Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-18
| The Carbon Iron Company and the
Otis Steel Company Combine
to Make Ship Plates
TO COMPETE WITH BIG FIRMS.
Preparations for the County Teachers Insti-
tute to Open at Carnegie Hall
Next Monday.
A NATATORIUM FOR THE EAST END NOW.
Happenings of Day in the Twin Cities at the Head of
the Ohio.

The Carbon Iron Company, of this city,
| has Just secured the contract for the protec-
tive plates to be used in the construction of
the Government protected cruiser No. 13.
The vessel is being built by the Cramps, of
Philadelphia, and the order has been
placed through them The order calls for
about 5000 tons of steel plates, varying
from fve-eighths of an inch to one inch and
a half, and approximates in value about
S4OO, ,OOO
The Carbon Iron Company has entered
into arrangements with the Otis Steel Com
pany, Limited, Of Cleveland, for the joint
Execution of the contract. The steel will
be made at the Thirty-second street plant,
and finished at Cleveland. Some of the
heavier material will be finished In the To-
cal mill. With other contracts for Gov
eminent works, the Carbon Iron Company
| has now orders for between 1000 and 5000
tons of protective plates. The capacity of
the two plants is $40 tons of steel per day.
This understanding between the firms is not
| without significance. 1t places them in a
position to hold their own against the big
est concern in the country.
SUPERIOR LOCAL FACILITIES.
The competition for this work was keen.
All the steel rolling companies in the coun-
try entered bids for it. 1t was originally
let to the Bath, Me-, firm, but, on its draw
ing out, was awarded to the Carbon Iron
Company. 1t is stated that Carnegie,
Phipps & Co. felt confident. of securing the
contract, as they were supposed to have
superior facilities over other makers for the
undertaking of such work. The arrange
ment perfected between the Pittsburg and
Cleveland firms will place them in posi-
tion to compete for such work with other
firms. The Otis Steel Company, Limited, has
eight cotton open hearth furnaces. one s+inch
plate mill, one ll2-inch, and one 127-inch plate
mill. The Carbon Iron Company has two 35-ton
and two cotton open hearth furnaces, and a So
inch universal mill. The latter will be used
for forming true edge on the heavy plates,
thus dispensing with the necessity for
planning them, which has been heretofore
the general practice. The company has al
ready executed several orders for the Union
Shipbuilding Company, of San Francisco,
while the reputation of the Otis Steel Com
many for steel plates is widely known.
Superintendent H. W Lash, of the Carbon
Iron COMPANY. said yesterday that under
the arrangement just effected his company
would be able to take large contracts for
ship plates. They proposed to be in the
field against the biggest concerns, as the
facilities of the joint plants would enable
them to compete successfully with any OF
them.
SOME THINGS UNDECIDED.
Mr. Lash says that the Government retains
the option of using nickel steel for the three
layers of plate covering the upper deck.
The contract calls for steel, but the Govern
ment has not yet decided whether the alloy
will be used. The object is to obtain plates
of exceptional hardness, so that shot strik-
ing the deck will glance off the covered sur
face. The specification calls for a 5000
pound steel but if the department comes to
the conclusion that a still harder and more
durable material can be found in nickel
steel, that substance will be used.
"If we are called upon to supply nickel
STEEL said Mr.. Lash, 1--WE think we shall be
able TO supply the material as well as any
body else. ! am inclined to think we shall
be so ordered, as the Government has over
81 900 900 worth of nickel on hand, and the
purchase would hardly have been made if
the metal was not intended for use. We
have been experimenting with nickel Steel
and have reason to think we can make il
when called upon.
"In my opinion continued Mr.. LASH
''the hard material of the future will be, not
nickel steel but a compound ef nickel,
aluminium and steel. Such a composite
would, l think, yield better results than
nickel steel"