Evening star., 1946-05-24
Shortages TieUp
ANExcept0neof
Bethlehem Mills.
U. S. Steel Expects
275,000 Will Be
Idle by Monday
BY the Associoted Press

NEW YORK, May 24.-Swiftly
moving paralysis hit large seq
mentS of the Nations steel in
dustry today, with the worlds
largest steel producer preparing
for a complete shutdown by
Monday If the rail strike con-
tinues.
The second biggest steel company,
Bethlehem, reported all of its steel
making operations already had been
shut down with the exception of a
plant at JohnstoWn, Pa. where sew
aral open hearths continued to sop-
crate.
A spokesman for the United
States Steel Corp. said 275, 900 work
ers in its various operations would
be idle by Monday if the double
impact of the rail tieup and the
coal shortage continued. Only
maintenance crews would be kept on
The Bethlehem Steel Co. closing
at Bethlehem, Pa, made 5000 more
workers idle
Bethlehems LackaWanna plant
halted all steel and iron production
completely and kept only a single
battery of coke ovens in operation.
Another Halts Sunday.
At TonaWanda, N. Y, the Wick
wire Spencer division OF the Col
orado Fuel & Iron Co. planned to
halt all production on Sunday be-
cause of inability to get shipments
out Of the plant. It's blast furnace
operations thereafter would be
turned to foundry iron instead of
basic iron for steelmaking.
Republic Steel reported from
Cleveland that it was continuing
operations there for the present, but
could make no forecast as to how
long this would continue. At Buff
falo, N. Y, Republic withdrew one
of its seven hearths from service.
The Ore and Coal Exchange in
Cleveland reported that all ore and
coal fleets on the Great Lakes were
preparing to tie up their vessels be-
cause of the rail strike and would
have them at moorings within 48
hours.
21S Were in Commission.
OF the 218 vessels in commission,
the exchange estimated IS to 70 per
cent were in operation when the rail
strike began, having resumed their
runs under the coal truce Two
weeks ago they were laid up by
the fuel shortage.
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., United
States Steel subsidiary which op-
crates 62 vessels. largest inland fleet
in the world, announced orders had
gone out to tieup the entire fleet.
with the crews remaining aboard
until further notice Fifteen ore
carriers will lay up at Duluth and
two harbors, the rest at lower lake
ports.
Shipping men explained the tieup
came because loading operations are
handled by railroad men, and be-
cause the strike stopped rail trans
portation from the Minnesota iron
ore mines to upper lake docks.
U. S. Steel Closing Down.
The Vast operations of United
States Steel appeared to be moving
rapidly toward complete stop. A
blrdseye survey showed:
The corporations coal mines in
West Virginia. Kentucky and Illi-
nois operated today, but will close
at the end of the working day be-
cause cars are lacking. One mine
in Alabama was idle. Another at
Palmer, Pa. will continue to oper-
ate as its output is transported by
water.
All of the corporations interplant
railroads. which move the multi
tude of materials and finished prod
ucts from one plant to another,
were idle.
The corporations subsidiaries op-
Grated this week at approximately
33 per cent of potential capacity, but
no forecast of activity next week
will be undertaken pending a better
view of the immediate future.