The Iron Age 1910-07-14: Vol 86 Iss 2

Established 1855 Published Every Thursday by the BAVID WILLIAMS COMPANY 14-16 Park Place, New York Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Mall Matter. Subscription Price, United States and Mexico, $5.00 per Annum; to Canada, $7.50 per Annum ; = ee $10.00 per Annum. Cents. Cuarces T, Roor, = - o - - PRESIDENT CHARLES KIRCHHOFF, ° - ° = - ViCE-PvestDEeNnT W. H. TAYLOR, = é TREASURER AND GENERAL MANAGER HaroLo S., BUYTENHEIM, - - - - - SECRETARY , Geo. W. Cope, - : - : - \ eorrons A. 1, Finovey, - - - - - H. R. CoBLeicu, - - - - - MECHANICAL EorTor Branch Offices Philadelphia, Real Estate Trust Building Chicago, Fisher Building Pittsburgh, Park Building Cleveland, American Trust Building Boston, Compton Building Cincinnati, Second N't'l Bank Bidg CONTENTS. Paa! Editorial : meee eron’ Martel... il eee doe Sec cece 69 Our Excessive Pig Iron Production. ...........600055 70 Ambiguities of the New French Tariff............... 70 Living Up to Agreed Deliveries..............-.0000- 71 Steel Quality an Issue in Germany...............05. 71 Useless Machinery Requirements...................- 71 June Copper. Production and Stocks...........esceeeeees 72 The Sturtevant Salesman’s Convention................6. 72 Early Iron Making in Eastern Pennsylvania.....:..2...... 2 ", Ironsand Metal Market Reports...........c.0s..0005. 73 to 81 ET eee | a 82 Canadian Shipbuilding Matters............. 00.0 ce ee eees 82 The Acheson Graphite Companies and Products........... 82 me ae a a ee ee 33 to 95 I NN a 5 oes cere a'e.s'6.b emee dé 95 The Mechanical Engineers’ Fnglish Meeting.............. 95 SE 2 8 OM a eS ot. Bear es a, er 97 The Morris & Bailey Steei Company’s Improvements...... 97 SE Ue stats Ta 6 bos « Eee lOW ON RWS CRA C6 aurea’ 98 The International Congress*of Mining, Metallurgy and Ap- ERTS ca (Sc 'k evs ceases 6 bd ea SRS wR Bae 99 SIS CEG EV COROT CT ETO TE Ferrer 107 The Present Status of the Basic Bessemer Process in Ger- a Saad ede te kh a oreiianed 4 8s, o0h0.04 9 hake eke ae oe 108 Coaper Mrigine Contracteii’ <i. . bre. 6S. Aaa. oe ee 110 Allis-Chalmers Fire Pumps for Baltimore. Illustrated..... 110 A Large Cleveland Multiple Punch. Illustrated.......... 111 Dodge Brothers’ New Plant at Detroit...............005. 111 Exposure Tests of Structural Steel Coatings. Illus........ 112 EON en. okie Ca wba 0:0:0's qeece dhetin tte 114 A Large Riehle Testing Machine. ....5.......0eseeeebes: 114 Ajax PlectricRiveters. “ Tllustrated..c.. . 5.084. -s0-. ce 115 A Large Bavarian Iron Ore Deposit..............e0ee00- 115 The Newton 26-In. Cold Saw Cutting-off Machine, Illus... 116 A Motor-Driven Queen City Shaper. Illustrated.......... 117 A New Norton Car Wheel Grinder, Illustrated........... 118 Sharon Steel Hoop Company Extensions... ...0.....65 +05 118 Lake Superior Mining Developments:.*..... we ame ce oka oe 119 G, E. Drum Type Controllers for Machine Tools. Illus.... 120 The Woréester Half Time Sehool....../...........000855 120 Lackawanna Steel Company Earnings.........6+++.+++-- 121 A Large Casting Made by the Prime Steel Company. Illus, 121 Trade” Publications... ...)......4..0.... | ov Mies as Whe 122 The Kempsmith Mfg. Company's New *Plant..<.i .ss.0..«. 123 CoE SMOOR NGOS sik. i ence tone ues 0 os ee oiea . 124 HE [RON AGE New York, July 14, 1910 No. 2 Voi. 86: A Drifting Iron Market Buyers Await Developments from Without Pig Iron Lower, While Prices in Various Finished Products Are Gradually Yielding For the first half of July the iron trade has been drifting and buyers are waiting for outside develop- next Crop reports have been a foremost factor in the past week, but the estimates, while less favorable than could be wished, ments to determine their move. are far from indicating disaster, the shortage in spring wheat being compensated for in large part by premised increases in winter wheat, corn, hay and cotton. There is a disposition on the part of some leaders in the in- dustry to base their forecasts on broader tendencies that may be of slow operation, since they involve a process of readjustment, Reports have been scattered widely in the week of reductions in prices of steel products, some of them re- ferring in terms to agreements among the producers to make radical cuts. The fact is that the situation as to prices has not changed from what has been noticed for There has been a gradual yielding as the vol- On plates and structural shapes 1.40 cents, Pittsburgh, is weeks. ume of orders ahead of the mills has decreased. now more common. There are also further conces- sions on sheets and wire products. Exact measurement of the shrinkage in iran and steel consumption is difficult. Some gauge may be taken from the operations of the United States) Steel Corporation, which has been keeping its pig iron pro- duction closely in line with the demand upon its steel works. Its subsidiaries now have 36 blast furnaces idle, against 35 one week ago, and 74 per cent. of ca- pacity is active. The structural trade, while not as active as in June, is still promising. In New York City the south sec- tion of the New York Central Terminal, 10,000 tons, is about to be let. In addition to the 12,500 tons for the Western Maryland, taken by the MecClintic-Mar- shall Construction Company, 3000 tons for the Utah Copper Company and 2500 tons for an office building are the largest contracts of the week. Plate mills are operating at from two-thirds to three-fourths of their capacity. In the East the four steamers.to be built at , Sat News, two for the West Indian and two for Chesapeake Bay trade, repre- sent about 8000 tons of plates. Pipe line work is the salvation of the wrought pipe industry in the dullness of merchant pipe. The Texas Company has bought 100 miles of 8-in. pipe from the leading intérest and 100 miles of 6-in. pipe from Steu- benville, and the former has also taken 90 miles of 12- in. pipe for a natural gas line in Canada. One com- pany has closed contracts for 30,000 tons of-products for oil country use. The railroads are not expected to make any con- siderable demand upon the rail mills in the balance of eas es at ay reseen a oes hg. a> Ces a TR ae on fe on S. ts ‘f Ry “ 4 ta 4 heey es i. ie ae > Tian ag - 5 ie) as . Pe 3 a af * 7° THE IRON AGE the year and