The Iron Age 1911-02-23: Vol 87 Iss 8

—_— Single Copies, 20 Cents. Branch Offices Philadelphia, Real Estate Trust Building Chicago, Fisher Building Pittsburgh, Park Building Boston, Compton Building CONTENTS. THE IRON AGE New York, February 23, 1911 a plished ar oi ie Published Every Thursday by the DAVID WILLIAMS COMPANY 14-18 Park Place, New York Enter he New York Post Office as Second Class Mail Matter, Subscription Price, United States and Mexico, $5.00 per Annum; to Canada, $/.20 per Annum; to Other Foreign Countries, $10.00 per Annum. - - - - = RESIDENT Syanues T. ROOT, PRESIO W, H. TAYLOR, e - - TREASURER AND GENERAL MANAGER Hanowd S. BUTTENHEIM, “ ” rT e = SECRETARY E W. Cop - ° - - - ” a } covrons A, |. Findvey, ° ° ° . - H. R, COBLEIGH, - . - - a MECHANICAL EDITOR Cleveland, American Trust Building Cincinnati, 807 Andrews Building Editorial PaG2. Shipme1 d New Orders Increase.........esee-eeees 457 0 an Unusnal Year i Rage ccc ccc cccceeeats 458 oe. Anti-Trust CASOS. «00s ¢cccsnon ene cn ewewrnsys ene 458 The Electric Furnace and Blectrical Engineering..... 459 The Cast Iron Car Wheel and the Grinding Machine... 459 Standard Lengths for Wire Test Pieces.............. 459 New Work for the Efficiency Engineer............... 459 The Dual Usefulness of the Mill Nurse..............008% 460 ET MICRURONS 6 be SOS UCP EN OULU COLE CU Choc eee bets 460 The Inland Steel Company Will Build Another Blast Fur SEED 6iare.< ¥ 0:0. o's Wee Oe hb ewe Sees ely Swe CEU RUT CUTS 460 ne? PYOGGCLION: 4) BEOs4 4.3.5 iu abaes cepesUeeactaess 461 Customs Decisions...... rye eee eee REE Crescavien 46 The Iron and Metal Market Reports................ 462 to 471 Serene Industria) QRS his 65 vs os <loletbin sia oe cde Mae? v0 2 471 RTI SURO so ag a eal a ee 471 An International Iron and Steel Conference.............. 471 BAL 5 2.0 sis vdip UuRieals o MERON RS 8 aalae ee ean Rens 72 Obituary ein ie PA AEE SBA wt ORE ee Ue ers 472 The Cru e Steel Company Further Strengthens Its Posi- on » we 0.4 Ste Re Culley Wie 0 ke. 6 OS 6S oe Riga hk Wied ele d 473 Ganschow ¢ honat RUIINORD Ss. dsc u're 0 bw celia od WR es 473 See Matterios. ..«. acasevisheteedes diss sMhaeke beans. 474 The Pressed Steel Car es ae | Pee ere Sirk 475 Railroad Efficiency and the Labor Unions............e++: 476 Our Immigrant WOU EEA RE vcabikeoets bbe sass awees 478 Beparmebee Briiges. © ../354i Si Ge Seah Ge wk hae Reese weet 479 “Building Up” Impurities in Steel............eeeeeeee 480 The Hart ngton 16-32-In. Mxtension Lathe. Illustrated.... 481 The Kempsmith Mfg. Company's New Plant. Illustrated... 482 New York’s Municipal Bulldine..< vi4....o0csccndeesden 485 New Ra ATOR Hiqrilpaeeny OGOGR oe se 8 8 5 Sb eee c eo 485 gee Stor, a Floor Failure. Illustrated..........c.s.. 486 roe k Railroad Mileage Is Small.............+++. 487 The renin Pile Driver. Ilustrated...........sseees: 488 The Baird Improved Tumbling Barrel. Ilustrated........ 489 e Reilly Friction Clutch. Tlustrated..............000. 490 p tecent Test of O. K. Tools. Illustrated..........++++: 491 op Mncreahe: TiGGWeeec as 665464 0s $0 4d baad Meds VERE S S 491 ete ng Curtis Turbine Installation, Illustrated.... 492 An ras mplete Foundry Trolley System, Illustrated... .. 495 Dut coo Standard Press Installation, Illustrated. 494 Th act SUQTION. RIWON, . tice sn ad 0.0 Vile 5 od odes ches 494 Ma 2usch Power Sprue Cutter. Tllustrated.............. 495 Cylinder . Steel Corporation’s Fleet................ 495 eet “astings Made on a Mumford Molding Machine. rated oN birt. Cap eRe ale co acess sane e 496 a ley Revolving Chuck. _Illustrated.............. 496 Poel H ‘stance Transmission of Steam.............++ee+: 496 The Nee ns on the Chelsea Piers. Tllustrated.......... 497 he o i, TK State BUGel COMO P sais.» 6 0 sins'sie coe Ses uh 497 AM a Brass Company's WOGGis... 2... ves cones 497 Baplover: mpensation Code... i... cecccsccccseseeeces 498 end Liability and Compensation Systems.......... 498 The ench's Compensation. .... 6... 0s eseeeeseeeeeeeey - 499 ao oe Can Company’s Annual Report............. 499 he Chicaes ‘haust Pipe Size Charts, Illustrated......... 500 German \icer eee Tool Company’s Annual Report.... 501 he Joj achine Qs ts eee ehh abba 65.46 4 ON - bh ae woe 501 . _ ectrical and Meehanical Engineers’ Meeting.... 501 be d on the Caywna Iron Range.............++- 502 Trade op.) UUction in Canada in 1910.......+-+eeeseeees 502 bOper F United States with Canada............+.: ~. 502 Be pee COMTPRCEE cnet ccc essececnepees nage 502 e Me BDU CAtIOUND 5 «. n'gicse a ieshcin Ainge 2's woe ele ma aa ieee 503 Colli esa Market Reports...........0-+eee0es 504 to 513 rent icc, Eroduct: Coke Oven. .......-esseeeeseesees 513 celal PYaGGhs vihcincsass ae EMS cle op cee eRS ées eS 514 VoL. 87: No. 8 i Shipments and New Orders Increase More Rail Buying at Home and for Export A Firmer Billet Market—Pig Iron Stronger in All Districts The developments of the past week support the view that the buying movement in finished material which started in mid-January is not a mere rebound from the extremely restricted buying of the closing weeks of 1910. The rate at which new orders have been taken this month by the Steel Corporation is considerably greater than that of January. The lead- ing Pittsburgh interest sold 200,000 tons of billets, sheet bars, rails and steel ties this month up to the 18th, against 100,000 tons in the first 18 days of Jan- uary. At the same time shipments by all steel manu- facturers have increased probably 20 per cent., with the larger scale of mill operations in every line. Railroads are better buyers than is currently credited. The principal rail order of the week is 40,000 tons for the Chicago & Northwestern. Export rail business shows no signs of lessening. The Buenos Aires & Pacific, in Argentina, has just closed for 15,- ooo tons of 70-Ib. rails, and the Manila Railways are in the market for 10,000 tons. It is prcebable a portion at least of the 65,000 tons the Canadian Pacific is to buy will come to this country, as one Canadian steel mill will be kept busy most of the year on work already booked for the railroads. Buying of track supplies has been excellent. The Lake Shore has closed for 24,000 kegs of spikes and 5000 kegs of track