The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-03
IMMENSE STEEL PLANT
AMERICANS HAVE STARTED A
GREAT INDUSTRY FOR IT'S
MANUFACTURE
BOUNTY ASSURES a PROFIT
Cape Breton Island and New Found
land Furnish Raw Material
Sydney the Seat of Ex-
tensiVe Works.

establishment here of a smelling works
destined TO revolutionize the existing con-
ditions in the iron and steel trade. AL
though the furnace fires have not yet been
lighted, the comprehensive character of
the enterprise and the mastery records
Of the men behind it have attracted the
attention of capitalists the world over
who are concerned in the problem Of iron
production The undertaking set on foot
here is some thing more than a mere ex-
pertinent; it is a substantial Industrial
project of the highest calss and its sue
cess can hardly be questioned when the
foundations upon which it is based are
Impartially analysed.
Briefly stated, the intention is to set
up here a modern plant for the manufac-
ture of iron and Steel complete in every
particular, self-contained as to the essen
tlals and greatly advantaged by geo
graphical situation. To accomplish this
there has been formed the Dominion Iron
and Steel company, at the head of which
Is H. NJ Whitney, the famous Boston
gas magnate. His chief lieutenants are
Sir William Van Horne, of the Canadian
Pacific railroad; r. B. Angus, of the
Bank of Montreal, and R. G. Reed, the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ldliWdy hlIlS. w iii ul6n
of such eminence in the financial world
prominently identified with the venture
Its standing is assured. Their associates
and staff are of an equally representative
class.
ABLE MEN ENLISTED.
The general manager, for insance, is A
J. Moxham, who established the iron
plant at Lorain, and who managed the
relief works at Johnstown when it was
wiped out by the flood some years ago.
The consulting engineer is Julian Ken
nedy, of Pittsburg, who has acted in that
capacity for Carnegie and other leading
American ironmakers. The plant is being
erected by Ritter, Conley & Co., also of
Pittsburg, who enjoy the reputation of
having already built pants in America,
England, Germany and Russia, and who
admit to this being the largest contract
they have ever undertaken, the specifica-
ton covering practically everything re-
quisite for 1irst-class plant and the con-
tract figure just touching $5,OOO,OOO.
SYDNEY'S ADVANTAGEOUS T.OCA-
TION.
Sydney's main advantage lies in its be-
ing The center of a vast carboniferous
area, with an immense deposit Of lime
stone adjacent thereto. Next in irnnort-
hhce IN estimating its facilities is its geo
graphical position, the nearest point to
europe OF the mainland of North
america, only 1890 miles from Livefno
AnLruly counts the existence of great beds
or hematte ore at BeIlisle, in Newfound
land, only 400 miles away. and Lastly
comes the bounty which the Canadian
government pays in order to stimuIa 10
TINS industry-$2 a ton on pig iron and
$LoO on steel billets or other forms rrhec.
coInplned considera tons form a sum of
advantages the full value of which cam
nol oe readily estimated, but which must
serve 10 bring about a decided reduction
IN the present price Of these econornic
products despite the high figures which
still rule. WIN
me coal beds of Sydney district aggre-
gate zOU miles of productive seams Of a
sotaI thickness of 5000 feet, enabling an
estimated output of 5000 900 tons for I 0oo
years The steel company, when incorpo-
rated year ago, absorbed the coal coy,o
Padly, ana the annual output then was
A'oVu,VUU tons year. To provide for the
NEEDS OF the smelter a new shaft waS
suhA-the largest on the continent-wi+h
d oally capacity of 1900 tons. This will
SliiIIi I'VVU men, and it is expected to
tuAly meet all calls for MANY wears o.
there are 5S,0OO,000 tons in sight The oo~I
handled on hrst-class broad-onaea
rdlIroad where trains of 100 care go
eoIitaIIlhe hfty tons, are hauled bv ION
toM locomotives. The coal is of an ax.
eeLIent bltuminous quality and makes ner-
tectly satisfactory coke. pe1
LAKE SHIPPING EXPENSIVE
IN the case of Chicago, Pittsbnro ana
Uther smelling centers. however, ~
llTee landings involved are an ex
penslVe, tax on the ore in transit. where
roo f, .ne case OF Sydney it is carried di>
49, IIVIu me pit by the steamer. and I'm.
ioaded at the furnace mouth Tho AZ
lance by water is under 4oo r1IIoa ui9-
apouI haIf what the American orc -
earned, and as there are no locks to he
O9uSht IN the voyage can be accom-
pushed much more expen6itious1v md H.
ore can be laid down at Sydney for lesS
Sn 81 ton, the miners wage heinz
ing eEacted. 10y NC
Inc coal and coke used in the Aroor,
can smeiters has also to be hauled Ior,,
INSTANCES by rail, making a cneap article
60 ere II can be turned into cons,1rnn-
ION. Inc Sydney coal costs tho stasl
l"ny SIZU a ton at the Dit mouth
5 - - WlIhln ten miles Of where If lie
oIoo - me Cnlted States limestone has
Slso III economical value unknown tn ~
here' While the three essentials 70 ~
eincttlhg enterprise-iron, coal and Iiroa
!HeIe ootalnable within easv raocb %
NIe lowest rates and with every natural
cOhdlllon III their favor Even in the en- -
PIoyment of labor there will be n dccide5
stlVlhg, Tor the rate of wages in onU
gwen industry in Canada is corsitierabiy,
Iess IMAM over the border Every circ,,Y,,,
stance therefore, tends to berefit The
0y"iiey schene In its elementary stages
PROFIT ON PIG IRON
6ut SO much for the conditions ~ +bo
point OF production Let us now e .xo
6III as TO the cost of smelling The
DeIIe'Sie ore has been used for three
So,us III the small smelter at Ferro1a
wow S1lassoW. 1t is not as high in iron
60 'il ,IL ore, which yields 63 par
cent, put II is rated at Sc and II I,ix,ea
readily with other ores. notably. o,,+ It's
s Huch competing essentials as tba
Cleveland England ore, which e,;vae
only q per cent. and the Alaban,a go
when arc but 40. The Ferrona smeItAy
es 81 me following data as the res,,lts
OF tests there, ccES:ng the cost Of NAM
tuIlhS during the period stated:
o. 0Ao ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. S1 On
~ III ..''''.'... .............,,.1 Sd
Toho, 80 ,.'..' .:..,............. 40
'eliS .................. 60
Cost of ton of pig iron e Eo
II costs as much more to convert rSe
pig IRON into steel oillets. this heine,
the experience OF the Ferrora ne
PIE also, While this was being lions
there Alabama pig iron was fetching S1I
ton' Pittsburg 49, and Cleveland s5f
fittsbrrg steel billets reaching s37, and
the English product rarely falling below
$50. Boom prices these were, to be sure
put yet sufficiently elastic TO admit Of