some intimations have been given of the postponement of deliveries, but the amounts involved are not significant thus far. Steel bar and tin plate mills continue to lead in the extent of their activity. Iron bars are apparently a diminishing factor in the market. The labor scale set- tlement was never of less moment than it is this year. A further conference will be held next week. The increased producing capacity in wire products is making a further impression upon prices. In the Pittsburgh district one interest whose mills have been shut down has started up all departments. Wire rods are weaker at Pittsburgh and have sold under $29. Inquiries for 20,000 tons of billets have come up at Chicago, but mills in that district cannot accept the business. Pig iron has developed further weakness, in spite of repeated announcements of the bottom. Virginia No. 2 foundry iron has been cut to $13.50 and South- ern and New York State iron have made new low marks for the year. In the Cincinnati district an in- quiry has come up from a steel works for 5000 tons of basic and 3000 to 4000 tons of Bessemer iron for delivery in the last half of the year. Foundries are doing little new buying, except that low priced iron is being taken in small lots to average higher priced contract iron. a Our Excessive Pig Iron Production Over and over the reviews of the pig iron market in the past few months have called attention to the excessive production. The makers of merchant pig iron have been prompt to diagnose the situation, and there has been a general agreement among them in the statement going out from time to time that the market price was uncomfortably close to the cost of produc- tion. It has been agreed, also, that, as this condition cannot soon be cured through an increase in demand, since shrinkage and not expansion has been the rule for some months, the only alternative is such a cutting down of pig iron output as will require some inroad upon furnace stocks to take care of the current rate of consumption. In this connection it is to be noted that while stocks of iron in consumers’ hands increased in the latter part of 1909 and the early weeks of 1910, somewhat to the confusing of furnacemen who had been led to think that shipments represented consump- tion, the furnace interests are now chiefly the carriers of stocks. This condition at least permits of closer checking up than that which preceded. In view of all that has been written about industrial reaction and particularly the receding demand for iron and steel, the readjustment in the blast furnace in- dustry has been moderate and comparatively slow paced. The United States Steel Corporation, with its great diversity of products, has means of knowing promptly the condition of the steel industry as a whole, and also is able to make prompt adjustments. Its pig iron output, therefore, is capable of rapid regulation, and thus may become a fairly close index to the drift of things. In the past two months the corporation has seemingly made a larger proportionate curtail- ment than the independent steel companies. The lat- ter, however, have been coming more closely in line within the past two weeks, several of their furnaces having blown out in that time. July 14, 1910 As stated in these columns’one week ago, the re duction from the high level of pig iron production reached in February—85,616 tons a day for ccke and anthracite pig iron—has now amounted to about 15 per cent., making allowance for several furnaces that have stopped since July 1. It is evident from the con- dition of the market—and every consumer who goes out to buy a round lot discovers it—that the weight of accumulated stocks is being increasingly f*'t. One producer, who may be easily financing his accumu- lated iron, refuses to consider a low offer, but the buyer finds another who is willing to accept it on a single contract which will keep his furnace stocks from becoming unmanageable. The question which the merchant furnace interest has now to answer is whether the situation is to be allowed to drag on as in recent weeks, with the possi- bility of further weakness as the necessities of sellers may become a larger factor, or whether by a more heroic process the supply of iron shall be cut.down to the smaller needs of the country. Sentiment in favor of a very general banking of merchant furnaces for two, three or four weeks has been finding more fre- quent expression of late, but for well-known reasons no movement will be undertaken to make such senti- ment effective. It is now about 20 years since a move- ment for a 30-day banking of furnaces was started at Louisville, Ky., but it failed of general co-operation. In the Mahoning and Shenango valleys such methods have been employed at intervals in the past 15 years, with temporary good effect. In the spring of 1898 the National Association of Non-Bessemer Pig Iron Man- ufacturers was all but organized and the assent of 80 per cent. of the capacity was secured to a plan of regu- lating output. But good times came on while the other 20 per cent. was being labored with and the crisis which the merchant pig iron industry seemed to be facing was avoided. To-day such an association would promptly invite attention from the national Depart- ment of Justice. Naturally those furnaces which have their own ore and coke would be expected to run longer on such a inarket as to-day’s than purely merchant furnaces. Re- cent competition would indicate, moreover, that some of the former have been willing to surrender a frac- tion of their theoretical profit on ore. Yet it would seem that such differences of status in the trade are having less to do with the policy of producers than considerations that are affecting all industries, for ore-buying makers of pig iron are selling ahead with the same apparent freedom as are ore miners. In fact, the persistence of so many blast furnaces might be taken as evidence of stronger faith in improvement later in the year than current developments are calcu- lated to inspire. Ambiguities of the New French Tariff Manufacturers of machinery are concerned over certain ambiguities of the new French tariff. Several of its provisions give promise of serious complication as well as of expense to American exporters. Speak- ing broadly, without