IRON AND STEEL MARVRTiOl'9 GROWTH OF PITTS IIl'KCi'S URKAT INDUSTRY. Its Numerous Tllnst Furnaces, Roll ins Mills nnl Steel Works An Immense Outfit Women Work In Mills. y OME startling statistics rcgard- ing tho iron and steel industry JLO of rittsbtirg have just lecn mado public by tho annual statistical report of tho American Iron nd Htecl Association. Thoy were compiled by James M. Swank, tho general manager of the association, ml wero presented to tho members. Mr StV u 41,. nl,li.l,. f !, T. end Steel Bulletin and recognized authority on tho matter. His figures may he accepted rs rcliabln. I'ittlsbnrg, says correspondent of tho Now York Journal, has now twonty seven blast furnaces, twenty-nine steel works and thir!y-fonr rolling mills. In 1892, when the iron industry was booming, there were prod need in the twenty-six blastfurnaces (tho number existing at that time) 1,775,357 gross tons of pig iron. In 1893, with one moro furnace, tho total production was 1,697,207, or only 78,050 tons less. This was tho panic year during which wages were cut lower and lower until the workers tcbelled and long strikes wero the result. In 1894, which was also hard times year, tho production of pig iron was 1,782,07!, or 0822 tons more than during the boom year of 1892. Tho report also shows that in 1892 there were sixty-two rolling mills and steel works which produced 1,005,974 tons of crudo steel. In the following year tho decrease was only 15,201 tons, whilo in 1891, whon tho country began to feel the beneficial effects of tariff reform, tho production was 1, 893,(190, or almost 300,000 tons moro than in 1892. The total production of pig iron, A WOMAN AT WORK TS A riTTSBURO TI TLATE MILL. steel ingots, crude steel, rails, sheets, plates, rolled iron and steel, etc, in 1892 in this oity was 7,801,397 tons. In the following year there was a slight -decrease to 7,877,881 tons, which in 1891 jumped to 8,501,819 tons, or 700,422 tons more than during the big year of '92. The origin of the iron and steel in dustry, its growth and development is a marvellous story. The beginning of the manufacture of iron in West--em Pennsylvania, and the first fur nace built, dates back to 1790. It was then located in what is now the most fashionable residence seotion of Ritts burg, Shady Side. A rolling mill on small scale wag ereoted there in 1811. The close proximity to the inex haustible supply of soft coal fields and the natural shipping facilities afford ed by the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, mado Pittsburg magnet for the iron and steel pio neers, and the one rolling mill plant quiokly spread and multiplied. p1 A BLAST FURNACE. Within few years virgin forest trees gave way to smokestacks, and at night scores of furnace fires around which toiled brawny, half-naked men lit up the surrounding hills and gave n Awesome weirdness to the small vil lage. In 1803 an iron and brass foundry was established. It afterward cast the cannon which blared in victory from Perry's littlo fleet on Lake Erie. Can non have been made here for three wars. During the last Civil War over '2000 guns were made. The "Iron Oity" produoos one-fifth -of the entire amount of iron and steel made in the United States, and one third that of the State of Pennsylva nia, the production of the latter being over one-half of the ontpnt of the country. The largest Bessemor steel works and tha greatest eruoible plant are located here. A year Ago the total number of op eratives was 2000. This of oourse in cludes Homestead, Braddook and oth er towns within a few miles of the oity, and whioh will be inolnded in the Greater Pittsburg. The employes re ceive in wage in one year between 138,000,000 And 110,000,000. Tho largest oonccrn is the Carnegie Steel Company, which is capitalized at $25,000,000. It employs 10,000 mon and boys. In the way of produc tion it tnrns out 100,000 tons of pig iron per month, and the same number of tons of open hearth and Bessemer steel blooms, billots, structural shapes, eto. The finished product Aggregates from twenty to twenty-five cars per day. At the Braddock rail mill steel rails thirty feet long are rolled ont nt the rato of two each second, or 120 per minute. An avorago day's work is eighteen mites of single track. On the opposite siilo of the Monon- gahcln River, and three miles bolow Braddock. are the Homestead works, mado famous by tho strike and riots of 1892. Armor plates, beams, eto., are the principal products of this plant. The armor mills are now practically shut down on account of no work. The company has finished its con tracts for Government work, and is now ready to make armor for any for eign Tower. In tho structural mills the employes are getting out an order of 37,000 tons of beams and girders for the Manhattan "L road system. Since tho armor plate frauds it is almost as hard to break into the Homestead milln as it is to get out of jail. No one is admitted without pans, uniformed guard standing as sentinel over bridge at tho main en trance. As tho visitor who is fortu nate enough to secure ticket ap proaches the mills from tho yard the wholo interior appears to bo filled with shower of gold. From the month of the "converter," fan-shaned flame of vast proportions sweeps roofward, and from this comes the torrent of fiery sparks