Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-17

situation. Up to the present writing there
is not the least indication Of break in the
ranks of the producers, who have shut
down, and there is no doubt they will re-
main firm, as their action was not taken
hastily, but on due deliberation and a
thorough discussion of the entire matter.
They think they have been giving the
railroads large share OF their profits, in
order to enable them to pay dividends on
watered stock, and that the coke manufac-
turers have been growing wealthy, due to
the steady demand for their product from
the blast furnaces of both valleys. They
are In excellent shape, financially, to stand
a long shutdown, and the great incon-
venlence and suffering will fall on the
thousands of employees of the furnaces, who
are thrown out of work in mid winter.
However, it is not likely that operators will
stand idly by and witness scenes OF actual
suffering by those in their employ.
1t is stated on good authority that fur
ther reduction will be made in the price OF
coke, though with the railroads the matter
Is still open, as is shown from the fact that
another conference will shortly be held. The
| question of resumption rests wholly with
the railroads, whether they are willing to
receive fair rate for the pig iron traffic or
| prefer to let their cars and motive power re-
main idle.
We are led to believe, and think we feel
safe in uttering the prediction, that the shut
down Will happily be only of short duration.
The Change to Coal.
The changing of pudding furnaces back
to coal is progressing slowly. There are yet
IL mills where natural gas is wholly or par
TALLY used and "a have been changed back
to COAL This statement only has reference
to Allegheny county, and does not include
steel nft
returned to coal. The puddlers at Zug &
Co.'S mill, after three weeks working three
heats per turn, are now working five. Brown
q 20. are now working their new three-high
train of muck rolls placed in the works dur
ing the holidays by the Lewis Foundry and
Machine Company The new pudding
furnace recently added makes total of "a
that are all working, and the old mill is
now OF the most modern design.
At j. Painter Sons & Co.. s mill 40 pud-
ding furnaces are now working on coal and
u on gas. There is also an occasional short
age of gas at these works in the finishing de-
partment. When this occurs the boiler
supply is reduced enough to allow sui-
hclency in the heating furnaces. At the
Millvale mill the plant is closed down in
definitely on account of a demand for an
advance in wages made by some of the en-
ployes. At the works of the Braddock Wire
Nail Company the wire departments have
resumed work, after making the annual re-
pairs. 1t is likely that the men in the wire
nail department now out on strike, BY
reason of the dismissal of two naiIers for
their supposed connection with the organiza-
tion of the Amalgamated Association of
Iron and Steel Workers lodge at that
place, will return to work this week, if the
reinstatement of the men takes place as the
company promises.
Suffering From Gas Shortage.
AtPark Brothers & Co.'s Black Diamond
Steel Works they are suffering greatly by
the shortage of gas. Part of last week
their crucible departments were working
only half capacity, and five out of the
seven open hearth furnaces were idle. Wood
was being consumed under the boilers, and
not enough steam could be raised to run the
hammer department full 1t is rumored
tnat this firm very recently sank SS5 900 in
their endeavors to secure sufficient supply
of gas to run their mill.
Laughlin & Co. have banked one of their
three blast furnaces, located at Laughlin
station, thus throwing the men out of en-
ployment This action is due to the yery
large stocks of iron they have on hand and
the abnormal depression in the prices of pig
iron, in the face of which they decided to
shut down one of their furnaces Itwas ru-
mored some time ago that the firm contem-
plated the erection of fourth furnace at
this plant. AT Carnegie, Phipps & Co.'s
Upper and Lower Union Mills they are
sull in condition of gas shortage. The
puddlers in both mills are making but two
and three heats per turn, instead of five,
and the finishing departments are also in
terrupted in their work. At the lower mill
a change of hours was tried, in order to Sc
cure more work. There is much dissatis-
faction expressed by the men at the great
loss of time. 1t is rumored that the Upper
mill is to be removed to the vacant tract of
land adjoining the Homestead null
The Allegheny Bessemer Steel Works is
closed down for general repairs. AT the
Homestead mill OF Carnegie, Phipps & Co.,
which is probably the only mill in the |
country working on the sliding scale basis,
the scale of wages for the ensuing three |
months has been settled. The scale is based
on an average of $27 per ton for AKA steel |
billets, and is reduction of little more |
than per cent from the scale OF the last
three months. This system has. been in |
operation at these works for one and one |
half years. and will remain in force until |
July, 1892. The results have been satisfac- |
tory, both to the workers and owners The |
scale is arranged on the average selling |
price of Aka steel billets for three months |
and operates down to a minimum price of |
S25 per ton.
Some Big Orders and Shipments.
Thomas Carlin & Sons, of Allegheny, re-
Gently shipped one of their latest improved |
double nine-foot dry pans for chemical |
works; also, an ,eight-foot ore grinding pan
and nine-foot dry pan for friedrich; also. |
a 6ve-foot pan to brass works for grinding
brass ashes. From their engine department /
they shipped $50 horsepower and a 100
horsepower engine and number of smaller
engines; also, an improved 60-foot derrick
to Columbus, O., and a 40-foot derrick to
Cuba, the latter to be used in hosting ore on
docks, They also shipped two centrifugal
pumps, one eight-inch and one four-inch;
three hoisting engines, with boilers, and
lot of contractors tools to North Carolina.
McGill q Co. are constructing in their
works two Cotton Hemphill hydraulic
cranes. to be used in the Bessemer depart
ment of the Edgar Thomson Steel Works in
connection with the new 18-ton conyerters.
This company is also constructing a ten.ton
crane for the Pennsylvania Steel Company's
Sparrow Point (Md.) plant, and six hy-
draulic cylinders, to be used at the raillmiIl
of these works. The Pittsburg Reduction
Company produced 9,132 pounds of
aluminium during the month of December.
with the works idle six days during the
month. The largest months production
was during November, when it amounted to
1858 pounds.
The different foundries in and about the
city report trade very good, though prices
are unsatisfactory. At the Anchor Foundry
and Machine Company they have been
working double turn for some time on a
arge number of orders for rolling mill and
blast furnace machinery. At the works of
Sterritt & Thomas they are very busv in |