going into the details of the schedules, sharp discrimination is made against a pre- cision tool, as compared with less delicate mechanisms, and against the accessory of a machine as compared July 14, 1910 with those parts which are considered indispensable to its operation. An exact definition of the terms in their application to machine tools and machinery will prob- ably be impossible, According to the correspondents of American manufacturers, French commissions are now engaged in this complicated, but essential, task. A nicrometer caliper is a precision tool, but it is asked, Is a 25-cent spirit level to be placed in the same cate- cory? Probably a similar distinction would be made etween milling machines of the several grades. Cer- tainly the difference exists among the grinding ma- hines. It is further asked, To how many change gears is a machine entitled? Where does the excess begin and the classification change to that of accessory? Endless disputes will arise between importers into France and the customs officials, with frequent re- course to the courts. Perhaps precedents will finally accumulate to establish a standard practice controlling the great, majority of questions. The criticism of the cans is not of the tariff rates, but of the vague ing of a statute affecting not only the French eople, but also those. countries whose exports of ma- nery and tools are absorbed by the republic. Living Up to Agreed Deliveries Machinery buyers are renewing their complaints that some of the machine tool builders and dealers are not living up to their promises of deliveries—a criti- cism which always accompanies a return of large de- A natural impulse of a salesman, either in or out of the home office, is to permit his zeal in landing an order to render him ultra-sanguine in his promises as to shipments. Very often a few weeks’ difference in ioted delivery determines the placing of business. mand, ta few sales have been made of late where the de- ling factor was the promise of early shipment, even the face of lower figures offered by competing houses [he temptation is great to sell on a theoretical rate of production of machinery. The chances are usually against the maintenance of such a rate, and salesmen should not permit themselves to trust to luck to help them out. In the long run such a policy does not pay, and each year more of the machinery people are real- izing the fact and are adhering to the rule that so far as it lies within their power they will deal fairly with their customers in this respect. \ reputation for fulfilled promises counts for a reat deal. The buyer will probably associate the ‘haracteristic with reliability of statements as to the ichinery itself. ~ Strive as a machine builder may, cannot always do as he agrees, but his plans should laid with sufficient skill, founded on the records of a good shop system, so that the danger of being com- pelled to transgress against the delivery clause of the contract would be very small. Occasionally a manu- facturer may be able to better the date of a shipment, which then emphasizes the intention to live up to his word. One of the arguments advanced in the trade against the feasibility of enforcing a non-cancellation clause in machinery contracts is that in a large percentage of cases the contracts are broken by the manufacturers themselves through failure to make the specified deliv- eries. Probably this is an overstatement, but there is certainly too much laxity in living up to the letter of a THE IRON AGE 71 contract with regard to deliveries. Punctuality should be cultivated until it becomes a habit. Steel Quality an Issue in Germany Considerable space is given in this issue of The Iron Age to special correspondence from the Interna- tional Congress of Mining and Metallurgy at Duessel- dorf and to abstracts of the important papers read at the section of Practical Metallurgy. These emphasize again the extent of our debt to German engineers for literature of the advance made in iron and steel and related industries in the past 15 years. The Duessel- dorf Congress is monumental in the number and char- acter of the papers it has contributed on subjects of first importance to iron and steel works engineers and to all who would know the conditions of the interna- tional competition in steel works products as affected by German development. Probably the most interesting matter brought be- fore the section of Practical Metallurgy was the paper which is reviewed at length on other pages, dealing with the status of the basic Bessemer steel process in Germany. American steel mantfacturers are not alone in their struggle with the problem of higher quality rail steel which the railroads have been crowding upon them with growing insistence. Those who in the midst of the agitation of three years ago were urging our railroads to place their rail orders abroad may be sur- prised to know how the basic Bessemer process, the pillar of the German steel industry, has been put on the defensive in a similar campaign for high rail quality that has been waged in Germany. It will be seen, moreover, that oxygen, far more than phosphorus, is the German steel maker’s enemy. Not only has the question of the quality of the steel produced in such quantities by the basic Bessemer converters of Ger- many become an issue in international markets, but it is raised by the increasingly rigid specifications of the German state railroads. It will be no small factor also in the work of the committees representing the United States, Germany and Great Britain, that have under- taken to harmonize the steel specifications of the three countries. In this international contest, involving the claims of the converter and the open hearth processes, in which German ptoducers, with their large dependence on Minette ores, are chief sponsors for the converter, we can see how the electric furnace is to loom up more and more, in conjunction with the pneumatic process, as a guarantor of rail quality. Useless Machinery Requirements Some buyers of machinery make it a practice to impose unusual specifications in contracting for new equipment. With this class of customers no standard machine seems to meet the wants of their shops. They would have it a little different. Manufacturers, and more particularly dealers, are obliged for this reason to endure many annoyances in overcoming what they believe to be mistaken theories. The trouble usually lies with one man in the buyer’s works who believes he can improve upon the accepted practice. He likes to change the range of speeds or feeds or make some other correction in design which creates additional costs for the builder and, presumably, for the customer. 