which sweep high in the air, and then fall on the earthen floor, kept continually covered with water. On narrow ledge at tho far side of the bnilding, high up in the air, and directly opposite to the "converter," stand three men, the "mclter" andhis assistants. They are in a cowering at titnde, as though shrinking from the flood of tiro, and the "melter," with s class hold to bis evo. watchos the flame coming from the "converter," nntil by its color he recognizes the right moment for turning ont the molten steel into the molds. At his signal the "oonvertor" is tilted forward, sending ont motal as bright as silver. Thus all day and night the melter stands And makes the basis of wealth for the world by the oontrol of living fire. Personal skill alone qualifies him for his office, for there is no thumb rnle br whioh ha can control this mighty element. ine praotloal process of making Bessemer steel consists in patting pig iron into the "converter" and blow ing the oarbon ont of it by means of immense draughts. The sheets of flamejonb sees are inoandescent car bon. Later the steel is remelted and treatod with speigle iron, etc., to re storo the right quantity of carbon. Next to the Carnegie interests the largost plant is that of Jones & Laugh lins. At the head of it is B. F. Jones, who, as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, ran the Blaine campaign. Tho firm employes 8500 men and treats them bettor than any other oompany. Within tho past few years the iron business nas been revolutionized. Puddling iron has given way to tho improved and cheaper mothodi of making stool. Stool has taken the place of iron in all kinds of structural work, and scores of puddling furnaces are idle. . Steel does not wear as well as good iron, And shrewd manufactures predict a return to the days of puddling. Jonos & Laughlins have less than one fourth of their puddling furnaces in operation, but will have use for them later. The day of high wages in the iron and steel business has passed never to return. Up until the time when the Carnegie Steel Company, after great loss of life, succeeded in almost break ing tho Amalgamated Association, soores of man who were paid Accord ing to the production of the mills upon whioh they worked, reoeived from $25 per day upward. Rollers came to the mills in car riages and behind fast horses, and lived on the best they could get Hun dreds of men who a few year ago, if they did not make from 810 to 815 per day wonld have bemoaned their hard luok, are now working for 83 and 83 per day. Notwithstanding the reduoed duty on tin plate, which the manufacturers olaimed would compel them to close their mills, the tin plants Are flourish ing. One of the odd features of the erection of tin plate mills is the intro duction of women in the iron And steel trades. At the plant of the Mo nongaheln Tin Date Company iu South Tittsbiirg, and which is now partly owned by United States Senator Quay, women work on tho floor of the mill Alongside men. Ther wear coarse clothing, with heavy Aprons, and on their hands they have gloves. Tho women stand at the rolls with tongs and catch the plates as thy come ont. Thoy cut, Mip" and sep arate them, and do the work better than men. The women learned the business in Wales, and earn from 83 to 88 per week. Husband and wife work in the same mill, the former at the furnace and tho latter at the rolls. "For years girls have Iwcn employed in the bolt and nut factories of that city, but this is the first time they have Actually worked on tue floor of a mill with the glare of a furnace on one side and the whirr of heavy tolls on tho other. As it is the enstom for women to work in tin mills in Wales, the mon do not object to tho women. The latter will be taken into the Amalgamated Association, as the work they perform is covered by the scale. The iron and steel business will fur ther develop by the building of new railroads and the Lake Erie and Ohio Uiver.Ship Canal. The latter is a cer tainty, and, when completed, will make Pittsburg in reality tho greatest manufacturing oity in tho world. For Slijinif Horses. A really remarkablo device for making any shying horse perfectly calm and tractable is the new inven tion of Henry Small, of this city, says tho Hartford Timos. Properly speak ing it is not a "bit," for it does not go into the horse's month at all, but is only a simple nose-piece that goes over the horse's upper lip, but does uot necessarily draw on or even scarce ly touch it unless the driver has a gentle pull on it ; then it touches the end of the animal's nose or upper lip ; and that mere touch, which should not be increased much, does the whole business. Mr. Small's contrivance consists of A simple head strap, properly braced and coming down between the horse's eyes and nostrils, to its end in the shape of a sort of little metallio up per lip. This latter little pieoe of metal, only about two inches long and not half an inch wido, is humorously called "trolley bit." Its curving sido-ends, lke an ordinary lit, are so devised that a very slight, gentle pnll on the reins brings the "trolley bit" against the tip of the horse's nose. In eomploto absorption in the study of a new experience the horso may be driven right up by the side of a noisy locomotive, or of a gong-banging trol