bolts. The lighter finished lines continue to lead in ac- tivity. Wire and tin plate mills are running to go per cent. of capacity. The hardship of the ‘sheet in- dustry in December is indicated by a 65 per cent. opera tion of the sheet mills of the Steel Corporation now against 40 per cent. at low point. In wrought pipe demand has steadily grown and some good line contracts are expected from present plans for spring work. The Riverside pipe works of the leading interest at Wheeling are to be started up with the connected steel plant and two blast furnaces The last full operation at this plant was in 1907. Sharp competition is reported in bar iron in the Chicago district and considerable business was done at 1.25¢., though 1.30c. is now the general minimum Cast iron pipe, usually a criterion of influences op erating broadly in the iron market, has been quite ac tive, and a large tonnage is pending for municipalities and corporations. The leading maker took a 5000-ton contract at Chicago of 6 to 12 in. pipe. Milwaukee is in the market for 10,000 tons. A Canadian steel company which bought 15,000 tons of open hearth billets from the Gary mill in Jan- uary has taken an additional 10.000 tons. At a Pitts- burgh meeting of 20 billet and sheet bar makers Feb- ruary 17 an advance was favored by some companies, oe EA Y Lgl aaa 5 ee al Sn F ya — PRR ds ec er -458 but no action was taken. One large interest is limit- ing sales at present prices to the first quarter. Sales of 3000 tons of Bessemer and 1000 tons of open hearth sheet bars are reported at $24, Pittsburgh. The pig iron market is firmer, particularly in the Central West. Stocks of steel making iron there are large, but are in strong hands, and instead of coming out on realizing sales, as has been the case for a good many months, are now evidently being held for the higher prices which are expected later in the year. Sales of 35,000 to 40,000 tons of basic are reported at Pittsburgh, much of it at $13.75. Cincinnati reports a sale of 10,000 tons of basic and one of 15,000 tons, deliveries running through the third quarter. Some of this iron may be included in the Pittsburgh trans- actions. At a meeting of merchant furnace companies at Cleveland, February 17, the outlook was reported more favorable, particularly in basic iron, for which a num- ber of Valley furnaces are now asking $14. More buyers of foundry iron are in the market for their requirements for the second half. For that de- livery furnaces are asking 5o0c. advance. A _ few sales of Southern No. 2 iron are reported at $11.50, Birmingham, for the third quarter, and the whole Southern situation has stiffened. Shipments from Alabama this month are reported in excess of output. The advance in the scrap market, particularly in heavy melting steel, shows signs of too rapid a pace. At Pittsburgh heavy steel scrap has gone to $14.75. or $1 to $1.25 advance in two weeks. Some consumers appear to have over-stayed their market, and there has been active speculative buying by dealers. Owing to Washington’s Birthday falling on Wednesday of this week, this issue of The Jron Age is put to press on Tuesday. Hence all our market re- ports are dated a day earlier than usual. 1910 an Unusual Year in Rails The statistics of rail production in the United States in I910 are a surprise. They show that the total was 3,634,029 tons, or next to the highest year, 1906, where- as the general estimate, based on the disappointing business of some of the mills, was that the year’s out- put would be considerably nearer 3,000,000 than 4,000,- ooo tons. The United States Steel Corporation, it was known, made a new record, at more than 2,000,000 tons, but that was attributed to the first full year of the new Gary mill and to the fact that the Ensley mill, owing to the depressed conditions in 1908 and 1909, had its first fair chance last year to make a good output under Steel Corporation ownership. It was be- lieved that to most of the independent mills 1910 brought a very considerable falling off from their best records. The figures indicate that they fared very well. A total of 3,634,029 tons of rails last year, against 3,062,582 tons in 1909, 3,633,654 tons in 1907 and 3,977,877 tons in the banner rail year, 1906, suggests that the complaint made all through last year that the railroads were not buying had less foundation than was generally believed. The question will naturally be asked, in view of the official statistics, How far would 1910 have exceeded the record of 1906 had the railroads really been buying last year? We have here another THE IRON AGE February 23, 1911 confirmation of the opinion expressed all through 191 that it was a year of excellent business in jroy and steel, gauged by any standard except that of the ney capacity which had been provided in advance of the country’s need of it. A further suggestion of a pj product only second to that of 1906 is that if the raj). roads, with all the effort they made last year to reduce their rail purchases, were compelled to buy more thay 3,600,000 tons (less exports of 350,000 tons and 220,099 tons of light rails), the next year of free railroad byy. ing is quite certain to show a total in excess of the nearly 4,000,000 tons of 1906. However, the indica. tions that 1911 will be such a year are not conclusive as yet. The advance of the open hearth rail from an oy. put of 252,704 tons in 1907 to 1,715,899 tons three years later indicates that some unfavorable experiences with open hearth rails in the beginning of their use did not change the opinion of railroad engineers that it must be increasingly depended upon, in view of the scarcity of low phosphorus ores. Bessemer rail plants will lengthen their lives by the use of ores permitting them to produce rails with 0.07 to 0.08 per cent. phosphorus, but the high carbon, low phosphorus open hearth rail will doubtless pass the Bessemer rail in tonnage this year, and by another year increase the gap materially. Thus far electric steel rails are a negligible quantity, as are also alloy steel rails containing nickel, chrome and Ferrotitanium rails, which, strictly, are not alloy rails, since little or no titanium is found in the steel, may continue to be a considerable factor, under