Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-16
EQUIPPED FOR WORK.
Carnegie, Phipps & Co. Start a New
ArmOr Mill at Homestead.
1T ISAHEAD OF ANYTHING KNOWN.
An Injunction Granted Against the Inter
fering Bricklayers.
THE STRIKE SUSTAINS NO CHANGE

The Homestead steel plant of Carnegie,
Phipps & Co. is at length fully equipped to
roll armor plate. At 6 o'clock yesterday
morning an ingot weighing II, 900 pounds was
swung from the soaking pits to the rolls of a
new mill and in a few passes had been re-
duced to a long, glowing plate, three inches
thick In this first trial of the new mill 1t
was found that the rolls would take a draft
of two inches; that is, that the thickness of
the ingot would be reduced to that extent at
each passage through the rolls. This is an
Accomplishment heretofore unheard OLA
reduction of five-eighths of one inch at one
pass being regarded as good practice-and
reflects the greatest credit on the mechan-
ical ingenuity of John A. Potter, the general
manager of the works. The mill supersedes
all others in the world, and places Carnegie,
Phipps & Co. in unique position as regards
the manufacture of armor plate, a demand
for which, for Government and commercial
purposes, is likely to become very large
within the next few years.
Construction of the Mill.
The construction of the new mill was COM
menced just eight weeks ago. when the old
vertical and horizontal trains, known as the
32-inch mill was begun to be torn down. The
room occupied by this mill was required for
the new one. The new mill is known.as a
4high mill-that is, it has four rolls
in the vertical train and four in the horizon
tai. Both work in unison, though they are
driven by separate engines, that driving the
vertical rolls being the smaller. Both en-
gines are of the reversible type quick act
ing, and aggregate 1000 horse power. The
horizontal rods are Ito inches long, which is
also the entire rolling surface. The top and
bottom rolls are each 80 inches in diameter;
the two middle rolls measure "a inches in di-
ameter, while the four vertical rolls are of
uniform size. The two housens of the hori-
zontal rolls weigh sc, 900 pounds each and are
lofty. Only the two middle rolls are driven,
being coupled in the usual way to the
driving pinions with spindle. or the four
rolls only the top and the upper middle rolls
move up and down the housens-the lower
middle and bottom rolls being the ''receiv-
ers." The draft is regulated by the two
upper rolls moving up and down the housens
at the will of the roller. The contracts held
by the firm for Government work have al
ready been noted in The DISPATCH.
Commercial Meaning of the Plant.
The investment of large sum of money
in thfs plant by Carnegie, Phipps Co., alta
time when doubt is expressed in many
quarters 'tas to the commercial prospects of
the iron trade for the year-though this plant
is, of course, for special work, it must be re-
garded as sustaining the views, supporting
the outlook as being favorable, which have
been expressed in these columns within
month. The attitude of ironworkerS in the
Pittsburg district furnishes additional evil
dence of these views. OF the blast furnaces
in the district there are . now in operation
casting 4,475 tons of metal every "a hours,
1850 tons being Bessemer and the remainder
foundry grades. This is an increase of sew
eral hundred tons on the amount made last
fall: The total amount for this
134 go tons, or 4250 tons more, than
during the month of January before the
coke strike was inaugurated. With 120,O00
tons cast in February, II, 600 in March, so, 600
in April, and 10000 in May, the June figures
quoted would show total of GAG, 900 tons of
iron made during the first six months of the
year. The increased output for this month
is regarded by brokers as an indication on
the part of furnace men that they expect a
good market for the stock they are now
putting up, for all of it is not going into con-
sumption. The Clinton furnace is making
100 tons day, which is being stocked, as the
mill is still closed down.