The indicator., 1904-09-24

| the rail mill department of the Min.
nequa steel works resumed opera
tions on Friday after cessation ol
only about three weeks, barely time
enough to allow the large force oi
mechanics to make necessary repairs
The start was made on soft steel
coming from the open hearth fur
naces, and what is known as angle
bars were turned out These bars
leave the mill about sixteen long and
go to the punch mill where they are
cut into short bars for holding rails
together, and where they are also
punched for the spikes and holding
bolts. Sunday night the converter
will resume blowing Besemer steel
and then the rail mill will resume on
the heavy orders on file from the rail-
roads for what are pronounced the
finest steel rails in the United States.
On the authority of one of the su-
perintendents it can be stated that the
rail mill and converter will continue
operations for at least two months
without interruption unforeseen acci-
dents barred.
There are now many hundreds of
tons of pig iron in the converter
stock yards and the serious question
now seems to be that of scrap iron.
There is less of that kind of material
in the yards now than there has been
for several years past. Juan Rayner,
who has charge of scrap iron at the
plant, was in Florence the early part
of the week looking after the purchase
of a heavy shipment of scrap iron at
that place, and it is understood that
large consignments will soon be re-
ceived from other points.
Constructing Engineer Anderson
is in charge of the installation of a
large pumping plant with auxiliary
storage basin which is located at the
east end OF the main entrance via
duct. This plant will be supplied with
massive compound pumps having a
capacity of nearly 100000 gallons
of water per day. This supply will be
pumped from the Bessemer ditch In
to the receiving basin and from there
it will be forced to the new No. 3 res
ervoir, about six miles southwest OF
the plant. The 24-inch pipes are SO
connected that the water can be fore
ed either to the stand pipe in the
works or to the reservoir and the
water is the supply the company Sc
cures from Twin lakes near Lead
vile.
1t is taken into the Arkansas river
from the lakes and from the latter to
the plant via the Bessemer ditch. A
vast amount of concrete work is being
done at this new pumping station and
large force of men are engaged in
rushing it to completion.
Work on the new finishing end OF
the rail mill is about done and that
department will be ready for service
when steel rails are turned out the
first of the coming week. The new
finishing department is thoroughly
modern, being supplied with every
electrical power device to minimize
labor and rush the final work ON the
rails after they leave the rolls, which
includes Strengthening, punching, test
ing and loading on cars ready for
shipment
This work in the old finishing de-
partment entailed heavy expense in
the way of handling by manual labor,
which will hereafter be supplanted by
mechanical devices and electrical pow
er.
There is much improvement activ-
ity all over the plant, which clearly in
dicates that the company means to be
"out for the business" from this time
on. A we'll posted gentleman con-
nected with the works made the as
sertion yesterday that the work Of
putting the new merchant iron mills
and the tin plate anu sheet mills in
shape for operation would be COM
menced soon after the first of the
year.
The machinery for both these huge
mills is practically all on the ground
and it would take large force of mer
fully six months to make the tin plate
and sheet iron mills ready for bust
ness. The new merchant iron mills
could be got ready in much less time
Repair work on "E" furnace is be.
ing pushed as rapidly as possible
The thunder like explosions heard
every day are caused by the blasting
out of the solid Stag in the base of the
furnace. A large force Of men are
busy making necessary repairs on the
big piping near the upper part of the
furnace on the outside. "a" furnace
which was newly lined and general,
overhauled about a year ago may un.
dergo some changes to conform witt
Superintendent Means ideas before
she is again blown in, but it is un.
dcrstood that the changes contem
plated are of minor character, anc
can be quickly made.
Superintendent Means is doing wha
no other blast furnace manager a
the Minnequa works has been able te
accomplish. He is making good il
the way of delivering metal at some
thing like the capacity of the fur
naces.
| 1t is also fact that he uses nearl,
twice the amount of coke as compare,
with that consumed by former super
intendents, but his furnaces neve
"freeze up" and the metal holds it
heat sufficiently to prevent enormou
Skulls" forming in the ladies' whel
the iron is poured. AS an old Geor
gia negro furnaceman remarks
"Mistah Means am daid sho' next t
his job, an he done hustle dem fur
naces fo' all dey is in dem daid sho'
Every department of the merchan
iron department is running at full ca
pacity, including the bolt and railroa
spike mills. A train of cars, loade
with every character of merchant iro
and steel including mine rails are sen
out of the yards from the warehouse
daily and this material goes to a
parts of the west, northwest an
southwest, including New and OF
Mexico, as well as the entire inte,
mountain region. This does not ir
clude the output of rails, barb an
smooth wire from the wire mills.
is stated on good authority that til
orders for all kinds of product froi
the plant for fall delivery are the lart
est in the history Of the Minnequ
works.
The new Identification check ar
transfer system inaugurated by II