the new specifications, and we shall expect the insistent demand for quality to result in an increased tonnage of rails containing chrome and nickel. One Eastern steel company, as is well known, makes rail steel from ores containing both these metals, but the content of chrome and nickel may not be such as to put these rails in the alloy class, any more than the rails containing 0.50 to 0.60 per cent. copper, which were made some years ago from Cornwall ores an‘ gave such good results in service. manganese. The Anti-Trust Cases The interesting opinion is advanced by eminent law- yers that the United States Supreme Court, in deciding the anti-trust cases now before it, will provide an ade- quate rule of action that may go far toward putting an end to further litigation under the Sherman anti-trust law—that is, the court may be expected to interpret the law so that all engaged in business will know precisely what constitutes a violation of it. They will then be able to tell whether they are approaching the danger line in their methods or whether they may have gone past it. The fact is pointed out that unless something of this kind is done the Supreme Court is likely to becomé clogged with litigation, as the Department of Justice is industrious in hunting up cases of alleged violations of the act. That the court is desirous of avoiding suc! a condition has been shown in its decisions in com struing other laws having a wide application, which might have led to the bringing before it of numerous cases, each of which would have had to be specially considered and decided. By laying down a rule o! - tion, such other cases were then headed off. This ; : ‘ do ‘would seem to be an eminently practical thing to ot Febri ary <3; IOI! ust litigation. Not only the courts but the | would be benefited by a clear statement ha be considered restraint of trade under the Sher law. It is not to be expected that the hermat will have its teeth drawn, but the situa- reatly clarified if those who are conducting tions are told where the line is definitely tween what is lawful and what is unlawful. if iWI The Electric Furnace and Electrical Engineering [he rapid extension of the use of electricity in steel works has made the electrical engineer a much more important factor in the operating organization. But his new prominence grows out of his contribution to the of new rolling mill problems, particularly those with the use of powerful motors for the driving of rolls. What is happening there is well in- lik dicated by the fact that the United States Steel Cor- poration, which at the beginning of 1907 had 100,000 hp. in gas engines supplied with blast furnace gas, now 250,000 hp. in gas engines built and building. An important part of this increase is that devoted to the generation of electricity for the driving of rolling mill rolls and tables and the operation of cranes and other rolling mill equipment. It has been common, in com- menting on the new place to which the electrical engi- neer has been raised in consequence of these develop- ments, to link up with them the increasing employment of the electric furnace in the production of steel. It is to be doubted if the further development of the electric furnace will add greatly to the prominence of the elec- trical engineer as a steel works factor. It is the metal- lurgical side of electric furnace practice in which en- gineering skill will find its largest field. Electrode problems, which presented the greatest difficulties of all that were encountered early in American experience with the electric furnace, have now been satisfactorily They were worked out, as were other prob- independent of the electrical engineer. the case of one type of furnace a quarter of a lollars has been spent on experimental work t American steel works auspices. The result has legree of uniformity and reliability in furnace makes it possible for an operator familiar ‘ble or open hearth practice to become fairly t in electric furnace work after a few weeks’ The use of electricity for the development is no more reason for the employment of the ‘al engineer as a controlling factor in electric king than is the use of gas in the open hearth reason for considering the gas engineer in- ble to an open hearth steel works organization. it will doubtless come to pass that the greater n of variables and the uniform and dependa- ‘ter of all the factors entering into furnace ‘tion and operation will in time be added to the intages claimed for the electric furnace. “¥44 The Cast Iron Car Wheel and the Grinding Machine icturers of cast iron car wheels are availing > more and more of the grinding machine, in , | that its work will greatly assist in maintain- ~S [Or their product its present prominence in railroad up! Formerly the car wheel manufacturer was THE IRON AGE 459 compelled to rely upon the accuracy of his foundry work. The chilled wheel does not yield to steel cutting tools. The casting had to be round as it came from the mold. Wonderful accuracy was obtained in the foundry, but naturally only an approximately true cyl- inder was created. Once a flat spot developed, the wheel ceased to be useful. Its competitor, the steel wheel, can be machined before using, and, also, it can be trued in a lathe at the will of its owner. Since the development of the use of grinding machines for the work, a chilled cast iron wheel can be made round, either on or off the axle. With a cylinder that is true within very narrow limits, the tendency to flat spots is greatly reduced, according to the extended tests of one of the great railroads. The grinding machine builders have solved the various problems most satisfactorily, and apparently have given the chilled cast iron wheel an extension of its career of usefulness. Standard Lengths for Wire Test Pieces The suggestion is made that the Bureau of Stand- ards of the Department of Commerce and Labor should take up the question of standard iengths of test pieces of wire, possibly in connection with the task of estab- lishing a standard gauge, which is now in progress The experience of testing departments is that the longer the test piece the lower the percentage of elonga- tion, so that where very short pieces are used the man- ufacturer