Evening star., 1899-02-01
PRoPoseD GUN FACTORY
Mr. Andrew Carnegies Plan to Establish
One at Homestead, Pa.
The LHrsfst Establishment of the
Kind in the WOrld-Shfpbui1dfnG
Industry Revived.

Plans have been completed and work will,
it is stated, be shortly begun by the Car
negie Steel Company for the erection, at
Homestead, Pa, of what will probably be
the largest gun factory in the world. The
recent war with Spain gave an impetus to
the building of big guns and armament 1or
| naval and coast defense. The Carnegie
people have control of a new idea in the
manufacture of great pieces of ordnance,
which will. it is' understood, revolutioniZe
| modern warfare. Recently the Carnegie
Company purchased frontage on the Mon
ongahela river, just within the northern
limits of Homestead borough. The land
fronts 1000 feet on the river and has a
depth of about 1850 feet On this 1t Is
proposed to build a gun foundry and a
shipyard.
Three lines of railroad enter the ground.
They are the Pittsburg and Lake Erie, the
Monongahela division of the Pennsylvania
| railroad and the Union railway. The last
named is a Carnegie concern, and was buiit
to connect all the various plants of the
great steel company.
Centralixing Plants.
For several years the Carnegie company
has been centralizing its plants. The IA
nous Hot Metal route over the Monon-
gahela river at Port Perry was part of
this scheme. The building Of the Bessemer
railroad from Braddock to Lake Erie, and
connecting with the Mesaba ore ranges by
a system of lake steamers, was another
part of the scheme. A road now building
from Braddock to tidewater at Newport
News or Norfolk, Va, is also part OF the
great plan. This line of which the Monon-
gahela Belt Line is to be a part, will make
the Carnegie Steel Company Independent
of railroads for freight service and save 1t
| millions of dollars year in freight.
The building OF gun works TO rival mat
of krupp has been a dream of Andrew
Carnegie ever since he became a power in
the steel world. Krupp is rival OF Car
negie in the making of armor ana snip
plates. Now the steel king proposes to
meet him on his own ground and make
American guns that will outclass those OF
his German competitor. The plans for the
structures have been prepared. There Will
be four immense buildings, each 200 feet
wide and about 900 feet long. The built
up gun will be speciality of the Carnegie
people and will be built under patents con-
trolled by the steel firm.
The plant will employ about 1000 men
when in full running order, and 1t Is be-
lieved there will be work enough secured
from the United States government alone
to keep it running night and day for sew
eral years, The great additions to the
United States navy and the proposed coast
defenses which are to be strengthened by
this nation will render another gun foun-
dry on the American continent absolutely
necessary for their armament, and no other
concern in the world is better fitted for
The Shipyards.
The shipyards 1t Is proposed to build
will be located at the lower end of the big
plot of ground. 1t is proposed to construct
one of the finest shipyards in the world
there. The Carnegies do greater business
now in the manufacture of ordinary ship
plates than they do in the making of ar
NOR plate. In fact, armor plate IS sec
ondary feature of their business. This ma
terial has all been sold to ship builders
along the lake sea coasts. Freight rates
on this class of material are enormous.
and the big steel company has figured that
with the Ohio river improved it will be
possible to build as big ships in Pittsburg
as can be built anywhere else in the world,
but of course rReny the hulls of vessels
will be constructed there.
The empty hull of the biggest ocean liner
will not draw more water than can be com
fortably furnished in the Monongahela
river on any of the big rises on which the
coal boats get out to the lower river. The
average depth in the pools the year round
is about twelve to fifteen feet This. it Is
estimated will be enough to float any or
dinary-sized vessel.
Lost Industry.
The building of ships is one of the lost
industries of western Pennsylvania. Years
ago, when that section was covered with
forests, ship building was carried on to a
great extent. This was long before the
Monongahela Navigation Company had
slack watered the Monongahela river, yet
some great vessels were built at the old
Brownsville shipyards, above Pittsburg.
During the civil war great numbers Of
gunboats We're also built there for the gov
ernment. The destruction of the forests
ended the building of ships.
Shortly after the war the w. H. Brown
Coal Company made an attempt to build
iron boats. Owing to the great cost of
material at that time the attempt was a
failure. Now that steel is lower in price
than iron ever dreamed of being at
that time, the possibility of building ships
there has been revived. The shipyards
will be ir, operation in another year and