US Steel idles Indiana mill due to lack of ore (& climate change)

MSN ^ | 4/05/14

[Libloather]

GARY, Ind. (AP) — U.S. Steel has temporarily halted steelmaking at its massive northwestern Indiana mill because the ice-covered Great Lakes have cut off its access to vital iron ore and other raw materials.

The company said in a letter to its customers that it has idled the Gary Works complex's blast furnaces and steelmaking operations "due to unforeseen and unprecedented ice conditions on the Great Lakes" after the Midwest's frigid winter, The Times of Munster reported (http://bit.ly/QMW0D4 ).

"These severe ice conditions have not occurred on the Great Lakes for more than three decades," the letter states.

Treacherous ice covering much of Lake Superior has prevented freighter ships from hauling iron ore — an essential ingredient in steelmaking — from Minnesota's Iron Range to northwestern Indiana steel mills.

[crz]

Nope. Boats. On the oceans they are called ships.

And what EVER you do, dont call them ships to any sailer that sails on the Great Lakes.

[pierrem15]

I doubt they can shut the blast furnaces down- I think they are coke fired.

[crz]

I see the A Anderson is still going. Remember that boat?

[Paladin2]

Well the Saint Laurence Seaway was opened in 1959 and since then newer vessels that seem to be only operated in the Great Lake have begun to resemble their Ocean sailing brethren, at least the newer ships that could more readily sail on the open seas should be called ships.

[Thunder90]

They just got 2 feet of snow in Houghton yesterday...

[Paladin2]

As a kid, I saw all sorts of foreign vessels going through the Welland Canal (one could quite easily approach the edge of the lock).

People were trading stuff with the crew sometimes.

Many of the Ocean Goers were smaller than the Lake Freighters.

Heck, many of the US Navy ships on the Great Lakes were smaller than the Lake Freighters.

"In January 1813, William Jones (who had replaced Hamilton as the United States Secretary of the Navy) ordered the construction of two brig-rigged corvettes at Presque Isle, and transferred shipwright Noah Brown there from Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario to take charge of construction. Other than their rig and crude construction (such as using wooden pegs instead of nails because of shortages of the latter), the two brigs were close copies of the contemporary USS Hornet. The heaviest armament for the ships came from foundries on Chesapeake Bay, and were moved to Presque Isle only with great difficulty."

Ships, they said ships!

[Paladin2]

What about this puppy?

I have no idea about the list of the multitudinous "ships" I saw going through the Welland Canal as a kid. There may be a few (Brownie) photos in some bin somewhere.

I also saw a few running the rapids both ways under the Blue Water Bridge (and some in the Soo Locks, in the Maumee River, in the Ontario to St. Lawrence locks, in Superior, Duluth, Thunder Bay and other places around the ponds).

[glorgau]

If they shut the blast furnaces down, this would be an excellent opportunity to reline them. I used to know some guys that did that for a living. Good pay but very hard, hot, dirty job.

[flaglady47]

Nice pic; evocative and atmospheric. Like it.

[Organic Panic]

Crap. I have to order anout 1000 lbs of chromoly steel bars and that’s where my supplies come from. Blast this global warming!!!

[trebb]

Maybe Gordon Lightfoot can write a song about it.

Or the aftermath - it could be called The Night Chicago Dried.

[crz]

I worked at Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin welding on the boats there for a short while. The Great Lakes boats are built to flex more, where the ocean going ships were built stout.

Just talk to anyone who ride the ocean going ships on the great lakes, and ask them what its like on them, in a storm, on the great lakes.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

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[Paladin2]

"Just talk to anyone who ride the ocean going ships on the great lakes, and ask them what its like on them, in a storm, on the great lakes."

YouTube has some impressive movies of the flexing that I've seen.

[crz]

If I remember right, the ore boat (a Thousand Footer) was designed to flex some 8 to 10 feet or more.
As I said, I left for another job after just a short couple of weeks, so I did not get to see it finished. In trials, they would load it in the middle to test it..etc.