has a certain advantage in competition, his wire showing a greater strength for the same grade. Users of wire are apt to presume that the percentage of elongation must be constant, no matter whether a 2-in. or a 10-in. section be used in the testing machine. Practical experience, however, has demonstrated that in a large proportion of cases the wire develops its one weaker point where much of the recorded elongation takes place. Consequently, under these conditions»the stretch in a long piece bears a lower percentage to the full length than in a short piece. Other elements may enter into the question. Tests from adjacent sections of the same piece of wire demonstrate the truth of the conditions as stated. Therefore, the adoption of a standard length would produce for the buyer a more reliable knowledge of the material. New Work for the Efficiency Engineer The rapid development of the efficiency engineer idea is constantly bringing out some new work for that interesting specialist. A large automobile manu- facturing company is now using an efficiency man in connection with its purchasing department. He spends much of his time visiting plants of machine tool manu- facturers and examining their newest types of ma- chines. He experiments with the equipment in turn- ing out various automobile parts, and when he finds a machine that will reduce the production cost in any automobile manufacturing department he recommends its purchase. Of course, a visitor of this type is warm- ly welcomed, and is afforded all the help possible in developing new uses for the machine tools. There are many clever machine tool salesmen who make a practice of entering the shops of their customers and showing them how to get added use out of their me- chanical equipment, but for a customer to search out en er megane cee ee bee ee ae aS: he 7 ss Sat ee her Saaeemae 2 oe i a aes ke Po Se le bi aa, z ¥. a Sell aol ; here i Loe od 5 ey, Pe ae. ™ oe er ye os ate ae 460 new uses for machine tool equipment and practically assist in development work is a novel idea. ———-_-- > The Dual Usefulness of the Mill Nurse A great manufacturing plant employing some 1500 peo- ple has found the mill nurse a profitable investment, apart from the immediate care of the injured and sick among the employees. A woman, thoroughly trained in her profession, spends her time in the care of the families of employees as well as of the operatives themselves, and keeps in close touch with the life of the people. Her duties resemble those of the district nurse of the cities. In common with many other large manufacturing works of the country, a large percentage of the labor employed in the plant referred to consists of foreigners, many of them with scant knowledge of the English tongue and even less of American customs. Superintendents and foremen find difficulty in getting at intimate facts con- cerning the personnel of the working force; but the nurse, chosen for her tact as well as skill, eventually becomes more or less a confidante of the women in the homes. Her influence upon them is transmitted to the working members of the families. Their causes of complaint, the reasons for discontent, are learned from the tenements, making it much easier to avoid friction in the works. The influence of the women thus goes toward the preven- tion of clashes. New Publications Popular Handbook for Cement and Concrete Users. sy Myron H. Lewis and Albert H. Chandler. Bound in cloth. Size, 6 x 9 in.; 500 pages; 126 illustrations. Price, $2.50. Published by the Norman W. Henley Publishing Company, 132 Nassau street, New York City. This book is a concise semipopular treatise of the principles and methods employed in all classes of modern concrete werk. It is not intended to compete with the highly technical publications, which are generally too involved and high priced for the nontechnical reader cr average user of cement and concrete. The author has, however, brought together in this work all the salient matter of interest to users of concrete and its many diver- sified products. A lucid explanation of and~-a clear in- sight into the fundamental principles employed in con- crete design and construction, free from involved mathe matics and academic discussions of points not as yet settled in practice, is given. After a brief introductory chapter, the author de- scribes the kinds of cement and how they are made. This is followed by a discussion of concrete and its prop- erties, and the selection, proportioning and mixing of the materials entering into it. The architectural possi- bilities of concrete are next taken up, followed by a number of chapters on the use of reinforced concrete for buildings, foundations, retaining walls, bridges and dams. Space is also given to sidewalks and the use of concrete in railroad work and on the farm. The waterproofing of concrete structures is discussed and the duties of a concrete inspector defined. The final chapter is devoted to the cost of concrete work and contains data not only on the cost of the various materials but also on actual contracts. Thirty-five tables scattered throughout the volume give useful information on various branches of concrete work. Industrial Plants: Their Arrangement and Construc- tion. By Charles Day. Cloth bound; pages 294, 5x 7% in. Illustrations, 48. Published by the Engi- neering Magazine, New York. Price, $3. The author, who as a member of a firm of consulting engineers has had much to do with the design and con- struction of manufacturing plants, prepared a good part of this work for publication originally in the Engineer- ing Magazine. The first eight out of twelve chapters are founded on lectures delivered before the Graduates’ School of Business Administration, Harvard University, THE IRON AGE February 23, 1911 and the engineering students at Columbia University They deal broadly with problems connected with the ar- ranging and planning of industrial plants. The gojg. tion of the site and definition of building and equipme, features are taken up iy one chapter. Another is devote to detailed plans and specifications, and a third to ep. struction work and installation of equipment. Routing as a prime factor in layout is given a chapter. An ayjp factory is taken