Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-06-23
GIGANTIC IMPROVEMENTS
MAKING BY THE IA BELLE.
THE COMPANIES sTEUnENvYLLA
PLANT WILL BE OF GREAT
CAPACITY.
PRoCuRABLE Is BEING INsTALLEp
WITH THE VIEW OF Low
COS PRODUCTION.
Special to the Register

Special to the Register.
STEUBENvILLE. O., June 22.lTns
improvements being made and vet to be
made at the La Belle iron works are Of
a gigantic character, and they mean
that the La Belle Is going into the iron
business to stay. Their new continuous
mill, where plate iron of all kinds and
bridge iron is rolled, Is working like
clockwork. Machinery does 1t all. and
the expensive and ponderous labor
saving machinery in this mill. the only
one OF its kind, employs about thirty
men all told in its various departments.
in a building 600 feet long, or &c men.
TO be exact. From the time the iron
comes in on cars right into the min IL
goes through heating furnaces operated
by machinery. out n the rolls and
on until it m out finished, where
it is loaded on cars right in the mill
The machinery has beer gotten down
to a fine system, and this week, while
they are rolling light iron. they are
breaking records. Thursday night they
rolled 521 slabs and yesterday 1t was
over 600 slabs. The Sterling boilers
and gas producers run in connection
| with this and are doing good work. Be-
tween the universal mill and the botl-
ers and gas producer plants. the old
plate mill is t be moved from its press
ent position. Three new batteries OF
| Sterling water tube boilers are being
erected at the furnaces and the boiler
plant at the plate mill is to be moved
to the new tube works boiler plant.
Where the old nail factory stands, the
open hearth steel plant, to have tho
| same capacity as the Mingo Bessemer
| plant, is to be located. Two wells for
water are being drilled. A cistern -
being built In the continuous mill ~
have the waste water.
lust south OF the present furnaces
four adjuncts TO the big tube works and
other plants are being erected. They
are TO be brick buildings and excavns
ton is being made and foundations be-
ing nut In. To the east will be thu
machine shop. next to the west th(
blacksmith shop, next west the pattern
shop. and next west the electric power
plant to furnish power for the tube
works and lights, ETC., ror all the plants,
West of the tube works excavation ~
being made for a gas producer plant Of
sixteen gas producers.
II is we'll to call attention to the tub
works which win be something very
large Judging from the ground space TO
be covered, 392x440 feet. One hundred
and forty-two massive piers of fire
brick and cement have been erected by q
force under ]. II. Parish, OF Wheeling.
In the tube works will be two lap and
two bell weld furnaces. These Inn
provements have to be seen to fully
Judge the gigantic size OF the proposed
plant.
OF course more furnace capacity Is to
be conteetured as needed; also thar
other finishing mills Will be erected.
James Mccain, Of Wheeling, has arriv-
ed here to take charge OF the furnace
department.
President Wright and his officials and
the clerical force occupy a handsome
suite OF offices provided with all con-
veniences. The Office has been enlarged
TO twice it's former size and a regular
telephone exchange is being operated
in the building.
Only four OF the cluster OF houses
purchased by the La Belle along with
the tract OF land below their plant re-
main standing and they are being torn
down to make room for the Industrial
expansion.
All the big space included In the 142
piers will be filled to a height Of IL
feet or more.