The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-10-28

ZION so Lnat TWO men Will be able to
open and close the matches in twenty
minutes. The steamers will have
water ballast capacity for $500 tons,
enabling them to run in any weather.
The engines will be triple-expansion
with cylinders 244, 80 and IS inches
diameter with stroke of 43 inches,
supplied with steam from two Scotch
boilers Is feet in diameter by III feet
long, fitted with Ellis & caves draft.
They will carry 10000 gross tons of
ore. In full season they will move
100000 tons. The steel corporation
has already on the lakes fleet of 112
vessels with an annual carrying cap
acity of 100000 tons. With good
dispatch it should move with it's new
vessels 100000 tons per annum.
This sum, however, would not meet
the corporations requirements for
ore in an active year. 1t brought
down 16,50O, 900 in 1902 and 1880, 900
in 1903. The corporation has num-
Der of furnaces which have never
been lighted since they were acquired
so that it can readily be seen that It's
ore-burning capacity is greater than
its ore carrying capacity.
Shipbuilding On the great lakes has
undergone phenomenal boom during
the past month for during that time
twenty freighters have been ordered.
With one exception all the vessels are
500 feet or over. showing the magni-
tude of latter-day craft and proving
that the average ore cargo Of the fu-
ture will be at least 5000 tons.
1t is absolutely true that those who
are most informed concerning current
conditions in the iron trade are the
least able to accurately forecast the
future. When the season of naviga-
tion opened on the great lakes, prac.
tically six weeks later than usual,
expert authorities predicted that the
movement Of ore would not exceed
$4,000, 900 tons and one or two were
inclined to put it as low as 100000.
Since then there has been a great re-
vision of figures. million or more at
a time, until now the latest estimate
is that the total shipments of the
season will be between $4,000, 900 and
$4,000, 900 tons. All things considered
this Is not grave falling off from
the shipments of last year when ap-
proximately 23,5O0, 900 tons were ship
ped. Proportionately the shipments
this year have been heavier than they
were last. The heavy movement Of
September, some 1900, 900 tons will be
equalled, if not surpassed, during the
present month. Ore is moving now
heavier than it ever has during fall
months and there is excellent demand
for ore boats.
The increased activity in the iron
market that set In with October has
kept up and in pig iron the past week
has seen the highest prices of the
year. Consumption has been over
tapping production for several weeks
and while meters Of pig iron bought
in the market. particularly foundries,
and no marked increase of orders,
they are steadily melting more iron
than in the summer months. The
statistics indicate that the pig iron
output on Oct. ], was at the rate of
about 16,500, 600 tons year. while in
March. April and May. the spring
"freshet" carried it up to a rate of
100000 tons. Pig iron production
is now on its second upturn for the
year, and the extent of the movement
depends on several factors. One is
the uncertainty Of the coal strike in
the South. Should it end soon,
considerable increase in output of
southern iron ore could be made be-
fore the end of the year. Another
factor is the amount of idle capacity
that will come in as prices rise. The
advance has not been enough yet for
the blowing in of furnaces that have
Teen waiting for real profit. But
the important fact is that merchant
stocks of pig iron were reduced $4,000
tons last month, with coke and anth-
racite production $4,000 tons more
than in August.
There are no indications of boom,
though exaggerated improvement
reports always in evidence at such
time are coming. A feature both in
pig iron and finished material lines is
the widely distributed character of
the buying. added to the fact that
the material is almost entirely for
early use in the shops of the buyers.
Jos. Wallace who was sent from
this city some time ago to serve sixty
days for drunkenness in the county
Jail at Duluth, attempted to in
augurate a strike among the chain
gang this week, claiming the meals
served at this popular institution
were not up to his standard. The
uprising was promptly squelched.
Peerless claims to have lost fifty
pounds since being in jail and those