as a specific example, and a detail rout. ing diagram is given, with details of machine tool equip. ment and paths of parts. In chapter VII1 the author considers metal working plants from the standpoints of materials, equipment, buildings, labor and administra. tion. Plants of this character are considered under thre heads: First, those doing manufacturing work, as sey. ing machines, cash registers or typewriters; second, those making a definite line of comparatively heavy machine work, as machine tools, steam engines or loco. motives; third, those doing general machine work, jp. cluding miscellaneous, repair and jobbing work. The chapter following deals with machine shops and their specific requirements. Then comes a chapter on “ Mod- ern Industrial Plants,” in which the features of several typical plants are described with illustrations, and finally there are two chapters dealing with the relationship of client and industrial engineer. One of these emphasizes the value of an outside engineering organization to the building project and the other discusses the question of compensation for engineering service. The author’s broad experience with the methods which modern industrial conditions have brought into play give him abundant material for such a work, and he has put it in a form calculated to be of the best service to his readers. ined llores ie The Inland Steel Company Will Build Another Blast Furnace Plans have been completed by the Inland Steel Com- pany, Chicago, for the erection of a second blast furnace at its Indiana Harbor Works, Indiana Harbor, Ind., with a daily capacity of 450 to 500 tons. Contracts for the preliminary work have been let and construction will be pushed with all speed. The Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, Chicago, was awarded the contract for the piling, and John Mohr & Son, Chicago, the contract for the plate work and the erection of the stoves. The Allis-Chalmers Company, Milwaukee, secured the col- tract for the three blowing engines and the generator engine. The contract for the generators went to the General Electric Company. The Babcock & Wilcox Com pany secured the contract for eight Sterling boilers 0! 500 hp. capacity each. The completion of this furnace, which, it is expected, will be in the latter part of this year, will give the company a monthly output of 15,000 tons of pig iron. BS The Inland Steel Company is also preparing p!als for the addition of a department for the manufacture of rivets, track bolts, spikes and nuts in the larger sizes. This department will have a daily output of 100 tons of these products. On March 2 the stockholders of the company will meet to vote on the proposed increase in the capital stock of $1,500,000, part of which will lb used to defray the cost of these improvements. ——_—_—___~»-+@—__—_- The Davis-Bournonville Company, West Street Build- ing, New York City, is issuing a house organ, Autogeno" ' Welding, the first issue of which has just appeared. Its purpose, as stated editorially, is to spread information requisite to the rapid progress of the oxy-acetylene proc ess of welding and cutting metal. In addition “J scriptions and illustrations of interesting apparatus the journal hopes to prove a valuable medium for exchange of ideas between expert operators, dealers and others who are interested. The lake freight boat that is being built at the keen yard of the American Shipbuilding Company for M. A. Hanna & Co., Cleveland, Ohio., will be named _: M. Shaw, in honor of the president of the Calumet Hecla Mining Company. Steel Rail Production in 1910 Only Exceeded by the Record of 1906 an Iron and Steel Association’s statistics week show that the production of all kinds lnited States in 1910 amounted to 3,634,- geainst 3.023.845 tons in 1909, an increase <. or over 20.1 per cent. Rails rolled from os, crop ends, scrap and “ seconds,” and enewed rails are included. In the following duction of all kinds of rails in the years 1 1900 is given. The maximum was reached 77.887 tons: Bessemer. Open hearth. Iron. Total. a. 591,502 395,230 ena 986,732 .1,326,398 1,320,669 230 2,647,297 110. ...1,917,900 1,715,899 230 3,634,029 ..1,767,171 1,256,674 .... 3,023,845 108 . 1,849,153 571,791 71 1,921.015 7 . 5,380,025 252,704 925 3,633,654 ..5,791.459 186,413 15 3,977,887 ) .. 0,192,847 185,264 8318 3,375,929 04 . . 2,187,957 145,883 871 2,284,711 . 2,946,756 45,054 667 2,992,477 2 . 2,935,392 6,029 6,512 2,947,933 90! .. 2,870,816 2,093 1,730 2,874,639 . 2,383,654 1,333 695 2,385,682 Of the total production of steel rails in 1910, 3,460,- as rolled from ingots made by the makers and s from purchased ingots or blooms, crop ends, ls.” or renewed or rerolled rails. Bessemer and Open Hearth Rails The production of Bessemer steel rails in 1910 uuounted to 1,917,900 tons, against 1,767,171 tons in 1900 nerease of 150,729 tons, or over 8.5 per cent. Of the total in 1910 1,829,954 tons was rolled by mak- ers of domestic ingots and 87,946 tons by companies which did not operate Bessemer converters. Included in the t by makers of ingots is 68,497 tons of rerolled s. The following table gives the total production by States fre 1907 to 1910: 1907. 1908, 1909, 1910 1,093,932 315,547 553,719 591,502 2,286,093 1,053,606 1,213,452 1,326,398 3.380.025 1,349,153 1,767,171 1,917,900 tion of open hearth steel rails in 1910 was against 1,256,674 tons in 1909. The in- 10 over 1909 was 459,225 tons, or more than while the increase in 1809 over 1908 was over 119 per cent. Almost all the open 1910 were rolled from basic steel, and were rolled by producers of open hearth was the largest maker of open hearth followed by Pennsylvania, Alabama, Colo- Maryland, New York and California in the ction of iron rails in 1910 was 230 tons, all is Light Rails and Heavy Sections Ving table gives the production of all kinds 1910, and 10 preceding years according to the rails per yard. Street and trolley rails are 45 Ib. Under and less 85 Ib. Total, 45 Ib. than 85. and over. Gross tons. ocdeen 190,455 861,591 865,854 1,917,900 alls..... SE.977 424,381 1,259,541 1,715,899 sity fannie 230 die pene. seems ae 230 1910. .222,662 1,285,972 2,125,395 3,634,029 JO9......255.726 1,024,856 1,743,263 3,023,845 06 . 