Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-10
THE FIRST LOCAL SESSION
OF the Three Great Societies Whose
Eminent Members Are Now
GUESTS OF PITTSBURG PEOPLE.
Interesting Papers of Messrs. KitsOn, Bell,
Barnaby and Others.
WARM WELCOME BY JOHN Il. RICKETSON

rathered in Carnegie Hall yesterday morn
ing at 10 o'clock for the first joint session
of the British, German and American socie-
ties of engineers and men learned in metal
lurgv.
1t was the first time that the representa-
tive societies of men-deep thinkers and
practical exponents of the results to be OBJ
tanned from the fusion of metals-ot the
world met in common to discuss the prog
ress OF science in their particular pursuit
And that Pittsburg should have had the
honor of being selected for this distinction is
n matter of which her citizens should feel
duly proud.
The hall was well filled by the distin-
ruished visitors and many ladies graced the
meeting by their presence when Sir James
Kitson called the meeting to order. On the
plat rorm with him were Sir Lowthian Bell.
Sir John Alleyne Sir W. T. Lewis, E.
Windsor Richard, G. /. Snelus, John Il.
Ricketson, E. V. Martin, William Whit
well and Mr.. Jeans.
Sir James Kitson briefly stated the pur-
port of the meeting, and then John II.
Ricketson, Chairman Of the Reception CON-
uiAltG. uldlG lllG dhNI6SS VI hSASOulSs
Mr.. Ricketson regretted the absence of
Sir Henry Bessemer, and wished he had
been successful in his efforts to build steam
ship, to which sea sickness would be
stranger He welcomed DR.. Wedding,
Mr.. Daelen, Mr.. Thieler, and Mr..
Schroeater, ana regretted the absence OF
Abram 5. Hewitt. He mentioned George
.oF4 h. So
OF the age, and regretted the absence of
former fellow citizen to whose generosity
the CITY was indebted Tor the magnificent
building in which the meeting was as
sembled. Proceeding, Mr.. Ricketson said:
A WORD AS TO OUR GEOGRAPHY.
The other day, in New York. one of our for
ei=n guests Il will not say whether he came
from the mother country or the ''Faderland''l
asked me the name of the lake on the borders
OF which Pittsburg was built The mistake
was very natural one-we Americans often
ind ourselves equally uncertain in our
geography when we are abroad-no perhaps a
word as to where We are may not be out of
place. We are at the foot OF the Western
slope OF sIe AuegbeaIes. within the wafer shed
o. The Mississippi Valley, about 80 feet above !
the level q tha sea, 444 miles west OF New
York, about $50 miles from the nearest
liDIl On Ldkt I1Ilt, NullueT OuT ore CONES
by water from Lake Superior and thence
reaches US by rail. The greater portion of
Pitsburg lies between the Allegheny and
AIonongahela rivers. the former rising III New
YORK STATE and the latter in Virginia. To-
Cether they form the Ohio. whose waters
washes the shores of ten States as it winds its
way for more than 2CO0 miles the Gulf of
Mexico. steamer starting from ard return
ing to Pittsburg can sail over 1000 miles of
uavigable rivers. all tributaries OF the Ohio
and the Mississippi, and reach on the upper
Missouri, a distance from this point of 1900
miles.
Pittsburg was laid out in 1765 on the site of
the old French Fort Duquesne. so famous in
colonial history, and on its capture by the
British the name was changed to Fort Pitt in
honor of your great statesman William Pitt
from whom our city derives its name. Time
will only permit me to add that almost within
the city limits the unfortunate General Brad
dock laid down his life in defense OF the Brit
ish flag and with him the young Ameri ,an
civil engineer from Virginia, George Washing
ton, received his baptism Of fire and won his
spurs.
Onr committee have prepared for you little
souvenir OF Allegheny county, and Incorporated
with It are some general statistics of our lead
ing industries and many facts of historical in
teresU to iron and steel men. l will content
myself with a very few totals, in order to give
You at the outset some idea of the extent and
variety of our resources.
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES.
We have q blast furnaces which in 1889 pro-
duced ,2g3 I35 tons of pig iron; 50 rolling mills.
- Of which roll steel, and their production in
lSs9 was Ll0557S net tons of steel and SIS. $50
ions of rolled iron. Onr annual capacity of
steel rails is at present 55O,OJO tons Our prod
uct of wrought iron pipe this wear will am
informed not fall short of $50 OO0 tons, while
our output of structural iron and steel will be
fully 10000.
We have 49 iron founderies representing a
capital of nearly Sl00O00OO.
The principal ectrical industry in Pittsburg
IS in apparatus for iucandeScent lighting, OF
the dynamos in the United States having a
capacity for the supply of current for l5OOOOO
l6-candle power lamps Pittsburg alone has
furnished 65O,OOO OF this or nearly "A per cent
we have 10 firms or companies making window
glass, 81 making flint and lime glass and Is
making green and black glass bottles
The 1000 coke ovens in this district consume
9OOOOOO tons OF coal IN making their product Of |
about 6OOOOOO tons COKE In 1859, in round num- |
bers,
We shipped to Southern markets by
We shipped to Eastern markets hy rail sUO sC UOO U0
We shipped by rail- for rrshipment by
Railroads entering Pittsburg used S SS goo goo
We shipped by rail to Northeastern
We used for home and miscellaneous 'O0' $50
Making grand total Of q. 600 GOO of tons Vy or
sixty per cent Of the output of bituminous
coal in Pennsylvania.
TONNAGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY.
The railway tonnage of Allegheny county of |
business originating here, exclusive of what
passes through, is 90 0OO 900 tons per annum. or
fraction over per cent of the total railway |
tonnage of the United States, which amounted |
in loS9 10 6l9 l37, 257 tons
One word as 20 natural gas that wonderful |
fuel which has been distilled for us in NATURES |
own alemblc. am officially informed that in |
this district 75O0O00OO feet Of gas are delivered |
70 consumers each day through l.l25 miles of /
pipe to our mills and factories and IN inward !
OF 6QOOO private warehouses. stores hotels and |
dwellings,. The present annual displacement
OF ~ coal by natural gas is estimated at about
5000, 900 of tons
There are 80 900 oil wells in the limited States
producing on an average 10000 barrels per
diem and represel'ing capital of $40, ZOO 6OO
ne district including Western Pennsyl.
Vahia' west \ lrglnia and Southeastern Ohio
PRODUCES 5000 per day, and Allegheny county |
10 per cent ol the latter amount
lheTe are 10000 miles of pipe lines for the
transportation of crude petroleum, involving
capital OF S50,000000
l he stock in tanks at present of crude petro-
leun IS z, 10000 barrels. The country has a
TchLing capacity of 10000 barrels a day for
Illuminating oil; 5000 barrels a day are used
Tor fuel purposes.
OUR PETROLEUM PRODUCTION.
Gentlemen, when, in addition to the 3OUOoO
OD OF barrels of petroleum which have flown
from the soil of Pennsylvania from 1876 to 1890.
We remember that she is still producing 25OO-
200 barrels per month, that her to. al YEARLY out
put OF bituminous coal is 10000 600 or tons and
of anthracite 35.400000 of tons and that she
produced last year within a small fraction of
one-half Of all the pig iron and more than
half OF all the rolled iron and steel made in the
country you can form some conception Of the