72 THE IRON AGE More times than not the change is useless or actually undesirable from the standpoint of results. Occasions arise when departures from the standard type are necessary, and the builders are then glad to co-operate with and give the benefit of their expert knowledge to their customers. Users of machinery, however, should realize that, as they know more of their own products than do the machine tool builders, so do the latter know more of their machines than can possibly be learned from the user’s individual experience. It is each to his trade and each reaping the advantage of the special skill acquired by the other. A chuck maker knows more about chucks than the and the lathe builder knows more about lathes than the chuck manu- facturer. Yet each uses the other’s product continu- ously. Usually, the man who would needlessly alter the specifications of a standard machine has as his own lathe builder, product something foreign to the machine tool business. Men should learn to depend upon the knowledge of proved specialists rather than to rely upon their own observations, which must of necessity be crude by comparison. >-o = June Copper Production and Stocks The June statistics, issued by the Copper Pro- ducers’ Association, contain the following statement of production and stocks: Pounds. Stock of marketable copper of all kinds on hand at all points in the United States, June 1 Production of marketable copper in the United States from all domestic and foreign sources during June.127,219,188 Deliveries of marketable copper during June: For domestic consumption «22+ 608,000,196 For export 65,895,948 160,425,973 Total Stock of marketable copper of all kinds on hand at all points in the United States, July 1 119,259,144 168,386,017 The report shows an increase of surplus stocks during the month of 7,960,044 Ib. ————_>--o______ The Sturtevant Salesmen’s Convention.—The sales- men of the B. F. Sturtevant Company, Hyde Park, Mass., are known personally to so many engineers that it is a matter of interest to note their convention which was held June 15 to 18. The branch office man- agers and salesmen from all over the country assem- bled at the works and general offices at Hyde Park and spent four very busy days in going over general busi- ness matters. The evenings were enlivened by ban- quets and other social features. The last day of the convention closed by a sail down Boston harbor, with an afternoon and evening spent as guests at the Co- hassett home of E. N. Foss, treasurer of the company. The convention was marked by great enthusiasm as the company was just finishing, July 1, the largest business year in its history. <A fine photograph was taken of the participants. It showed a number of the men hold- ing small multivane wheels, such as are used in the Sturtevant Ready-to-Run electric ventilating sets. In the background were huge multivane wheels used for tunnel ventilation. Orem The Bunting Brass & Bronze Company, Alliance, Ohio, has its plans practically complete for the erec- tion of a foundry, 54 x 250 ft.; machine shop, 54 x 100 ft., and several buildings of less size for warehouses, pattern vault, &. The construction will be steel, con- crete and brick, absolutely fireproof, designed for both light and heavy casting and for the finishing of small, duplicate brass parts. It has not been definitely decided as to where the company will locate, but the probabili- ties are that it will be further west than Alliance. July 14, 1910 Early Iron Making in Eastern Pennsylvania Historical Places Being Marked by Tablets The Chester County Historical Society of Pennsy! vania, which has been active in the marking by table'- the sites of various early iron manufacturing plants | that county, unveiled a tablet on the wall of the Phoe- nix Iron Company’s pattern storage house, Phoenix- ville, Pa., marking the site where iron was first rolled at that place in 1783. The inscription on the tablet reads: “ Near this point is the site of the rolling mill, where in 1783 was rolled the first iron in Phoenixville, marked by the Chester County Historical Society, i910.” The history of the iron industry in Phoenix- ville dates from May, 1783, when there was there established a small rolling mill and nail factory. A similar tablet will be placed by the society at Coventryville, marking the site of the Coventry Forge, which will bear the inscription, “ The second iron works in the Province, and the first in Chester County, was here built by Samuel Nutt in 1717. Mordicai Lin- coln, ancestor of Abraham Lincoln, was part owner and blacksmith in 1725. Last heat in 1870. Marked, 1910, by the Chester County Historical Society.” At Warwick Furnace the society will place a tablet bearing the inscription, “ Warwick Furnace, built here 1737 by Mrs. Samuel Nutt, was the third blast furnace in Chester County. The first Franklin stove was cast here and also cannon and cannon balls for the Revo- lutionary Army. Last iron was made in 1867. Marked, 1910, by the Chester County Historical Society.” The society on July 2 unveiled a tablet at the Lu- kens Iron & Steel Works, Coatesville, Pa., marking the site where the first boiler plate was rolled by Dr. Charles Lukens, about 1820, a full account of which was printed in The Iron Age of July 7. In connection with the unveiling of the Phoenix- ville tablet, addresses were made by George B. John- son of the Chester County Historical Society, and Chester M. Spare, who accepted the tablet. Mr. Spare also spoke briefly of the early history of the Phoenix Iron Company. The date of the incorporation of the present company was in 1855. This was the result of development of a plant established many years pre- viously, in which David Reeves, formerly president of that company, acquired a partnership as early as 1827, from which date the Reeves family have been the lead- ing