6 5tem 183,869 687,632 1,049,514 1,921,015 OT cca 295,838 1,569,985 1,767,831 3,633,654 1°06......284,612 1,749,650 1,943,625 3,977,887 1905. «ssa 228,252 1,601,624 1,546,053 3,375,929 1)04......291,8838 1,320,677 672,151 2,284,711 1m 3......221,262 1,603,088 1,168,127 2,992,477 /02......261,88T 2,040,884 645,162 2,947,933 VOLS kee 155,406 2,225,411 493,822 2,874,639 1900...... 157,531 1,626,093 602,058 2,385,682 IgII THE IRON AGE 461 Included in the 38,633,799 tons of steel rails rolled in 1910 are 200,621 tons of so-called alloy steel rails, as fol- lows: Ferrotitanium rails, 195,940 tons; electric rails, 4210 tons; manganese rails, 390 tons, and nickel, chrome and vanadium steel rails, 81 tons. Of the total 174,822 tons was rolled from Bessemer steel and 25,799 tons from open hearth steel. In 1909 the production of alloy steel rails was’ 50,724 tons. It is a question whether ferro- titanium rails should be included among alloy rails, as under the usual practice the titanium, which is added to the molten steel through a certain charge of ferro- titanium, goes into the slag, and ordinarily there is no in- tention of producing a titanium alloy steel. eS Customs Decisions Galvanized Steel Wire Rope In overruling a protest filed »y O. G. Hempstead & Son, the Board of United States General Appraisers has fixed the status of galvanized steel wire rope under the tariff act’ of 1909. Duty was assessed under the provi- sions of paragraph 1385, at 35 per cent. ad valorem (the minimum rate for round iron or steel wire), plus 1 cent a pound for the finished article, plus 0.2 cent per pound additional for the galvanizing. The importers protested against this assessment, claiming that the ad valorem rate should be levied against the value of the wire, and not on the value of the rope, and that the 1 cent per pound additional for the finished article, and the 0.2 cent a pound additional for the galvanizing, should be based only on the weight of the wire used in the manufacture of the rope and not on the weight of the finished mer- chandise. In denying the contentions of the importers, General Appraiser Fischer says: The provisiens of paragraph 155 of the present act corre- sperd with the provisions in paragraph 137, tariff act of 1897. The change in the wording of the respective paragraphs would not require a different conclusion than that expressed in G,. A. 4, 761, wherein the court passed upon a like contention arising under the previous act. Following the rule noted, and for the reasons therein stated, the assessment here in question is afi.cmed, File Testing Machines, in overruling a protest filed by Tinius Olsen & Co., Philadelphia, the Board of United States General Ap- pra‘sers decides that so-called file testing machines are not to be regarded under the terms of the 1909, tariff act as machine tools. The machines in controversy are not used in any of the processes to manufacture com- plete files, but are used after the files are finished, to test their “urability and to determine whether they are up to the commercial standard required. Duty was assessed at the rate of 45 per cent, ad valorem under paragraph 199 of the new luw which specifies “ manufactures of metal.” Assessment is claimed by the importer at only 30 per cent. under the provision in the law for “ machine tools.” General Appraiser Fischer, in his decision for the tribunal, says: “ We do not regard a testing and in- dicating apparatus as a machine tool, and it certainly is not a toc] in the sense required for an article to be so termed. (tf it were a machine tool, then a thermometer and a scale for weighing articles would have to be like- wise so considered. The protest is overruled and the decision of the collector affirmed.” Silico-Spiegel A protest by Frank Samuel, Philade!tphia, involving merchandise described as “10 per cent. silico-spiegel,” was decided unfavorably to the protestant, who alleged that duty showld be taken at $2.50 per ton under para- graph 118, at the same rate as that applying to spiegel- eisen. The collector assessed the product under para- graph 183 of the act of 1909, as “ metals unwrought.” In denying the claim, General Appraiser Fischer says that the merchandise is an unwrought metal, aud appears to have been properly classified. ——_.9--g——_$_$_$__ The blast furnace of the Delaware River Steel Com- pany, Chester, Pa., was blown in February 19, and will operate on basic pig iron. = aoe Fines a ooo —_ os — = The Iron and * * A Comparison of Prices Advances Over the Previous Week in Heavy Type; Declines in Italics. At date, one week, one month and one year previous, Feb.21, Feb.15, Jan.25, Feb.23, PIG IRON, Per Gross Ton : 1911. 1911. 1911. 1910. Foundry No. 2, standard, Phila- delphia ...... ea eabecrtssepnes $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $18.50 Foundry No. 2, Southern, Cincin- Rt. ceivecunas rie er dire sicc 14.25 14.25 14.25 16.75 Foundry No. 2, Birmingham, Ala. 11.00 11.00 11.00 13.50 Foundry No. 2, local, Chicago.. 15.50 15.50 15.50 19.00 Basic, delivered, eastern Pa.... 14.50 14.50 14.25 18.50 Basic, Valley furnace.......... 13.75 13.75 13.25 16.00 Bessemer, Pittsburgh.......... 15.90 15.90 15.90 18.90 Gray forge, Pittsburgh........ 14.40 14.40 14.15 16.90 Lake Superior charcoal, Chicago 17.50 17.50 17.50 19.50 BILLETS, &c., Per Gross Ton: Bessemer billets, Pittsburgh.... 23.00 23.00 23.00 27.50 Forging billets, Pittsburgh..... 28.00 28.00 28.00 32.00 Open hearth billets, Philadelphia 25.40 25.40 25.40 30.60 Wire rods, Pittsburgh......... 29.00 29.00 28.00 33.00 OLD MATERIAL, Per Gross Ton : Iron rails, Chicago............ 15.50 15.50 14.50 19.00 Iron rails, Philadelphia........ 18.00 17.50 17.00 20.00 Car wheels, Chicago........... 13.00 13.00 13.00 17.50 Car wheels, Philadelphia....... 14.00 13.50 13.00 16.75 Heavy steel scrap, Pittsburgh.. 14.75 14.50 13.50 16.75 Heavy steel scrap, Chicago.... 12.50 11.75 11.50 15.25 Heavy steel scrap, Philadelphia 14.50 14.00 12.50 16.50 FINISHED IRON AND STEEL, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Bessemer steel rails, heavy, at OE ae ee hid nl 66-2 ee ae ee a0 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 Refined iron bars, Philadelphia. 1.3714 1.35 1.321%, 1.60 Common iron bars, Chicago.... 