The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-03
G.. H. Grifiths Gives Chicago
Credit, But Shows De-
velopments Are Here.
MEANS GREAT FUTURE
By Product Plants and Concerns
That Use Steel For Manufaetur-
ing Purpose to Locate.

George H Grif1ths, the associate
editor of the Iron Trade Review; in his
annual review OF the steel industry in
Chicago and vicinity, heads his article
with the caption. Chicago, New Amer
/ ica's Steel Center" and then offers
facts to prove that the Calumet region,
not Chicago, is Americas steel center
It is really interesting to note how
this great steel industry goes out of
the way to credit Chicago with the
progress that is being made in this
lone when it is apparent that most of
the development has been in this re-
gion. Mr. Grifiths says:
The most important thing of the
past year in the steel industry, as it
concerns Chicago, was the development
| of the fact that this city has become
the steel manufacturing center of the
| United States
Chicago has outdistanced all other
sections of the country in the amount
of new constructions undertaken dur
ing the year within its confines or con-
tiguous to same. The iron and steel
interests have outgrown Pittsburg, and
the southern extremity of Lake Michi-
gan has been chosen for the future
development of the industry. This dis
trict possesses resources more than off
setting the economic advantages of
Pittsburg in it's proximity to the
Connellsville coal fields. Conclusive
S1enaonstrations haze been made that
by product coke is excellently adapted
for blast furnace operations. 1t is used
exclusively in the Zenith furnace at
Duluth, as we'll as in the blast furnaces
at Detroit, and has been more or less
used in the merchant furnaces in the
Chicago district The by-product cox
ing plant at South Chicago and Mil
waukee have been increased during the
year to total of 800 ovens, with an an
nual capacity of $50 600 tons of foundry
and furnace coke. The fact that their
entire output for 1907 is already sold
testifies to its popularity
The United States Steel corporation
has made provision for the ultimate
erection of large by-product coking
plant at Gary, while a number of
eastern capitalists are reported to have
recently bought 125 acres of land in
Hammond, Ind, with a view to the
erection of manmouth coking
plant there. The erection of a
plant at Joliet. ILL.,, for the man
ufacture of silica fire brick has
removed the only physical possibility
toward the development of this dis
trict as an iron and steel producing
center. Heretofore all the refractory
materials for iron and steel making
operations have come from Pennsyl-
vania and Kentucky, but the discov-
cry of a quartzite formation in Wis
consin that can be manufactured into
a high grade refractory that will stand
, the severe usage of open hearth prac-
tice. not only will make the west inde-
pendent of the east for this product
but threatens to change the center OF
operations in this industry. The Amer
lean Refractories company of Joliet
has a capacity of 500 900 bricks a day
} but when the additions now authorized
) are completed this output will be
, doubled. There Is an unlimited supply
J of the raw material in Wisconsin.
The Gary Plant.
} The Gary plant overs hadows all 9th
) er undertakings in this district. In its
} completed state it will produce an
, nually. in round figures 100000 ton.
, of steel. OF this 100000 tons will b,
, open hearth rails, 100000 tons will 81
, into plates. 100000 tons into merchan
, bars. and the balance will be divided
, into structural shapes. billets. etc.
) Some of the other additions ar,
, summarized briefly as follows:
Illinois Steel Company, South Chicago
} Completed:
, One SOC ton blast furnace.
one furnace rebuilt and put in bias
) last November. increasing capacit!
! from 100. 600 to 600 tons a year
) Seven so tons open hearth furnaces
Under construction at South Chicago
) One 80 inch universal plate mill t
! + roll plates from s inches to 80 inche
) to so feet long; capacity, 1900 tons
} month.
) one "a inch light rail mill to rol
) from IL pound to Is pound sections
) capacity. 800 tons a month.
} Authorized:
} Two $50 ton mixers for the Basseme
} department and a new 100000 gal
, lon pumping engine.
, Furnaces l and to be built durin
, coming year. increasing capacity Q
, each stack 10000 tons year.
} Inland steel Company, Indiana Harbol
} Under construction and authorized
, Two 400 tons blast furnaces.
, Three so ton open hearth furnaces.
One Morgan continuous bar mill t
) roll down TO three-eighths inch rounds
! The enormous increase of productiv
) Icapacity represented in this schedul