factors in the history of the iron manufacture in Phoenixville. In 1846 a rail mill was built at this plant, and the manufacture of rails extensively en- gaged in. It was in 1855 that the. company began the manufacture of structural shapes. On the mill erected at that time were rolled the first beams and shapes made in America, the largest size being a g-in. beam. In 1861 beams 15-in. in depth were rolled; bridge building was later engaged in, and from time to time greater facilities were added, bringing the plant up to its present high state of efficiency and wide range of product. In the early days the product was of iron, the manufacture of steel being taken up more recently. —_——_+-e—_____ The Canadian Northern Railway Company has been called upon by the Premier of Alberta to fence in lines and right of way in that province, and the work, which was ordered at the instance of farmers living along the lines, is to be begun at once. As the mileage of unfenced lines is great, a heavy tonnage of wire will be required. The American Boiler Manufacturers’ Association of the United States and Canada will hold its next an- nual convention in Chicago, October 10 to 13. The headquarters will be in the Auditorium Hotel. 14, 1910 The Iron and A Comparison of Prices \dvanees Over the Previous Month in Heavy Declines in Italies. Type, At date, one week, one iwonth and one year previous. July 13, July 6, 1910. 1910. June 8, July 14, piG LRON, Per Gross Ton: 1910, 1909. ndrv No. 2, standard, Phila- ORIN “iis bo Sikhs cele tie WR Sata s ndry No. 2, Southern, Cincin- ti <. fSiiseseieaeeiears a6 14.75 14.75 ihe « iletd $16.25 $16.25 $16.75 § 15.00 15. ndry No. 2, local, Chicago. . 16.50 16.75 16.75 17.00 ii . delivered, eastern Pa.... 5.75 15.75 16.25 15,50 Valley furnace. ........ 4.50 14.50 14.75 15.00 emer, Pittsburgh.......... 14.40 16.40 16.65 16.40 Qj forge, Pittsburgh........ 14.40 14.90 15.40 14.90 Lake Superior charcoal, Chicago 1850 18.50 18.50 19.50 BILLETS, &e.. Per Gross Ton: Ressemer billets, Pittsburgh.... 25.00 25.00 25.50 23.00 , billets, Pittsburgh..... 30.00 30.00 31.00 27.00 0 ‘th billets, Philadelphia 28.50 28.50 29.00 25.00 ig; . PERRROONS Sek avn 29.00 30.00 31.00 29.00 St ils, heavy, at mill...... 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 LD MATERIAL, Per Gross Ton: Steel rails, melting, Chieago.... 13.00 13.50 15.00 14.50 Steel rails, melting, Philadelphia 4.25 14.25 14.50 16.00 mn rails, CHICRBO< &. od 5/6 oie 16.75 17.00 17.00 17.00 lron rails, Philadelphia........ 19.00 19.00 20.00 19.50 Car wheels, Chicago........... 144.75 15.00 15.50 16.00 Car wheels, Philadelphia...... 144.50 14.50 15.00 14.75 Heavy steel serap, Pittsburgh... 14.50 15.00 15.25 15.75 Heavy steel scrap, Chicago..... 12.25 12.75 13.50 14.00 Heavy steel scrap, Philadelphia. 14.25 14.25 1450 16.00 FINISHED TRON AND STEEL, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Refined iron bars, Philadelphia. 1.47% 1.47% 1.50 1.45 Common iron bars, Chicago.... 140 1.40 1.47% 1.35 Common iron bars, Pittsburgh. . 1.50 1.50 1.55 1.45 Steel bars, tidewater, New York 1.61 1.61 1.61 1.41 Steel bars, Pittsburgh......... 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.25 Tank plates, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.61 1.66 1.51 Tank plates, Pittsburgh........ 140 1.45 . 1.50. 1.85 Beams, tidewater, New York.... 1.56 1.61 1.66 1.51 Beams, Pittsburgh............. 1.40 1.45 1.50 1.35 \ngles, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.61 1.66 1.51 Angles, PittebuPpias..). 6.6’. i a dies 1.40 1.45 1.50 1.35 kelp, grooved steel, Pittsburgh. 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.30 Skelp, sheared steel, Pittsburgh. 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.40 SHEETS, NAILS AND WIRE, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Sheets, black, No. 28, Pittsburgh 280 2.30 2.40 2.2 Wire nails, Pittsburgh*........ 180: 1.80: 1.80: -1.70 Cut nails, Pittsburgh.......... 1.70 1.75 1.75 1.70 Garb wire, galy.,.Pittsburgh*... 2.10 2.10 2.10 2.00 METALS, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Lake copper, New York........ 12.624212.75 13.00 13.12% Klectrolytic copper, New York.. 12.87%12.3871412.75 13.00 Spelter, New York.......s..0% 5.20 5.20 5.15 5.35 Spelter, St: Lenwin sion +cter 5.05 5.05 5.00 5.27% Lead, New > YOeR ye ostcuhusan 440 440 4.37% 4.35 Lead, St. Teghiy.. seein: ci.0ne 4.25 4.25 4.22% 4.25 Tin, New Yorks Vos dak poees $2.65 32.80 32.85 28.90 Antimony, Hallett, New York... 8.12% 8.12% 8.12% 7.50 Nickel, New. Wome. cic s« «0dusaais 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 in plate, 100 Ib., New York... $3.84 $3.84 $3.84 $3.64 These prices are for largest lots to jobbers. Prices of Finished Iron and Steel f.o.b. Pittsburgh Freight rates from Pittsburgh in carloads, per 100 Ib.: New York, 16c.; Philadelphia, 15c.; Boston, 18c.; Buffalo, 1lc.; Cleveland, 10e.; Cincinnati, 15c.; Indianapolis, 17c. ; Chicago, 18¢e.; St. Paul, 32c.; St. Louis, 22%4c.; New Or- ‘eans, 30c.; Birmingham, Ala., 45c. Rates to the Pacific ( oast are 80c. on plates, structural shapes and sheets, No. |l and heavier ; 85c, on sheets, Nos. 12 to 16; 95c. on sheets, No. 16 and lighter; 65c. on wrought pipe and boiler tubes. _ Structural Shapes.—I-beams and channels, 3 to 15 in., ‘inclusive, 1.40c. to 1.45c., net; I-beams over 15 in., 1.55c., or H-beams over 8 in., 1.65c.; angles, 3 to 6 in., inclusive, + In, and up, 1.50¢., net; angles, over 6 in., 1.55c., net; igles, 3 x 3 in., and up, less than % in., 1.65c., base, half extras, steel bar card; tees, 3 in. and up, 1.55c., net; zees, » In. and up, 1.50¢., net; angles, channels and tees, under 3, in., 1.40¢., base, plus 10c., half extras, steel bar card; deck THE IRON AGE 73 Metal Markets beams and bulb angles, 1.75c., net; hand rail tees, 2.75c., net; checkered and corrugated plates, 2.75c., net. Plates.—Tank plates, % in. thick, 64 in. up te 100 in. wide, 1.40c. to 1.45c., base. Following are stipulations pre- scribed by manufacturers, with extras to be added to base price (per pound) of plates: Rectangular plates, tank stecl or conforming to manufactur- ers’ standard speciiications for structural steel dated February 6, 1903, or equivalent, 14-in. thick and over on thinnest edge, 100 in. wide and under, down to but not including 6 in. wide, are base, Plates up to 72 in. wide, inclusive, ordered 10.2 lb. per square ioot are considered 4-in. plates. Plates over 72 in. wide must be ordered %-in. thick on edge, or not less than 11 Ib. per square foot, to take base price. Plates over 72 in. wide ordered less than 11 lb. per square foot down to the weight of 3-16-in, take the price of 3-16-in. Allownble overweight, whether plates are ordered to gauge or weight, to be governed by the standard specifications of the Association of American Steel Manufacturers, Gauges under -in. to and including 3-16-in, on COG BON 056 oso s whine dbiewho Phin ce Vlienis $0.10 Gauges under 3-16-in. to and including No. 8..... 15 Gauges under No. 8 to and ineluding No. 9....... .25 Gauges under No, 9 to and including No, 10...... 30 Gauges under No. 10 to and including No. 12..... 40 Sketches (including all straight taper plates), 3 ft. NE GO Ge Ce ek sn cs co Sac vie Oe ee webees de 10 Complete circles, 3 ft. diameter and over........ .20 EO GN ID WOO a cccecweecedéwediceveue 10 ‘A, B. M. A.” and ordinary firebox steel........ .20 De Man wc co ieeeweeedanceeee ae e408 % 80 I so k's ae Sig Cas 00k bow KEES Ewe W885 40 EOGREOTIVS THEO BLOC... ec ccc tesecsavecevs 50 Widths over 100 in. up to 110 In., Inclusive...... 05 Widths over 110 in. up to 115 in., inclusive...... -10 Widths over 115 in. up to 120 in., inclusive...... 15 Widths over 120 in. up to 125 in., inclusive...... .25 Widths over 125 in. up to 130 tn., inclusive...... .50 WIGthS FOr LBD 1d 20g oc cnc pwcdectedecutusecsss 1.00 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 3 ft. to 2 ft., COIS >. ait tice bus oe aiic wae tmpdhee mee ek reese .25 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 2 ft. to 1 ft., I nas. dno c:50 MAD ced 0.0940 cod modes kun 0 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 1 ft....... 1.55 No charge for cutting rectangular plates to lengths 3 ft, and over. TeRMsS.—Net cash 30 days. Sheets.—Makers’ prices for mill shipments on sheets in carload and larger lots, on which jobbers charge the usual advances for small lots from store, are as follows: Black annealed sheets, Nos. 3 to 8, 1.70c.; Nos. 9 and 10, 1.75c. ; Nos. 11 and 12, 1.80c.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.85¢.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.95c. Box annealed sheets, Nos. 17 and 21, 2.10c.; Nos. 22 to 24, 2.15¢.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.20c.; No. 27, 2.25c.; No. 28, 2.30c.; No. 29, 2.35c.; No. 30, 2.45¢. Galvanized sheets, Nos. 18 and 14, 2.50c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 2.60c.; Nos. 17 to 21, 2.75c.; Nos. 22 to 24, 2.90¢e.; Nos. 25 and 26, 3.10c. ; No. 27, 3.20c.; No. 28, 3.40c.; No. 29, 3.50c.; No. 30, 3.75c. Painted roofing sheets, No. 28, $1.70 per square. Galvanized roofing sheets, No, 28, $3 per square, for 244-in. corrugations, Wrought Pipe.—The following are the discounts on the Pittsburgh basing card on carloads of wrought pipe now in effect : -—Steel.——, -——-Iron.—7_ Black. Galv. Black. Galv. % and Rn sob e064 645% eee 70 54 66 os ip in.. a HEN Gol dwewevee ts Oar 71 57 67 53 haa dh iets 64 OP Pe 74 62 70 58 Ol ella ahs > 646a ea.06 6 SA 78 68 74 64 aE. sore ry arr rr 72 57 68 53 Plugged and Reamed. Y tO fii stab lak SEEKER oreeee 66 72 62 Extra Strong, Plain Ends. Ye tO HM... cect cccccessece 63 51 59 47 Ye 10 2 iM. we cstves. Katobetine 70 58 66 54 4% to 8 Imi snc os -seccssssecs 66 54 62 50 9, 10, 11 and 12 im. ......6.-4s ie 54 42 ‘6 Double Extra Strong, Plain Ends. Se 40'S Wiiaics ces ksecct es 66 c1ew 48 55 44 The above steel pipe discounts are for “ card weight,” subject to the usual variation of 5 per cent. Boiler Tubes.—Discounts on lap welded steel and char- coal iron boiler tubes to jobbers in carloads are as follows: Steel. Iron. 1 to 1% IM... cceee clas Sed bawe o 66% o biel oe 43 10 £6. FM ths oe ecccccvcesrpovebenvencabecs 61 48 MU. dvd etek cc adtekd Sebeetetetbatktrn 63 48 OM £0: BIOs ogc ve vawaniemees ciweds akdealee 55 OO Ae Wa cnhend Ane eeeae ee biaccebed wanke 61 43 2% in. and smaller, over 18 ft., 10 per cent. net extra, 2% in. and larger, over 22 ft., 10 per cent, net extra. Less than carloads to destinations east of the ene River will be sold at delivered discount for carloads lowered by two points, for lengths 22 ft. and under; longer lengths, f.0.b. Pittsburgh. Wire Rods.—Bessemer, open hearth and chain rods, $29 to $30. Steel Rivets.—Structural rivets, %-in. and larger, 2.15¢., base; cone head boiler rivets, %-in. and larger, 2.25c., base ; %-in. and 11-16-in. take an advance of 15c., and 4-in. and 9-16-in. take an advance of 50c.; in lengths shorter than 1-in. also take an advance of 50c. Terms are 30 days, net cash, f.o.b. mill. The above prices are those quoted on contracts for large lots, makers charging the usual ad- vances of $2 to $3 a ton to the small trade. Ces Pats a RN eh. es OE tA svi THE IRON AGE July 14, 1 THE IRON AND METAL MARKETS Pittsburgh Park BurLpine, July 13, 1910.—(By Telegraph.) Pig Iron.—The largest inquiry for pig iron in the mar- ket at present is that of a Kentucky steel company, which is inquiring for 5000 tons of basic and 3000 to 4000 tons of Bessemer for last half delivery. The general inquiry is per- haps a little better, but it is altogether for small lots, con- sumers not being assured that bottom has been reached and are not willing to take on iron for a long delivery ahead, even at present low prices, which to some furnaces are cer- tainly below the actual cost of making it. We quote stand- ard Bessemer iron at $15.50; basic, $14.50; malleable Bessemer $14.75; No. 2 foundry, $14.25, and gray forge, $13.50, all at Valley furnace, the freight rate for delivery in the Pittsburgh district being 90 cents a ton. Steel.—New inquiries for billets and sheet and tin bars are very light and prices on both Bessemer and open hearth steel are weak. A local tin plate mill has sold its entire output of tin scrap to a steel interest and has contracted for its tin bars with the same concern for the last half of the year. We quote Bessemer billets, 4 x 4 in., $25; Bes- semer sheet bars in random lengths, $26; 4 x 4 in, open hearth billets, $26.50 to $27; open hearth small billets. $27.50 to $28; open hearth sheet and tin bars, $27.50 to $28, and forging billets, $30 to $31, all f.o.b. Pittsburgh. Wheeling or Youngstown district, with freight to pomt of delivery added. Steel Rails.—The Carnegie Steel Company will put i's rail mill at the Ohio Works, Youngstown, Ohio, on open hearth steel rails in a few days to roll an order, in prefer- ence to shipping the cold open hearth blooms to its Edgar Thomson mills. The Ohio Works rail mill will likely run on open hearth rails for three or four weeks, or until this order is filled, which is said to be for export trade. Pipe.—It is stated that the National Supply Company, Pittsburgh, has secured an order for about 30,000 tons of oil country goods, consisting of casing, tubing and drive pipe, for shipment to one of the large oil interests in Cali- fornia. Wire Products.—Reports are current of an official re- duction of about $2 a ton to be made in rods, wire and wire nails within a day or two, but confirmation of the re- ports has not been obtained. (By Mail.) The first half of July shows a little better feeling in the iron trade. Reports are received from several of the leading steel concerns that specifications against contracts so far this month have shown a slight increase over the last half of June. It is believed that while July and August will be comparatively dull months in the iron trade, with the open- ing of September a revival in the general demand will start. The railroads have bought very littk material since the first half of 1907, and it is positively known from reports received by leading steel companies from their selling agents throughout the country, that practically all the leading rail- roads are badly in need of rails, engines, cars and other ma- terial. The local pig iron trade continues quiet, with some doubt as to whether prices have touched bottom, in spite of the fact that to some furnaces they are now below the actual cost of making iron and have been for some time. While Bessemer iron is held nominally at $15.50 and basic $14.50, Valley furnace, it is possible that these prices might be shaded on firm offers and on iron for third quarter. The market on both open hearth and Bessemer steel is showing some signs of distress and prices are lower than they have been in some months. It is believed that 4 x 4 in. open hearth billets couid be bought very close to $26, Pittsburgh. Ferromanganese.—No new inquiry of moment has been in this market in the past week, and the situation is very quiet with prices weak. We quote 80 per cent. foreign at $39 to $39.50, Baltimore, the freight rate for delivery in the Pittsburgh district being $1.90 a ton. Ferrosilicon.—-The market is very dull, new inquiry being light and only for small lots. Most consumers are pretty well covered on their requirements for the balance of this year. We quote 50 per cent. ferrosilicon at $57.50 to $58, delivered. Pittshurgh. We quote 10 per cent. at $23: 11 per cent., $24. and 12 ner cent., $25, all at Ashland fur- nace, to which $1.90 a ion should be added for delivery in the Pittsburgh district. Rods.—New inquiry for rods is light, and no sales of moment have heen made in this market for some time. Prices are weak and Bessemer rods may be fairly quoted at £29 to $30 and open hearth and chain rods at $30 to $31, Pittsbfrgh. Skelp.—There is a pronounced scarcity of both grooved and sheared iron plates, due to the shut down of several plants in the Pittsburgh and Youngstown districts, that have not arranged the puddling scale with their men. Prices are firm, and higher prices are being asked on iron plates. For ordinary widths and gauges we quote grooved skelp at 1.50c. to 1.55¢c.; sheared steel skelp, 1.60c. to 1.45 grooved iron skelp, 1.80c., and sheared iron skelp, 1.90c. f.o.b, mill, Pittsburgh. Steel Rails.—In the past week the Carnegie Steel C:: pany entered new orders for 2400 tons of light rails received specifications against contracts for about 1000 tous, A good part of the output of the Edgar Thomson rail m'\ls is open hearth rails, the blooms being brought from the Homestead Steel Works and reheated. At their present gpit the Edgar Thomson rail mills are pretty well filled up with specifications for light rails and also for standard sections into September. We quote steel axles at 1.75c. to 1.80c., and splice bars, 1.50¢c., at mill, Pittsburgh. Light rail prices are as follows: 8 to 10 Ib., $32; 12 to 14 Ib, $29; 16, 20 and 25 Ib., $28; 30 and 85 lb., $27.75, and 40 to 45 lb., $27, Pittsburgh. These prices are for 250-ion lots and over, and for small lots premiums of 50c. per ton and more are being paid. We quote standard sections at $28, at mill. Structural Material.—The McClintic-Marshall Con- struction Company has taken in the past week upward of 12.000 tons of bridge work for the Western Maryland Rail- road. The American Bridge Company has taken several contracts, one of 3000 tons of Western bridge work and an- other of about 2500 tons for an office building. Prices are only fairly strong, and for delivery in the Pittsburgh district are 1.45c., but in competitive business, for delivery outside of the Pittsburgh district, beams and channels up to 15-in. are quoted at 1.40c., Pittsburgh. Plates.—It is stated that the Atlantic & Porto Rican Steamship Company has placed orders for two passenger hoats with the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, which will require 2500 to 3000 tons of plates and shapes, and which will be furnished by the Carnegie Steel Company. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad opened bids Tuesday for 1000 hopper bottom cars, and has just placed a contract with the Baldwin Locomotive Works for 50 locomotives. It is probable that the shapes, axles and wheels for these locomotives will be furnished by the Carnegie Steel Com- pany, while the plates will go to an Eastern mill. It is also stated that the Toledo Shipbuilding Company has re- cently taken a contract for a lake boat, which will require 3000 to 4000 tons of plates. We quote 4-in. and heavier plates for delivery in the Pittsburgh district at 1.45c., and for de- livery outside the Pittsburgh district at 1.40c., Pittsburgh. Sheets.—The leading sheet mills deny that any official reduction in prices has been discussed. The reports of such a reduction probably arose from the fact that for several months prices on the lighter gauges of black sheets have been shaded by some mills from $2 to $3 a ton, and on galvanized from $3 to $4 a ton. These concessions in prices are being made now by sheet mills that some time ago re- fused to enter contracts at less than the official prices. The present demand for black and galvanized sheets is fair, while on blue annealed and electrical sheets the mills are pretty comfortably filled for the next several months. The American Sheet & Tin Plate Company is operating to about 80 per cent. of its sheet capacity, its only idle plant being the Aetna-Standard Works at Bridgeport, Ohio, containing 23 hot mills, which has not turned a wheel for more than a year. Other sheet mills report they are operating to about full capacity and have a fair amount of work ahead. Official prices on sheets, which, however, do not now repre- sent the actual market, are based on 2.40c. for No. 28 black and 3.50c. for No. 30. Tin Plate.—This product continues to be the most active on the whole list of finished iron and steel, and while new buying at present is not heavy, all the leading tin plate mills are pretty well filled up for the balance of this year if consumers take out all the tin plate for which they have made contracts. The tomato and corn crops this year prom- ise to be very heavy, and this will mean a tremendous con- sumption of tin plate by the canneries later in the season. The American Sheet & Tin Plate Company is operating practically to full capacity all its plants except the Laughlin and La Belle Works in the Wheeling district, and no efforts have been made to start these plants. The Jones & Laughlin Steel Company is now making deliveries of tin plate from its first unit of 12 mills, which was started up some time ago, and expects to put on additional tin mills within the next two months. Prices on tin plate are firm, and we quote on the basis of $3.60 for 100-lb. cokes per base box, f.o.b. Pittsburgh. Bars.—Specifications will soon commence to come in on the heavy contracts for steel bars placed in May and June by the implement and car builders, some of these contracts running. from July to December and others from July over the next year. The railroads have not been specifying very liberally against their contracts for steel and iron bars, and a good deal of tonnage on these contracts, which should have been taken out in the second quarter, has been carried over into third quarter. The local steel bar mills are busy on uly 14, 1910 THE IRON AGE 75 THE IRON AND METAL MARKETS. yecifications which are coming in freely, and shipments ‘is month will no doubt be very close to June, which was heavy month. The Republic Iron & Steel Company has tarted up its works in Youngstown, Ohio district, which vere closed down June 30 for inventory and repairs. No settlement has yet been reached between the Western Bar Iron Association and the Amalgamated Association on the puddling scales, but another meeting will likely be held ‘bout July 20. The puddling department of the Youngs- rown Sheet & Tube Company is shut down, this concern not saving reached an agreement with the Sons of Vulcan on the puddling scale. Most of the other bar iron mills in the Central West are running under the terms of the clause in scale which allows them to run, pending settlement of ihe puddling and finishing scale. New demand for iron bars is light, and several of the mills are in need of specifications. We continue to quote steel bars at 1.45c. and iron bars at about 1.50¢., f.0.b. Pittsburgh. Spelter.—A little more activity in demand is reported. and prices are possibly a shade firmer. We quote prime grades of Western at 4.95c. to 5c., East St. Louis, carryias a freight rate of 12%c per 100 lb., for delivery in the Pitts burgh district. ops and Bands.—New demand for hoops and bands S rted as fairly active, and a number of consumers contracts expired on June 30, but on which all the erial was not taken out, have had these extended into third quarter, while in some cases new contracts have been made. We quote steel hoops for forward delivery at 1.50c. to 1.55¢. and steel bands at 1.45c. to 1.50c., f.o.b. Pittsburgh, extras as per the steel bar card applying on the latter. Spikes.—No large contracts for railroad spikes have been placed with the local mills for some time, new de- mand being largely confined to small lots for repair work. For small railroad and boat spikes the demand is more ac- ive than for standard sizes, and the makers are entering a fair amount of new business. We quote standard sizes of railroad spikes, 444 x 9-16 in. and larger, at 1.55c. to 1,60c. for Western shipment and 1,60c, to 1.65c. for loca] trade. Boat and small railroad spikes are lower in price and we quote these at 1.65c. to 1.70c., base, these prices being for carload and larger lots, Rivets.—New demand is fairly active, and so far this mth orders placed are better than in the last half of June. Official prices on structural rivets are 2.15c. and on r rivets 2.25c., f.o.b. Pittsburgh, but for desirable orders prices are being shaded. Shafting.—Automobile builders continue to specify i y on contracts for shafting. The general trade is placing fair orders, but the makers are not quite as busy as they were some time ago and have been able to catch up to some extent on back orders. Prices are fairly strong, but in exeeptional cases for desirable orders are shaded. Regular discounts on shafting are 55 per cent. off in car- load and larger lots and 50 per cent. off in small lots, de- ered in base territory. For desirable specifications the carload price of 55 per cent. off is sometimes shaded to the xtent of about 55 and 5 off. Wire Products.—There has been no improvement, in ditions in the wire trade other than noted in this report some weeks. The new demand for wire nails and wire roduets generally is light and is confined to small lots to er actual needs. The Southern wire trade usually opens / in the early part of August, and it is believed that within next month orders for wire products will show an in- ease. The Pittsburgh Steel Company has started up its en hearth steel plant, rod and wire mills at Monessen, P.., and the American Steel & Wire Company has also rted several of its wor