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.60 Common iron bars, Pittsburgh... 1.35 1.85 1.35 1.70 Steel bars, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Steel bars, Pittsburgh......... 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 Tank plates, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.71 Tank plates, Pittsburgh....... 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.55 Beams, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Beams, Pittsburgh............ 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 Angles, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Angles, PICtGBGFER..... 2. ccccs 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 Skelp, grooved steel, Pittsburgh. 1.30 1.30 1.25 1.50 Skelp, sheared steel, Pittsburgh. 1.35 1.35 1.30 1.60 SHEETS, NAILS AND WIRE, Per Pound : Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Sheets, black, No. 28, Pittsburgh 2.20 2.20 £20 2.40 Wire nails, Pittsburgh*........ 135 OH. 13... Cut nails, Pittsburgh.......... 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.80 Barb wire, galv., Pittsburgh*... 2.05 2.05 2.05 2.15 METALS, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Lake copper, New York........ 12.75 12.75 12.75 13.75 Electrolytic copper, New York.. 12.37% 12.87% 12.37% 13.87% Spelter, New York............ 5.60 5.57% 5.55 5.70 ES ee eae 5.45 5.42% 5.40 5.55 he 5.424%, 4.45 4.50 4.55 i Me RNs 0.0 hans haa oO we 5.2714 4.30 4.35 4.40 ee RE EE sk Catia s eade's 44.75 45.75 438.25 33.20 Antimony, Hallett, New York... 8.00 7.75 7.25 8,25 Tin plate, 100-lb. box, New York $3.94 $3.94 $3.84 $3.84 * 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 lb.: New York, 16c.; Philadelphia, 15c.; Boston, 18c.; Buffalo, lle.; Cleveland, 10c.; Cincinnati, 15c.; Indianapolis, 17c.; Chicago, 18c.; St. Paul, 32c.; St. Louis, 22%4c.: New Or- leans, 30c.; Birmingham, Ala., 45c. Rates to the Pacific Coast are 80c. on plates, structural shapes and sheets, No. 11 and heavier; S5c. on sheets, Nos. 12 to 16; 95c. on sheets, No. 16 and lighter; 65c. on wrought boiler tubes. Structural Material.—I-beams and channels, 3 to 15 in., inclusive, 1.40c. to 1.45c., net; I-beams over 15 in., 1.50c. to 1.55c., net; H-beams over 8 in., 1.55c. to 1.60c.; angles, 3 to 6 in, inclusive, 4% in. and up, 1.40c. to 1.45c., net; angles over 6 in., 1.50c. to 1.55¢., net; angles, 3 in.. on one or both legs, less than 1% in. thick, 1.45c., plus full extras as per steel bar card, effective September 1, 1909; tees, 3 in. and up, 1.45c., net; zees, 3 in. and up, 1.40c, to 1.45c., net; angles, channels and tees, under 3 in., 1.45c., base, plus full THE IRON AGE February 23, 191] Metal Markets extras as per steel bar card of September 1, 1909. deck beams and bulb angles, 1.70c. to 1.75c., net; hand raj tees 2.50c.; checkered and corrugated plates, 2.50c., net, ; Plates.—Tank plates, % in. thick, 6% in. up to 1 a 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 steel or conforming to manufactur ers’ standard specifications for structural steel dated February ¢, 1903, or equivalent, 4-in. thick and over on thinnest edge, 16) jy) wide and under, down to but not including 6 in. wide, are base. Plates up to 72 in, wide, inclusive, ordered 10.2 Ip. per square foot are considered %4-in. plates. Plates over 72 in. wide must be ordered ¥,-in, thick on edge, or not less than 11 lb. per square foot, to take base price. Plates over 72 in. wide ordered less than 11 ib. per square foot down to the weight of 3-16-in. take the price of 3-16-in. Allowable overweight, whether plates are ordered to gauge or weight, to be governed by the standard specifications of the As. sociation of American Steel Manufacturers. Gauges under 4-in. to and including 3-16-in. on pO ere a) ) oe ee $0.10 Gauges under 3-16-in. to and including No. 8..... 15 Gauges under No. 8 to and including No. 9....... .95 Gauges under No. 9 to and including No. 10.. Gauges under No. 10 to and including No. 12.. -. 40 Sketches (including all straight taper plates), 3 ft. and ever in length........... OE Ne 10 Complete circles, 3 ft. in diameter and over...... 20 ge ge PEAS): 10 “A. B. M. A.” and ordinary firebox steel..:..... 20 Ee PE BONG s < 650 5 ce ROU UMOW TES brace esses 30 ES rer rr | ee 40 pe Be ES eee ee ee 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 in., inclusive...... 50 Wee WOR EO Ti sss! inn des Pend cs cc av. 1.00 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 3 ft. to 2 Fi) CEG ES oc a e's 04 8 obs ae Eee tes + 50 0s 25 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 2 ft. to 1 Kine DREN a 8 46.5.0 a beh aS Re RA bn be 4s 9's 50 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 1 ft........ 1.55. No charge for cutting rectangular plates to lengths 3 ft. and over. TreRMs.—Net cash 30 days. Sheets.— Makers’ prices for mill shipments on sheets in carload and larger lots, on which jobbers charge the usual discounts for smal] lots from store, are as follows: Blue annealed sheets, Nos. 3 to 8, U. S. standard gauge, 1.55c.; Nos. 9 and 10, 1.65¢.; Nos. 11 and 12, 1.70c,; Nos. 18 and 14, 1.75¢.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.85¢. One pass, cold rolled, box annealed sheets, Nos. 10 to 12, 1.85c.; Nos. 18 and 14, 1.90c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.95¢.; Nos. 17 to 21, 2c.; Nos. 22, 23 and 24, 2.05c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.10c. ; No. 27, 2.15c.; No. 28, 2.20c.; No. 29, 2.25c.; No. 30, 2.35c. Three pass cold rolled sheets, box annealed, are as follows: Nos, 15 and 16, 2.05¢c.; Nos. 17 to 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, 2.35¢.; No. 30, 2.45c. Galvanized sheets, Nos. 10 and 11, black sheet gauge, 2.20c.; Nos. 12, 18 and 14, 2.30c.: Nos. 15, 16 and 17, 2.45¢c.; Nos. 18 to 22, 2.60c.; Nos. 23 and 24, 2.70c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.90c.; No. 27, 3.05c.; No. 28, 3.20c.; No. 29, 3.80c.; No. 30, 3.50c, Painted rooling sheets, No. 28, $1.55 per square. Galvanized sheets, No. 28, $2.75 per square for 2%4-in. corrugations. All above prices are f.o.b. Pittsburgh, terms 30 days net, or 2 per cent. cash discount 10 days from date of invoice. Wrought Pipe.