The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-10-26
ZINC INDUSTRY is
IN PECULIAR SHAPE
Smcltnie Capacity Limited by the Fall.
ing Of Several Oil Fields.


The zinc industry has worked It.
self Into n situation that is unparal-
leled in the memory of twenty years,
and Is likely to be OF important effect
upon the market for the metal Brief
ly stated, there Is already a shortage
of the metal in Europe and there Is
prospect that there may be also a
shortage in America The causes lead
ing to these conditions are different
IL Is useless TO summarize their ma
ture and devote some consideration
TO the probable results, says the En-.
glneering and Mining Journal
In the United states a chronic con-
dition during othe last twenty years
has bee a surplus of smelling capa-
city. condition that Is almost inher-
ent to all branches of metallurgical
Industry We have witnessed one rad
ical change In zinc smelling, viz, the
virtual abandonment Of the old Bel
gian system in Kansas and Missouri,
about 1900-l90l, when the natural gas
Of lola and other places began to be
extensively used for fuel. but this
change created no disturbance In gen
eral commercial conditions In fact,
of smelling capacity, the naturaLgas
smelteries being built with much larg-
er furnace units and larger aggregate
capacity than formerly. while those
OF the old coal smelterles that were
kept in good repair could be. and were,
put into temporary operation when
market conditions rendered that profit
able
The eventual failure Of the supply
OF natural gas in Kansas and the prob
able transfer of the zinc smelling in
dustry to Illinois were early pointed
out. and these prospects were recog-
nized by many engaged In zinc smelt-
Ing There has been a noteworthy
construction of new works In Illinois
but by no means enough. and as of.
ten the case in such matters, the i'm
pending situation comes as more or
less of a surprise
The supply OF natural gas in Kan.
sas has been waning for several years.
but has been checked out by new
drilling, and now and then by the dis
covery OF small outlying pools 1t
appears, however. that the supply at
lola Will probably give out this win
ter, while at some other smelling
points in Kansas the situation Is critl.
cal, and continuance OF gas supply
Is anticipated for only two or three
years, 1t is considered by some per,
sons that this coming failure Of ma
tural gas Is going TO create distinct
shortage In smelling capacity, with the
result that the Smelters will be able
TO exact practically their own terms
for their spelter and pay for ore only
what will suffice TO maintain the pro-
duction OF the choice grades that they
will especially want. We think that
the tendency will be In those dIrec,
tions, but we think also that amellor.
atinG factors will prevent. by very
much, the markets from going to the
extremes that some anticipate
The total production of virgin Spel.
ter In the United States In 1909 was
266i62 ons ,Of this. 1898 tons
We're produced by smelterS using ma.
tural gas as fuel, and Jos .i64 tons by
smelters using coal. Smelters max
Ing sulphuric acid as a by-product pro
duced 103.0S7 tons OF spelter Some
of these used natural gas as fuel, and
Some coal, the latter greatly predomi.
mating