increased. Out
Of the entire increase in consumption per
capita during the last 30 years, which has
been 200 pounds per capita, about 40
pounds, or nearly seven-eighths, has been
neither in rails, domestic or foreign, nor in
other forms of manufactured iron and steel
imported, but in forms other than rails.
A. Garrison, of the A. Garrison Foundry
Company, has watched the development OF
the foundry business very closely for the
past 80 or 40 years, and at no time has the
industry increased as it has in the decade
just closed. OF course, as the iron industry
increases, the demand for mill supplies
must increase, and in proportion to the ad-
vance in the manufacture of iron and steel,
has the foundry business increased.
The coal industry has grown to an enor-
nous extent, according to Mr.. Alex
Dempster, agent for the Pittsburg
Coal Company. The output of anthra-
cite and bituminous coal in Pennsyl-
vania alone has increased at the rate of
nearly 5000. 900 tons annually. In 1886 the
output of anthracite was 80, 1856 362 tons
and that of bituminous was q, 900, 900. In
1888 the anthracite amounted to 38, 1000, 900
while the bituminous output reached
g, 900, 900. Besides this there is a vast
amount of supply coal that never gets into
the returns. Pittsburg has the largest
bituminous coal market in the United
States, and among the largest in the world.
GROWTH OF THE GLASS INDUsTRs
The glass industry has advanced in two
ways. The capacity for production, accord
ing to the statement Of T. O'Leary, Jr., of
O'Leary Bros. has been more than doubled
and the standard of quality has been raised
on an equal, if not superior plane with the
French production. Mr.. O'Leary said:
"There have not been so many new glass
houses built in Pittsburg during the last
ten years, but several additions have been
made to those already up, and taking the
country at large the business, am sure, has
more than doubled ITSELF Cunningham &
Co., Linn, Wolfe, Howard & Co., O'Leary
Bros & Co., r. C. Schmertz and Ihmsen &
Co., have all increased their capacity, and
s. Mckee & Co converted their bottle
house into window house. That is about
the extent of the increased capacity belong
ing distinctively to Pittsburg. Of course
the big plate glass works at Tarentum,
jeanette and Ford City have all been
erected in the last decade, and there have
been many improvements in the way
of manufacturing. The abandonment of
cars in lears and the introduction of rod
lears has been great advantage both to the
manufacturer and the laborers. The work
men make more money in this district than
in any other in the United States. 1t is due
to Pittsburg plate glass to say that to-day it
surpasses any other in the world. 1t is pre-
ierred in all markets to French plate"
Charles R. Dilworth, of Dilworth, Porter
& Co., said there are now about a dozen
mills in the country. Their own mill has
been in business for 35'years andIhas now an
enormous daily capacity. Mr. Porter
said that while the Edgar Thomson works
made enough rails per day to lay IA or Is
miles of road, their mill turned out enough
spikes to lay 45 to 80 miles. He thinks the
business has at least doubled itself in the
last ten years.