—The following are the jobbers’ carload discounts on the Pittsburgh basing card on wrought pipe. 12 effect from October 1: Butt Weld. y teel._—_, -—Iron.— Black. Galv. Black. Galv. OE, WE Boas st ened pee 72 ©8658 6854 Be si i isn id ehg'a ke obate 7 63 es Oe SAGA, oki soe danea see 79 «369 75 | «8 a ee eee me 80 70 76 66 Lap Weld. aa ee ee Sas ees we is RAE Se 76 66 72 62 DU OE MN, gkccee eas Sos : ee 68 74 64 Oe Oe S WR. eC s a4 Saws Bare 77 67 73 = oe SP, cas va chance neal 75 59 71 ov AG WR 2 Minh saves ance een 51% Se. 7 Butt Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weights. __ ee eG rah eee 69 59 65 ov AO Pes ess ios A Ses eka 74 68 70 80 64 Mh BEAR. oe b a4 duit cast cal 7 72 es Se DN Wisc ond kb Soo eke ceed 79 73 75 oe Lap Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weight. _ RAM aieeichintidectineaae 7569 i ee OO UC sc evncncceskeee 7 3 fF Oh 00 Os sc 8 week 76 «4° 70 i =e YY Ee ae Sa 69 59 65 50 De Bs es Sawa eee 64 54 60 ht ; pt Weld, double extra strong, pote ~~ om rw 54 Se SAA er ee ee 6 F SOM i... ices 6761 63 OT PG BRS... oss cee aie 69 «63 ae Lap Weld, double extra strong, gente ends, card weig' 55 Re. ¢34:02 aie inane ae 65 59 61 BT oe 00. & Mins asns Pee 63 56 416 to 6 in.......- et eso T 06 Ona... c.idusosueees 59 49 55 aecn-re ie February 23, 1911 THE IRON AGE 463 THE IRON AND METAL MARKETS Plugged and Reamed. n...Butt Weld (poin be sold at two (2) points lower basing (high- {er price) —_ merchant or card weight pipe, Butt _.....Lap Weld | or Lap Weld as specified. scounts are for “card weight,’ subject to the of 5 per cent. Prices for less than carloads are iower basing (higher price) than the above dis- Boiler lubes.—Discounts on lap welded steel and char- r tubes to jobbers in carloads are as follows: Steel. Iron. 3 chad ke ed bute es dies dee oe en 49 4: ee eb ee eee 6 6 deans ibe ya ae enone 61 43 OM ta BS iN.ccceeces cuwlee eee e © sane yee © eee 69 D5 smaller, over 18 ft., 10 per cent. net extra. i larger, over 22 ft., 10 per cent. net extra. cari ‘ads to destinations east of the Mississipp! d at delfvered discounts for carloads lowered by loneths 22 ft. and under; longer lengths, f.o0.b. Wire Rods.—Bessemer, open hearth and chain rods, Steel Rivets.—Structural rivets, % in. and largér, 1.90c., . head boiler rivets, % in. and larger, 2c., base; 11-16 in. take an advance of 15c., and % in, and n advance of 50c.; in lengths shorter than 1 ike an advance of 50c. Terms are 30 days, net mill. Pittsburgh Park BUILDING, February 21, 1911—(By Telegraph.) Pig Iron.—There has been quite an active movement in c iron, and reports are that 35,000 to 40,000 tons have sold by furnaces and dealers in the past week or 10 ys, and at prices fully 50c. a ton higher than prevailed n this market a month ago. A local steel company has bought 10,000 tons for delivery over the next five or six months at a price said to have been $13.75 or under at Valley furnace. The minimum of the market on basic iron to-day is $13.75 and most furnaces are quoting $14, Valley furnace. A meeting of the merchant furnace interests was held at Cleveland, Ohio, February 17, and reports made there showed that the iron trade had improved consider- ably recently. There is no new demand for Bessemer iron, but furnaces are holding firm at $15, at furnace. A few small lots of Bessemer have been offered by dealers at ibout 10c, a ton under this price. We quote Bessemer pig iron, $15; malleable Bessemer, $13.75; basic, $13.75 to $14; No. 2 foundry, $13.75 to $14, and gray forge, $13.50, all at Valley furnace, the freight rate to the Pittsburgh district being 90c. a ton. Steel.—Conditions in the steel trade are more active than for some time and prices are very firm. We note sales f 2000 and 1000 tons of Bessemer sheet bars and 1000 tons fopen hearth sheet bars, all at $24, Pittsburgh, for delivery o April 1. We quote Bessemer and open hearth bil- ’, 4x 4 in, and up to, but not including, 10 x 10 in., at ‘2, hase, and sheet and tin bars in 80-ft. lengths, $24, f.0.b. ‘isburgh or Youngstown, full freight to destination added. 1'4-in. billets at $24 and forging billets at $28, extras for sizes and carbons, f.o.b. Pittsburgh own districts, freight to destination added, (By Mail.) of the Billet and Sheet Bar Division of the and Steel Institute was held in Pittsburgh ind was attended by about 20 of the large and roducers, Reports made by nearly all those ed that the billet and sheet bar mills are busier | orders than they have been for some months. present were in favor of making an advance | sheet bars, but it was deemed unadvisable to stime. It was stated, however, that recently, in ases, slight premiums over regular prices had r open hearth billets and sheet bars for spot de- e of the mills is disposed to sell steel at present elivery beyond April 1. The Carnegie Steel reported to be sold up on open hearth bars to “tt will not take any more orders for early delivery. a le steel plants of this company at Duquesne, “re. \lingo Junetion, Youngstown and New Castle were ull capacity for the first time in several months. The general situation is undoubtedly better. Up to January 18 the rail and billet sales department of the Carnegie Steel Company received actual orders sent to the mills for slightly over 100,000 tons of billets, sheet bars, rails and steel ties, while up to February 18 the actual orders it entered for these materials exceeded 200,000 tons. The National Tube Company is starting up this week its tube mill at Benwood, W. Va., and two blast furnaces that have been closed down for about a year. The Carnegie Steel Company is starting up this week its No. 3 blast furnace at South Sharon, while the plant of the Allegheny Steel Company at Brackenridge, Pa., is operating now to nearly full time. Prices are firm all along the line. There are reports of another $1 per ton advance in wire products to be made March 1, but not con- firmed. The scrap market is very strong and prices on heavy steel scrap have again advanced. The feeling in coke is better. Ferromanganese.—Some smal] inquiry is in the market, but prices are weak. A sale of about 50 tons is reported on the basis of about $37.50, Baltimore. We quote 80 per cent. foreign at $37.50 to $37.75, Baltimore, the freight rate to the Pittsburgh district being $1.9