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Show ZINC INDUSTRY IS IN PECULIAR SHAPE Smcltnig Capacity Limited by the Falling Fall-ing of Several Oil Fields. The zinc industry has worked Itself It-self Into a situation that is unparal leled in the memory of twenty years, and Is likely to be of Important effect upon lh.. market f,.r the metal. Briefly 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 leading lead-ing to these conditions are different. It ia useless to summarize their nature na-ture and devote some consideration to the probable results, sayg the Engineering En-gineering and Mining Journal In the United States a chronic condition con-dition during ,the last twenty yenrs ha9 bee a surplus of smelling capacity, capa-city, a condition that is almost inher- ent to all branches of metallurgical Industry. We have witnessed one radical rad-ical change In zinc smelting, the virtual abandonment of tho old Belgian Bel-gian system in Kansas and Missouri, about 10001901, when the natural gas of Iola and other places began to be extensively used for fuel, but this change created no disturbance in gen-eral gen-eral commercial conditions. In fact, it was contributory to the enlargement of smelting capacity, the natural gas smelteries being built with much larger larg-er furnace units and larger aggregate capacity than forrnerl. while those of the old coal smelteries that were kept in good repair could be. and were, put into lemnomry operation when market conditions rendered that profitable profit-able The eventual failure of the supply of natural zas In Kansas and the probable prob-able transfer of the zinc smelting industry in-dustry to Illinois were early pointed out. and these prospects were recognized recog-nized by many ongaired In zinc smelt-Ing smelt-Ing There has been a noteworthy construction of new works lu Illinois but by no means enough, and as often of-ten tho case in such matters, the impending im-pending situation comes as more or less of a surprise. The supply of natural gas in Kansas Kan-sas has been waning for several years, but has been checked out by new drilling, and now and then by the discovery dis-covery of small outlying pools. It appears, however, that the supply at Iola will probaby give out this "winter, "win-ter, whie nl 3'iiiie other smelting points in Kansas the situation Is critical, criti-cal, and continuance of gas supply is anticipated for only two or three yearn. It is considered by some persons per-sons that this coming failure of natural na-tural gas Is golne to create a distinct shortage In smelting capacity, with the redult that the smelters will be able to exact practically their own terms for thetr ppelter and pav for ore only what will suffice to maintain the production pro-duction of the choice grades that thev will especially want. We think that the tendency wilt be in those directions, direc-tions, but we think alsi that ameliorating amelior-ating factors will prevent, by very much, the markets from going" to the extremes that some anticipate. The total production of virgin spelter spel-ter In the I'nlted States in 1909 was 2CC.-162 ons. J)f this. 157.09S tons were produced by smelters using na-tural na-tural gas as fuel, and o.s.ir,.j tons by smelters using coal. Smelters making mak-ing sulphuric acid as a by-product pro-duced pro-duced 103.OS7 tons of spelter. Some of these used natural gas as fuel, and some coal, tho latter greatly predominating. |
