The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-08

Ing nulputhtb are F4,uuu IONS In
bexcess Of production. There is fully
that much stock coke ON the yards
chiefly Of the furnace plants. ii viii.
however always be horne In mind
that the production figures are esti;
mates and presented only as approx.
mate figures. The shipments, how.
ever, are actual cars and tonnages.
"a comparison OF the figures shows
how accurate The Courier's produc.
Ition estimates are. u
The year 1914 opened with two.
thirds Of the ovens Of the region in
operation. During the second week
of January, 2.1oo merchant ovens
were blown out. the operators hop.
ling by this drastic curtailment to
maintain the price Of coke at s20o.
The 2,1Oo ovens blown out reduced
the active list to 61.2 per cent. This
percentage was maintained. with
slight variations, until the last week
lin February, when on account OF the
blizzard which swept the country ty.
ing up eastern coke shipments, 1000
furnace ovens were fred In order to
fill rush orders.
There was no material change In
the number of active owens during
March. A strike OF trainmen on the
Monongahela Division of the Penn
sylvania, the latter part Of the month.
caused some apprehension among the
operations on this road, aggregating
in the neighborhood of 3.400 ovens.
No Inconvenience was experienced.
the coke being handled by the Pitts.
burg G Lake Erie.
The third week OF April saw 1900
furnace ovens blown out. reducing
the active list TO slightly over ss
per cent. The percentage Of active
ovens remained practically unchang-
ed until the third week in May, when
1920 furnace ovens and 500 mer.
chant ovens were blown out reducing
the active furnace list to 62.4 per
cent, the merchant list to SIT per
cent and tho entire region to 60.4 per
cent. This latter percentage was still
further reduced to 55.4 per cent the
last week of May by the blowing on.
OF 1900 ovens.
During June, and until the last
week OF July, there was no material
change in the number Of active
ovens. Towards the end of July. 3oo
furnace ovens were fired, and during
the first week OF August 400 more
were put in blast, while 16S MGR
chant ovens were blown out. During
the second week, $50 additional fur.
mace ovens were fired, while during
the third week 1,100 merchant ovens
went into the idle column, making
the percentage Of active ovens 54.4
per cent. During the second week
of September over 700 merchant
ovens we're blown out, and the last
week Of the month saw $50 more put
out of blast. Scarcity Of water be.
gan to seriously affect a number of
the furnace operations during Sep.
tember several of the Frick plants in
the north end Of the region being
compelled to close down.
No change in the number Of active
ovens, worthy Of note, was made un;
til the fourth week Of October, when
1000 furnace ovens were blown out,
and the idle list was still further in
creased during the second week Of
November by the blowing out of 100
additional ovens, bringing the per.
centage Of active ovens down to ass
per cent, low water mark for the
year. During the third week of No
vember the Frick company banked q
400 ovens. and the weeks following
the same program was followed at q
number Of their plants, the number OF
their banked ovens being reduced to
1900 and with the close Of the year
all were again put into active serv,
ice."
This report shows concluslyely that,
the greatest number Of ovens were
blown out in the early part OF last
year several months before the Euro.
pean war was declared fixing the bal
ance upon the business depression
caused by the Underwood tariff.
. f . o.