ley car, that presents to the horse, under ordinary circumstances, the sinister aspect of a moving, porhaps a living thing, going without Any visi- NOSE BIT FOR HORSES. ble means of compulsion ; and in his strict Attention to the new sensation At the tip of his nose he will take no notioe of the oar of the looomotive. The queerest thing of all is the fact that no amount of use or familiarity with the nose-touoher arrangement seems to lessen the horse's interest in it. The Fogoulp. The following explanation is givon of the remarkable condition expressed by the word pogonip : "This is said to be a name givon by the mountain eers of Nevada to a sort of frozen fog thai Appears sometimes in winter,even on the dearest and brightest days. In sn instant the air is filled with float ing needles of ice. To breathe the pogonip is death to the lungs. When it comes, Indians at well as whites rush for shelter. It appears to be caused by the sudden freezing in the air of the moisture whioh oolleots About the summits of the high peaks. " New York Ledger. HANDICAPPED. r-wi ! Grant Hamilton "Phew I Frank Leslie's. . NUS-SIMUBLF. LtFE-BOAT, Description of nn Interesting Craft Constructed by A Chicago Inventor. A. L. Hedbcrg, a Swedish inventor residing in Chicago, exhibited iu the Inter-Ocean office the model of a new life-boat which he has just patonted. Made of galvanized ironin ootua) service different materials can be used the miniature looks like a large turnip, And is in two parts, cut apart TITO HEW NON-SI NKAUTiR BOAT. horizontally at the line of greatest girth. The halves, however, are firmly clamped together with a water tight connection, when the toy is dumped into- the water, to which it takes as jauntily as a rubber feather, and the only means of entrance and exit then is via a little npward open ing like a melon plug, and very easily made use of. as also readily rendered watertight in its turn. At the top are several little hole for ventilation, but whioh ett also be closed at will. Furthermore-, there are six windows, round as portholes in the ordinary ship. Over nil this is a flagstaff which oan bo lowered nd put np at pleas ure, with waterproof connections and ventilation device, and on the top of the fiagNtaff is a lantern. There are two oar holes also, one on each fide, similarly water-tight in the play of tue pair ol strong serviceable oars. And, last and most important of all, me appai atus always rulos the wave right-side-np-with-care, because of the abundant ballast in the bottom. The interior of tho miniature is fitted nn completely, with seats nil around the wall, and there are straps for addi tional support in case of storm. For practical use, tho inventor pro poses a "life-boat" of this description which shall be either eight feet high by six feet in diameter, at the widest girth, with a seating capacity of ten persons, or else one ten feet high and eight feot wide, seating twenty-five persons. The former style, made wholesale, would cost only 8125, and would carry 1000 pounds without Biuk ing more than four feet in tho water, riding as buoyaut as a top. In the base would be plenty of room for sup plies nnd water to last from ten to fif teen persons several weeks, without any danger from water or vitiatodair For the first-named size of boat the circular entrance would be throo feet in diameter, and tha windows one foot. Chains are attached on theout side for people out in the water to catch hold and climb up by. The life boat cannot possibly tip over, but simply bobs up and down like a cork, Already on Lake Calumet there is I littlo "life-boat" of this pattern, and the inventor expects soon to have one on Lake Michigan. Chioago inter Ocean. Where Girls Are Depreclaloil, In some parts ot Sicily the birth of a girl is always an unweloomo an nouncement. In faot, it is regarded as a sad event and is made known to the world by a black flag, whioh is hung out of the window. The reason that such an event is looked upon as a misfortune is because the young Woman has to be supported by her family until married and then she is supposed to come to the bridogroom with a dot. This, of oourse, is trying, bnt the Sioilian father is not as badly off as the American parent. Oirls in Sioily are married between the agog of fourteen and sixteen. They live in seclusion until they are married, when they are disposed of on a purely financial basis. New York Telegram, Solltn le Made Her Insane. An insane woman was btought to Seattle, Wash., from a ranch in th interior of the State last weok aud senl to an asylnm. The supposed oause ol her insanity suggested by the dootori was "the solitude of ranoh life." New York Suu. f the worst tackled. This i the worst hill I ever WHAT WOMEN WEAK FOR STRKKT WKAtT MOHAIR 19 UltKATLY tSKO IN PARIS. The latest Fnd for Waists Colov to Predominate. In Sllllliiery t'p-to-Oate Dust I loaks. 