The sun., 1918-09-23
PITTSBURG STRAINS
TO MAKE Pig IRON
Order for 100000 Semi.
Steel Shells Creates Pro-
duction Problem.
ROUNDING UP MATERIAL
Coal Situation in Western
Pennsylvania Better Than
in Several Years.
Ssecial Despatch 10 THs sux.


PrTsBuRo, Sept. 22.-The latest bis
order to como here from the Ordnance
Department OF the Government. $4,000
600 semi steel shells, IL now occupying
the attention Of tho manufacturer, who
are trying to figure out where they are
going to get an increased supply Of ple
iron in order that the Governments dc.
mands may be met in the prescribed TINA
said to be ten months. As most Of This
order Is to be filled in Pittsburg al
the foundry and machine shops have
been asked to assist in taking over the
immense order, which after all is not so
complicated as an ordinary shell order,
because they are to be used chiefly for
gas purposes and not for high explosive
and shrapnel uses. A general roundup
Of pig iron has been ordered. and Will.
no official reports are at hand as to the
success Of the search It Is known tina,
some pig iron has been found that can
be Communicated, and with other sup
piles promised In several directions II 10
soon see their way clear to a completion
OF the order in two or three months
ahead OF time.
The weather conditions OF the pas,
three weeks have Been favorable TO a
better mill production in all steel line.
and an increase is reported, although,as
Is well known. a full operation Of the
finishing mills is denied until a better
measure Of pig iron delivery Is attained.
Some surprise has been manifest at the
loss Of 100000 tons OF pig iron a year
that Is, a reduction in production ex-
pected with the better supply OF coke
but II turns out that this increased sup
ply OF coke Is in tonnage only and not
in quality. Quantity has been attained
at the expense of quality. and many OF
the blast furnaces have complained on
this score. The Fuel Administration has
taken the matter UP and results are al.
ready showing themselves. There has
been further restriction in the supply
of steel to merchant bar mills, and now
We hear from Washington that steel
must be still further conserved In the
interests of barbed wire. several big or.
ders for which have come out in the past
Few days. 1t appeared that when the
American Expeditionary Force was fac
Ing the German entanglements there
was modified need of barbed wire, bu,
since the fall Of st. Mihiel and the BON.
bardment Of Metz forts some new tactic,
have been adopted by the Allies that re-
quire large amount Of barbed wire,
and orders have been placed for our own
forcss al we'll as the French. italian and
British. This. it is said, will eat into
the requirements OF steel for shipbulld-
ing until these rush orders are filled
q l ~ i, tic x.,t,-
FOR war are steel for shells and rails.
Little Change Expected in Prices.
Notwithstanding the rather strong
statements as to the desirability OF ad-
vancing the set prices for pig iron. both
IN trade circles and at meetings of iron
and steel men, there is prospect OF very
lttie change in the War Industries
Boaras ideas as to prices in the valley
district, and most of the complaints o.
lnequity have already been passed aside
The complaints have been chiefly as 10
other districts. Tennessee and virginia
making the strongest protests. with Ala.
bama good third and southern Ohio
next. Valley and detached western
pennsylvania furnaces are fairly well
supplied with coke. so far as tonnage
goes, but there Is still considerable con-
plant about the quality of the coke fur
nished. particularly as to that made IN
beehive ovens. The Fuel AdminIstra-
tion took this matter strongly in hand
some time ago. and intends 10 pcrairzs
shippers of coke Of inferior quality.
mostly by making the selling price 81
ton less than the standard The Fuel
Administrator here has also Sc rs
hands on several shippers of dirty
coal. or coal mined too near the surface,
eSDeCtlllV
mines that have been opened in the last
two years, and has compelled the selling
OF such coal SO cents a ton less than tho
set price.
The coal situation In western Pennsyl-
Vania Is in better condition than in sew
eral years and the output Is heavier
However. greater demands are being
made for coal every wee X, and dealers
are finding considerable trouble I'm ge'-
ting full supply for contract purposes,
so that general orders are waiting =, Nc
hlled all the time. At all the m.n.s ex-
ira precautions are taken to insure a r.i
days work by the foreigners, with a lnr
measure of success, and at many of 10
mines where the English speaking work.
men predominate there is no truN ie
getting them to work overtime. Ou'A
n number OF mines in the NlonouEtHcll
Valley have Their men going in early IN
the morning with no quitting tina
posted, SO that the men stay IN as long
as they are physically able. TINS a.
counts for the optimistic reporL4 Of ,oal
production in this end OF the State.
Increase of Coke and Coal.
In the Connellsville coke region glow
ing reports are made ofIan increase N
coke and coal aggregate production o.
/ 81