7C USEFUL rig of many possi- bilities brought over from Paris is a street costume of J" mohair in a beautiful buckle- berrv blue. Mnhair is in Paris tho texture at present most seen in plain street gowns, and the favorite model is a plain skirt and a box coat with a back in one piece. t Sometimes this will hang plain from a pointed yoke, and in almost every rase' two little opnuings are left at the bottom of tho nnder arm seams, mak ing the slits seen in masculine or shirt bottoms. Close stitching gives nil edges a neat tailor Anion, aud where the seams of some of the skirts will be left plaiu others will be strapped over with narrow bands of the samo mater ial. The model of the skirt is a godetcd back and a front cut of the width of the material, which runs to bias scams into tho back, nnd pro duces at the sido that ontwurd flirt so becoming and easy to the feet. The buttons used will be great things as big as butter plates, of smoked pearl, born or fancy metal, and i.ven those of Dresden china, gayly flowered, are said to be in good taste. Attain, a mohair gown will show no buttons at all, the fronts of tbo single- CRISP AND breasted jacket fastening neatly under a stitched flap, such as finishes a man's box coat. As for the French mohairs them selves they are mcsl beautiful. The handsomest patterns are enormously wido and in a loose sort of bunting weave, and not even in-blaok do they suggest the shiny funereal things one is accustomed to associate with the name. In oolor the huckloberry blue is perhaps tho latest tint, but a more gracious and becoming one is a soft wuvy brown that s'eoms especially ef footive when worn with a blouse in any of the gontle groens now fashion able. One brown mohair gown, that has just made its debut in New York, has bodloe in crinuea biik, patterned gorgeously and confusedly with palm leaves in many colors, it was simply gathered at the neok and waist into a belt And stook of black satin ribbon, and the sleeves, whioh were entirely without stiffening, fell in a great loose puff three-quarters length. This palm leaf silk, together with gauze pat terned in the same way, is the very latest Frenoh fads for waists. In some of the gauzes the tones are wonderful, great splotches of flame shading into emerald oreen, and again melting into effoots that are almost brown. No trimmings are used with them, the many colorings of the texture being the point intended for notioe. There are Always a plaic ribbon stook and belt, however, and sometimes these will reproduoe a predominating tint in the trauze. emerald green, a tiame rea, or else an orange huo that is positive ly startling. Indeed, if one is to judge from the bodiocs, and some of the flower deoked hats that come over to us from Paris, oolor is to be more and more the thing as the season advances. Hats bis and little Are simply laden down with gay posies. In some oases, with the exoeption of a narrow fold of vel vet that faces the under brim, there is not ray of other trimming, and the blossoms will be massed irrespective of tint or degree. Modest daisies, for instance, will hobnob with gorgeous flags, and haughty orohids rub elbows with field violets. Again, on a aingle low crowned sailor hat there will , be ivy leaves with the violets, and, be sides, wreath of roses with loose trembling petals that shade all the way from palest pink to a red so deep that it is almost like the black of the famous German tulip. Sometimes, indeed, there will be a blaok rose un der brim, And with muob oolor Above thii never fail to be effective. poor CLOAKS. Who ever sees a dust cloak nowa days? No one. Not because the dust cloak has oeased to exist, but because it 1ms become such glorified creation that those who look for it, remember ing the old alpaca and linen "dust A! WEAL DUST CLOAK. ers," fail to recognize it for what it is. The fiu-de-siecle dust cloak in mado of "gloria" silk,, which i both rain proof aud dust resisting. It is so light that it will not crush the most elaborate dress not even the sleeves and while It envelopes- the entire costume, the wearer of the garment COOL FROCKS. does not suggest a tarpaulin wrapped paroel, because the ooat looks smart in itself. What could be nicer than such a dust cloak for the dweller in suburban parts, the freqnenter of sub urban trains, the taker of dusty cabs? DAINTY STRAW HAT. It is noticeable that many straw hats are scantily trimmed, bnt examination will disclose the faot that the straw is very prettily colored and elaborately woven. That, acoording to current UBage, makes permissible but little trimming, whioh often oons'sts of lit tie mare than oce or two aigrette bunches of violets, the long stems twisting into cords that pass about tho brim, and, perhaps, oatoh it up here and there. This rule, however, is by no means imperative, but is tasteful in its results, as can be judged by con sideration of this piotured hat whioh is of old gold straw bent into deeper points at the sides and coming down with a graceful sweep in front and baok. It is trimmed with a large bow of ribbon And bunches ot pansies, smaller clusters of the flowers showing bat of old gold straw. beneath the brim. Around the neok a scarf of mauve chiffon is wora that falls down the front in long ends and is ornamented with bunohes of pansies, oorrosponding to tnose on the bat. With auoh a beautiful accessory to at tract Attention from the headgear there is no danger of Adverse oritioisin upon, the Utter beoause ot a look of trim ming, if, indeed, fault would be found, even on close examination. Maryland has tut iwneaied. va.lua.tian, Ot 8497,307.675, ' ilIii7rVVAt Jt t w 1 1 tr c t z ' m it n mi m it 'it
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers