The Iron Age 1911-06-29: Vol 87 Iss 26

THE IRON AGE esrb ‘New York, June 29, 1911 VoL. 87: No. 26 Published Every Thursday by the DAVID: WILLIAMS COMPANY 239 West 39th Street, New York Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Sul Price, United States and Mexico, $5.00 a fewens to Canada, A Sou. to Other Foreign Countries, $ 00 per Annum. Single Copies, 2 W. H. Taylor, - - - - - President and Treasurer |. A. Mekeel, - - - . - - - First Vice-President Harold S. Buttenheim, - - - - Second Vice-President and Secretary Geo. W. Cope, - - - - A. |. Findley, - Editors W. W. Macon, . - - Branch Offices Philadelphia, Real Estate Trust Building Chicago, Fisher Building Pittsburgh, Park Building Cleveland, American Trust Building Boston, Compton Building Cincinnati, 807 Andrews Building CONTENTS. Riedl Trade: FOBT OCRG so. sibin bs eS ack inden ce eds sah ees eredposs's 155] Iron and Steel in the World’s Railroads. .......0.000eeeeeeee 1552 Rods a Finished Steel Product...........+.-- Ccadcsaedeeane 1553 First Aid a ‘Ground FOE TOME os ok 6 Sedeccisecccegseves 1553 Lathe or Turning Machines?...........ccecescsccccccveses 1553 State Control of Women’s and Minors’ Wages. ........+-e0e++ 1554 Koppers Coke Ovens.........20esececccecsecenenncecererees 1554 Correspondence ...cevececcccdenccceeeeeneeesessanseeeens 1554 Fuel Efficiency of the Blast Furnace............. lepine eu ve 1554 Mechanical Equipment of the Olympic..........eeeeeeeeseeee 1555 The Accelerated Corrosion Test of Metals.........eeeeeeeeeee 1555 British Steel Production in 1910.........cceeeeceeeeeeereeees 1555 The Size of a Coke Charge for a Cupola.....s.eceeceeeeeees 1555 The Irori and Metal Markets...........0ceeserseeceoees 1556 to 1566 Iron and Industrial Stocks. ....5....-.--eeeecereceecconvens 1567 Belgian Iron and Steel Production in 1910.........-00+eeeeeees — Perea sos odk she 6 6608 ECR 8 nL ea ebeb ewe b saweeds sunset ens Obituary LicPew ccc cccededicsccccseorgtvcecveevessiseveetes 1567 Another Ore-Washing Plant in Minnesota. ....-..--.eeeeeeees 1567 Navy: Tol! “Stee. vs isoick seh cow Py vec cenwctwevesesreacacces 1568 Ore Mining on the Great Northern Properties.......+...+++: 1569 Capabilities of the Molding Machine.........seeesseeeeeees 1569 Operating Costs of Producer Gas Plants.....-.-0-eeseeeeeees 1570 Punch with a 48-Lb. Body. Casting... .....+00ceeeeeeneeeveee 1571 Jones & Laughlin Sales Department Changes..........-+-+++ 1571 New Type Slow Speed Exhaust Fan........-.-+-se+eseseee 1571 A Belt-Driven Flue Sheet Drill......... cece eee cece eee eees 1572 New Drive fot Planers. .....6.cccccccsrcccccscveccesesserces 1573 Boring and Internal Threading Tool........0.---+eeeeeeeeees 1573 Cutting Worm Gear on Gear Hobbing Machine........----- 1573 Uehling Waste Meter........eeeeeeeeccccterscenesseeserers 1574 The Angle Steel Tool Truck......0..eeeeessenecneeeeeenees 1575 A Steel of Great Torsional Strength.........-.-ceeeereeeee 1575 Air-Cooled Cholee Colle. ios cic vies cece se ec ig ec esses eesene 1576 Electric Forge Blowers.......0++ccenecerecccnrererecsereeee 1576 The Cause of the Shelling of Wheel Tires........+-++-++05> 1577 The Baldwin Locomotive Works........---6+eeeeceeeeeeeees 1577 The Garrigus Surface Grinder......- Be eee dy Galante ella 1578 A Handy Hydraulic Press.......6-. steer cece eeesererereneere 1578 Potassium Chromate as Metal Protection Agent.....-.+--+-++- 1579 New: Publications. .oiccc cc ddcassecescscecpsnccivcdastsoccete 1579 The Townsend High-Speed Drill Press....-.--+-++er+++ersees 1580 Interesting Application of a Barnes Tapping Machine.....-.-. 1580 Reversible Direct-Current Drum Controllers........--+++++++ 1581 New Magnetic Separator.-........+++-- Sean babenatngs bs acaes 1581 International Harvester Tractor Works........- setasha hae ehe 1582 A Universal Chain Oi] Feed.......cseseesecetewsersevcces 1587 Steam-Hydraulic Forging and Bending Press Catalogue... ..-» 1587 Large Castings in Fast Time.......s++-- i hs a otkikewy ¢ emee ee 1588 Sulphur in the Air and Metal Corrosion.......-. ie a aphaurks 4 1589 Modern Steel Products Warehouse.......sse+eeeseeeeeesess 159 Hill Rail Fastener for Steel TieS.....sescesseeeereernccres - 1591 Improvement in Feed Water Heating.....++-+eereseeeceree . 1592 Public Works of Vemezupla....sssreersececessrnerenes oo PLS 1593. The Baldwin Stree Tas ee ce ines doves be vccede te¥s ‘* 3593 The Machinery Markets.an.-ssesssrrveneseesensannmnhSed.to 1602 Steel Trade aati Mill Operations Still Gaining Pig Iron Trade Slightly More Active The improvement in the steel trade continues. The volume of business shows a steady gain. This is not due to a spurt in any special branch but to an increase in orders from a multiplicity of sources. The United States Steel Corporation is enlarging the scope of its operations, the active steel ingot capacity this week being over 68 per cent. as against 6f. ser cent. at the same time last week. The improvement in its opera- tions is more strongly indicated by the statement that at the corresponding time last month the active ingot capacity was only 58 per cent. A considerable part of the recent gain is due to a heavier volume of business at Chicago, where two additional blast furnaces were put in operation in the past week by the Illinois Steel Company to supply needed pig iron. The improvement is by no means confined to the Chicago district, as Pittsburgh conditions are also bet- ter. Bookings in structural shapes and plates are re- ported to have been much the largest last week in over a year. The billet and rail sales department of the Carnegie Steel Company is over 40,000 tons Ahead on actual orders sent to the mills for rolling as compared with the same period in May. In the structural trade in general, railroad bridge work forms a substantial proportion of the new busi- ness coming in the market but some excellent orders have also been booked for other purposes. The Ainer- ican Bridge Company has secured the contract for 8500 tons for the new plant of the Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Company, at Midland, Pa. Orders booked in Eastern territory for buildings, bridges, etc., the past week totaled over 15,000 tons, with quite a number of orders pending. This branch of business seems to bé close to normal conditions. It had been hoped that by this time the New York City Subway question would be definitely settled and that the trade could look for- ward with some certainty to the enormous requirements for steel which the new subways will call for, It seems, however, that some further time must elapse until it is known when the work will actually begin. While the plate- trade shows someé increase, in- dications of an early heavy demand are seen in the increasing number of inquiries coming out for steel cars. The change in the condition of the sheet trade is one of the ihterestirig! developments of the month. From the time prices were reduced the demand has improved, and current reports of business are very satisfactory. Some large manufacturers are now | Tunning all their mills on full, time, whereas in the early part of May their operations were intermittent, tm eR 19 YE. ang { i : . ee ee Fi rae aoe eed weer Pe 1582 THE IRON AGE ea | “et The better feeling in this branch of business has caused important contracts for sheet bars to be placed in Pittsburgh the past week for future delivery, While the situation in finished lines is thus show- ing decidedly improved conditions, the feeling of op- timism is somewhat tempered by the knowledge that a great deal of slack still remains to be taken up to put the steel plants of the country in really good work- ing shape. Reports from the various pig iron markets are bet- ter, as orders are more numerous and inquiries are more plentiful. No general buying movement has yet set in, but the number of consumers who feel that the present is a good time to purchase is steadily growing larger. Prices of pig iron are no firmer as many mak- ers are anxious to get their share of such business as is now coming out. The export trade is fairly active, with moderate orders being received for rails, track supplies, locomo- tives and other railroad material from South and Cen- tral America. Canada has placed further contracts for material needed by agricultural implement manufac- turers and large inquiries are being received for other classes of products from Canadian buyers. The coke market is showing much greater activity as quite a number of pig iron manufacturers are now placing contracts for their requirements for the last half of the year, while large consumers of foundry coke are also making contracts for their supplies. The Amalgamated Association and the Republic Iron & Steel Company have settled upon the wage scale for bar iron mills for the twelve months from July I. The scale is the same as for the current year except for some slight changes in foot notes. ———_++o—_____ Iron and Steel in the World’s Railroads The statistics of the world’s railroad mileage at the close of 1909, compiled by the Archiv fir Eisenbahn- wesen and recently published, deserve some study and comparison with previous returns. The world’s rail- road mileage at the close of each of the past six years and the increase during the year have been as follows: Total Increase at close. in year. SE a CER eM eels RSS be mahi bo oezes sot See). cee ES a a ae ee eee re ee ee 562,783 12,493 SY oe oe Te eee vin 56 pe ew st ce epey é 580,276 17,493 nT chert eS See MesG es pw ¥e soe es occ tvs tvs 594,867 14,591 SD: ch eet ee Be aS 6b e& oo is Woe ogee wee 16,687 PS eee tate te EE ans bin Ss «ANON 00.060 0.8 625,698 14,144 Poor’s mileage statistics for the United States alone for the same years are as follows: Total Increase at close. in year. RR a cei teekden rea eh baad cess 06% 212,394 5,059 RRR SP a eee ee 217,341 4,947 BEDE ord dose ckaeier eee stbie ices weuceees 222,766 5,425 Co Se SRS ee ere reer 228,128 5,362 NT Cains Abdo CEN WK SSP RVEN SAD a a's sc ade 232,046 3,918 PE itis. sh cnkathe ne teR abn eee ee 6,2 238,356 6,310 The United States increase of 6310 miles shown for 1909 was not all attributable to that year, there being 2923 miles represented by remeasurements, small roads reporting for the first time, etc., so that for compara- tive purposes, there should be taken 3387 miles as the 1909 increase. Figuring the increase each year as a percentage of the mileage at the opening of that year, the results come out as follows, for the United States alone and for the world exclusive of the United States: United Re _. States. o ld BED) ae kh oa wakes Oe bi an a wat w oe ee of tee - BONG V5 35 Sony «oo CaSn os bob Oka ckeer pares ee ) ECT orth w Cas bh Oo Ble Rl 6 Wl & able eho seaees 2.41 " Ute said » © o-s0'\ dee kale nals Ses cease vheee 1.72 Q BOOP ‘Wie odes os cbda ss Khoa bd de ieee eebis mee 4 The rate of increase in the United States sey ;;))) declined after 1906, whereas the increase in th mainder of the world, while varying, did not show « material change, and it may be taken that the world’s railroad mileage outside of the United States, amount- ing to 380,000 miles at the close of 1909, is increasing at the rate of 3 per cent. a year. This rate is equiya- lent to a doubling in 23 years. The average rate oj increase shown by the United States in 1908 and 1909 was 1.6 per cent., which would involve a doubling in 44 years. ; 3 The statistics of our German contemporary are presented by continents. The totals for its geographi- cal divisions at the close of 1909, and the increases dur- ing the four years ending with I909, are as shown below, and we have computed in each case the per- centage of the mileage at the close of 1909 which was added in the four years: ; At close Increase in Percent. increas ONE ss nce kee Cela awe 204,904 12,359 6.0 : of 1909. four years. of total. DR 6ok sae pease 61,800 11,197 18.2 STEER: 5% cabo ad ad ah 20,809 4,518 21.8 North America ...... 277,015 25,057 9.0 South America ...... 42,329 8,273 19.6 FAP ATAOE <o o:5 0.6 v3 00's 18,849 1,396 7.4 It is readily observed that the well-developed con- tinents, Europe and North America, have added the least proportionate to their mileage, while the less-de- veloped continents, Asia, Africa and South America, have added mileage in much greater ratio, although the number of miles added has beer smaller. This is what would be expected. An interesting question is the tonnage of iron and steel used in railroad construction in the world. No accurate estimate can be made, for the reason that con- ditions vary so widely with different railroads ac- cording to the character and density of traffic. In the Cape to Cairo project, for instance, a single track line is amply sufficient, and the rolling stock per mile of line is necessarily light. So it was originally with our own transcontinental lines. On the other hand, in the eastern part of this country we have four-track roads with many cars and locomotives per mile of road, and a similar condition prevails in England. For a rough estimate of the world, however, the proportions ob- taining in the United States might not prove to be far wrong. They are substantially as follows, per mile of line: Miles of track, 1.4; locomotives, 0.25; cars, 9.4. On the basis of these data, it may be estimated roughly that in the United States there are tied up in the railroads the following tonnages of iron and steel: Rails, 45,000,000 tons; bridges, buildings, etc., 10,000,000 tons; locomotives, 5,000,000 tons; cars, 25,- 000,000 tons; total, 85,000,000 tons. For the remainder of the world, allowing for the lesser use of steel cars and steel bridge material, a rough estimate would be: Rails, 70,000,000 tons; bridges, buildirigs, etc., 10,- 000,000 tons; locomotives, 40,000,000 tons; cars, 25-, 000,000 tors; total, 115,000,000 tons. This would make a grand total of about 200,000,000 tons of iron and steel tied up in the railroads of the world, exclusive, of course, of electric and minor systems. The world’s annual production of pig iron has lately increased to 60,000,000 tons, having been 40,000,000 tons in 1900. Evidently a large proportion of the production has gon¢ into railroads, but the railroad consumption has not been of overshadowing proportions, as is occasionally assumed. ; £ ; ine 29, IQII kods a Finished Steel Product The incident that wire rods were reduced $2 a ton price at the time of the reduction in wire prices, ine 20, instead of at the time billets were reduced, ay 29, is not without its significance. In the old ys wire rods were regarded as a semifinished prod- ‘t, and took their place with billets and sheet bars. ey were often bought for drawing into wire and ere therefore to be regarded as more or less cog: ite with billets, which were bought to roll into mer- ant bars, ete., and with sheet bars, which were ught to roll into sheets and tin plates. Of late there is been relatively little tonnage of rods which has hanged ownership to be subsequently drawn into wire. ()n the other hand, the tonnage of rods used for other purposes, particularly for making chain, has greatly icreased. The line between the steel industry proper, which niakes rolled steel products, and the fabricating trade, which works these products up in various ways for ultimate utilization, is now more properly drawn sim- ply to include rods as a material to pass from the one class to the other, rather than in a way to include rods as cor.tained within the steel industry. In a sense, the rod is one of the finished products of the ordinary wire mill, to be sold to those who use it for other purposes than drawing into wire. Years ago, on the other hand, rods could often be classified as the raw material of the ordinary wire mill. The practice of buying billets to roll into rods to be drawn into wire still survives to a limited extent, but there are a very few instances. Ordinarily the producer of the wire makes even the steel ingot. First Aid a Ground for Damages The Supreme Court of New Jersey has handed down a decision in which a manufacturer is found liable for the negligence of his superintendent in con- nection with the dressing of a wound received by a workman. The man had cut his finger with a pair of scissors, and the superintendent instructed another em- ployee to dress the injured member. Carbolic acid was applied and gangrene followed, which made necessary the amputation of the finger. The injured man sued for damages and a verdict was awarded him. The em- ployer appealed the case to the higher court, the ques- tion involved being whether the use of medicine found in an emergency chest in the factory was within the authority given by the superintendent to the man who dressed the injury. The court says that it was. The decision gives employers ground for serious reflection. Various States have enacted statutes com- pelling manufacturers to maintain kits for first aid to the injured. This, of course, implies that the contents of the kits shall be used in case of accident. If the treatment is unskillful the owner, under this decision, may be liable for damages. Therefore, the employer is wise who selects with a good deal of care the person to whom the emergency treatment shall be intrusted. Referring to the case in question, carbolic acid, prop- erly diluted, would generally be considered a proper antiseptic agent. Treatment given by a surgeon may not rid a wound of the danger of blood-poisoning. The law says, ir. some States, that the emergency chest shall be available for immediate use, the natural deduc- tion being that first aid must be administered. A con- tradictory situation is thus created by the statutes. Logically considered, if the employer does his best for his injured workmen, his duty would seem to have THE IRON AGE 1553 been performed. Of course, a case may be imagined where the misuse of the contents of the kit would be so monstrous, through ignorance, as to savor of crim- inal negligerce. But, generally speaking, the injured workman should be considered as having the advan- tage-of the very essential immediate treatment. If serious results follow, it would seem that the employer should not be held by statute as liable. Whatever the rights and wrongs of these legal con- ditions, it is clearly desirable for an owner to give the subject of emergency treatment attention. A com- mon practice is to select for the duty one or two men of sufficient intelligence to enable them to learn the necessary elementary principles of surgery. A phy- sician may be employed to instruct them. If this work is not systematized, if any workmar: who happens to be available is permitted to treat an injury sustained by one of his fellows, the chances of inefficiency are multiplied. Lathe or Turning Machine? The discussion which promises to develop into a controversy among machine. tool manufacturers as to whether a lathe should be called a turning machine seems to be a matter properly fit for “dog days” con- templation. As yet, it would appear that it has not been submitted to the proper authorities for settle- ment. The old saw that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” does not apply here, for a turn- ing machine announcement in an advertisement or catalogue might not meet with the proper attention from a prospective lathe purchaser; hence, it would not seem that a lathe by any other name would sell as well. If apprentices and prospective engineers are taught that a certain device is called a lathe it will require some education to sell them turning machines for lathe work when they become the buying men. So the question “what's in a name?” is worthy, of some consideration in this event at least. The argument that the word lathe does not mean anything may have some foundation now, but time was when, in a meas- ure, it described an important principle of the ma- chine. A “lath” or flexible pole was an important part of the first self-contained machine, as witness the following extract from “Modern American Lathe Practice,” by Oscar E. Perrigo, M.E.: A piece of wood formed a bed for the lathe, and to this was fixed the blocks forming the centers, which have since become the head and tail stocks of the lathe. The machine appears to have been used indoors, as the flexible limb of the tree had been replaced by a flexible strip or pole, “fastened overhead” and called a “lath,” from which circumstance some writers think that the name “lathe” was derived. The driving cord was still wound around the piece to be turned. No mention is made of the method of supporting the tool, but it is probable that a strip of wood was fastened to the “bed” for that purpose. It is not our purpose to’ discourage any reform that makes for a better standardization of machine tools, but if a lathe is to be called a turning machine what about a boring mill, which also turns parts? Certainly a manufacturer has the privilege of calling his product what he will, but, for selling reasons alone, the makers of lathes or turning machines, or what- ever they may be, would do well to get the co-opera- tion of the instructors of technical schools and col- leges in making a change, so that the literature now being studied by future buyers can be reformed as a first step. ee ee ee 1554 THE IRON AGE June 20, State Control of Women’s and Minors’ Wages Massachusetts has established a commission whose duty willbe to study the matter of wages of women and minors. Later, to quote the legislative act, “It will report on the advisability of establishing a board or boards to which shall be referred inquiries as to the need and feasibility of fixing minimum rates of wages for women and minors in any industry.” The plan is that next year’s Legislature will pass upon bills sub- mitted by this commission. The body as proposed is to consist of five persons, including a woman, a repre- sertative of labor and a representative of employers. The idea of a minimum wage board is not new. As an advisory board it may perform a useful work, but it is difficult to understand how such a tribunal could be Vested with power to determine the wage that must be paid by an employer to an employee. A State may have the power to define the maximum number of hours fer which a woman or a child may be employed during the week, but we very much doubt if the State can tell an employer that he shall pay a given wage to these people. In some industries women and children are sadly underpaid. In the metal trades this charge is seldom heard; in other trades the condition is notor- ious. If a State could establish a board consisting of intelligent persons having an intimate understanding of business conditions, the moral influence might be very important. Probably everything would depend upon the personality of the members. Industry is progressing along this line of its own volition. Hygiene is more and more recognized as a factor of costs. Employers desire their working peo- ple to be in good health, and, as far as possible, in good spirits. They believe ir paying a living wage. In the metal industry the average wage of women and chil- dren is, undoubtedly, greater than that in the mercan- tile world. It is not alone the influence of supply and demand which regulates these matters: Probably a very great number of manufacturers will be glad to learn the results of this investigation of the Massachu- setis commission. ———___-<-o-———_—_ Koppers Coke Ovens H. Koppers, Joliet, Ill, calls attention to the fact that the article on “By-Product Coke Ovens in America,” which was published in The Iron Age of June 8, omitted to state that the list of ovens given was for the year 1900. For this reason an apparent injustice was done to the Koppers oven. In addition to the Koppers ovens men- tioned in the article, 110 have been installed at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, 60 at Woodward, Ala., and 86 waste heat ovens in Mexico, while other Koppers plants under construction comprise 420 ovens for the Indiana Steel Company (United States Steel Corporation) at Gary, Ind., 280 ovens for the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company (United States Steel Corporation) at Corey, Ala. A recent contract has further been made for 35 Koppers ovens with the Coal Products Mfg. Company, Joliet, I1. -——__---—_ op ---— The T. A. Gillespie Company, Pittsburgh, has been awarded by the Board of Water Supply of New York City a contract for the construction of a portion of the Hudson River division of the Catskill aqueduct in the towns of Cornwall and Fishkill. Its bid was $1,649,020 and was the third lowest; but, by. reason of the importance of the undertaking, the board decided to. make the award to the Gillespie Company because of its facilities, experience and resources. The steel requirements of the complete portion: of the Catskill aqueduct from Yonkers, N. Y., to Brooklyn, amounting to about 6000 tons, will be rolled by the Carnegie Steel Company, Pittsburgh. Correspondence Protecting Metal from Superincumbent Si: To the Editor: In rather tardily looking over - issue of June I, reporting the proceedings of the co: tion of the American Foundrymen’s Association rec; held in Pittsburgh, I note I have been incorrectly qu. re on page 1330 as follows: “He mentioned that the terious effect of slag resting on the metal was met })\ use of thermit with silicon.” I distinctly made a ment to the contrary. In the discussion following th paper which I read, Professor Stoughton asked if the ad, tion of thermit and silicon to the last part of the heat the ladle would not overcome the difficulty experienced by deterioration of the metal lying just beneath the slag. I replied that this did not entirely overcome the difficulty. since raising the temperature and the silicon content were not in themselves sufficient, as the manganese and sulphur are affected by the slag. R.A. But, ; z Commonwealth Steel Compan) GRANITE City, ILt., June 14. tate- { } A 1 i ——+—_—~>0e Fuel Efficiency of the Blast Furnace Under the title, “The Fuel Efficiency of the Iron Blast Furnace,” John Jermain Porter, Cincinnati, Ohio, contrib- uted a paper to the Wilkes-Barre meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, analyzing the heat changes occurring in the blast furnaces. In this paper he asserts that the activities of furnace managers are limited to the more perfect cultivation of the fields already open, and that there is no new ground to be broken until commercially feasible methods of producing high-oxygen blasts are at hand. There is no question, he continued, that the furnace- men of the future will have to meet the condition of smelt- ing very lean ores. With the high slag volume then pro- duced, the carbon requirements. of the hearth will become more than ever the controlling factor, and the heat re- quirements in the stack may, for all practical purposes, be ignored. With regard to blast temperature, he emphasizes that when using Mesaba ores, the temperature is limited by the tendency of the furnace to stick and hang at high heats. His observations, however, cover results in which 1100 deg. F. blast temperature is used in connection with 70 per cent. Mesaba ore. In respect to the carbon loss in the shaft of the fur- nace, it is thought that current furnace practice is, as a rule, fairly satisfactory, with the exception that in the South- ern districts the ore and limestone are generally insufh- ciently crushed and sized previous to charging. He believes that in a number of cases it would be possible to save at least 100 Ib. of fuel per ton of iron by better practice in this regard. Fineness beyond a certain point is, of course, undesirable, as it induces excessive carbon-deposition and causes hanging of the furnace. Ores reduced with difficulty do not cause this trouble, he mentions, and fuel may be saved by having them finely crushed as is compatible with a reasonably low loss in flue dust. In regard to the attempt to reduce the cost of making pig iron, the author expresses a belief that a simultaneous study of the possibility of metallurgical improvement and of the cost sheet will show in many cases far greater re- turns than could have been obtained through judicious ex- penditure looking toward the reduction of fuel through an increase in available heat than through the development of labor-saving machinery, such as skip hoists, casting m2- chines, pig breakers and the like, the value of which he does not question. In short, he feels that most furnacemen have placed too much emphasis upon mechanical effect 0! these improvements on the cost sheet. The following table on cost is of probable interest: Approximate Percentage of the Items Entering into the Cost Making Pig Iron. Atlantic Alabama. Virginia. Pittsburgh. Chicago. Coast. CO Ris vale eee 35 38 70 54 43 PRES vac ciseoueun 1 7 2 2 2 POR s6 Konoha 47 39 18 34 40 OE =n sees twee 10 11 6 6 8 Supplies and re- DEWE:. oy 4 eis 7 5 4 4 4 —_— -—— -- _— Total OSes oe. 100 100 100 100 100 June 29, 1911 Mechanical Equipment of the Olympic The mechanical equipment on the new steamship Olympic of the White Star Line, which ended its initial voyage at New York June 21, requires the attendance of i corps of men sufficient to operate a good-sized manufac- turing plant. Counting the firemen and stokers, there are 230 men in the engineering department, and 4o of these are designated as engineers. The vessel, which is the largest now afloat, is the first transatlantic liner to be equipped with both reciprocating and turbine engines. [here are two reciprocating engines of the four-cylinder triple-expansion type, taking steam at 250 lb. to the sq. in. and operating at about 75 r.p.m., and one auxiliary steam turbine of the Parsons type which is designed to take steam from.the reciprocating engines at about 9 Ib. abso- lute, expanding down to 1 Ib., and is capable of running at 165 r.p.m. The boat carries a refrigeration plant consisting of two horizontal duplex carbonic acid machines. The electric plant consists of four 400-kw generators, each directly coupled to a 580-hp. vertical 3-crank compound engine running at 325 r.p.m. The steam generating plant com- prises 29 boilers, 20 of which are double ended and are 20 ft. long by 9 ft. 9 in. in diameter, and five are single ended boilers, 11 ft. 9 in. long and 15 ft. 9 in. in diameter. The latter are arranged so as to be available for the auxili- ary machinery while the ship is in port. To take care of the repairs on this equipment a machine shop has been installed on board, which has a complete line of machine tools required in tool making and for making machine parts. Three machinists are regularly employed in this shop, and in case of necessity other men in the engineer- ing department can be detailed to machine-shop work. —__—.¢---——__—_— The Accelerated Corrosion Test of Metals R. C. McBride, Commercial Chemical Laboratory, Youngstown, Ohio, writes to the Engineering Record, New York, as follows regarding some analyses and tests made for the purpose of investigating the value of the accelerated corrosion test as an indication of the ability of metal to resist the action of the weather: The first sample examined was a piece of sheet-iron roofing which was known to have been in service for more than 40 years, and in that time to have received but two coats of paint. Here was-a chance to make an accelerated test on a sample which had already demon- strated its ability to resist the conditions of actual service. A carefully cleaned piece was submitted to the action of 2% per cent. sulphuric acid at room temperature for 24 hr. To our surprise the sample showed a loss of 71 per cent. in weight. The analysis of this sample was: Slag, 80 per cent.; sulphur, 0.057; phosphorus, 0.157; manga- nese, none. This analysis shows it to have been the real old puddled iron. At the end of the accelerated test the iron presented a very marked foliated structure which, viewed edgewise, resembled a stone wall from whick all the cement had been removed. This peculiar appearance at once sug- gested that the slag had been attacked and dissolved out more readily than the iron. Analysis showed this to have been the case, as the sample contained only 0.20 per cent. slag after it had been subjected to the action of the acid. This seems to support the old theory that the weather- resisting power of puddled iron was largely due to the protective action of inclosing layers of slag, this protec- tive action being in addition to the more recently discov- ered protection afforded by absence of manganese, while the greater susceptibility of this iron to accelerated cor- rosion is due to the fact that the dilute acid employed readily attacks this protective coating and, by opening up the foliated structure, in this way multiplies the sur- face exposed to corrosive action. It is well known that slag resists, almost to the point of immunity, the corro- sive agents of actual service. A sample of new sheet iron submitted by a company which claims its product to be the “old fashioned” pud- dled iron showed a loss of 17.7 per cent. under the ac- celerated test. The analysis of this sample was: Slag, I per cent.; sulphur, o.o11; phosphorus, 0.012; manga- nese, none. Judged by the electrolytic theory alone, this sample would be very highly resistant to corresion, and ea THE IRON AGE ‘ 1555 in our opinion would be, were it not for the opening of- fered by the dissolving away of the inclosed slag, for its analysis is much better than that of the 40-year-old sam- ple, as also is its corrosion figure. That the absence of slag in the presence of manganese does not imply resistance to accelerated corrosion, any more than does the absence of manganese in the presence of slag, is proved by the high accelerated corrosion figures of ordinary Bessemer steel. One samplé of this material tested had the following analysis: Slag, none; sulphur, 0.075 per cent.; phosphorus, 0.133; manganese, 0.41. This showed a loss of 31.6 per cent. by the accelerated test. These experiments would seem to lead to the follow- ing conclusions: As a means of comparing the weather- resisting abilities of steels or so-called irons which have been rolled from molten ingots in which no slag is found, the accelerated corrosion test may he of value; but since irons which have successfully resisted the weather for “lo, these 40 years” are torn wide open by this test, we must conclude that their slay content, while a protection in actual service, entirely ‘vitiates the accelerated test as applied to such materials. British Steel Production in 1910 The British Iron Trade Association, through its secre- tary, Fairfax Scott, has published the statistics of the pro- duction of steel in the United Kingdom in 1910, from which are compiled the following details: Bessemer ingots, 1,779,115 gross tons; open-hearth ingots, 4,231,569 tons. In 1909 the production was: Bessemer ingots, 1,733,220 tons; open-hearth ingots, 4,148,408 tons. Of the Bessemer ingot production in 1910 1,138,103 tons were acid and 641,012 tons were basic. The production of basic open-hearth ingots in 1910 was 1,578,530 tons, and of acid open-hearth ingots, 2,653,033 tons. The production of crucible steel and steel castings is not given. The production of. Bessemer steel rails, including ties and fish-plates, in the United Kingdom in 1910 was 711,915 tons, as compared with 821,079 tons in 1909, being a decrease of 109;164 tons, and less than the output of 1908, the year of depressed trade. a The Size of a Coke Charge for a Cupola.—A charge of coke in the cupola may be called a small or suitable charge when it is below 200 Ib. per square foot of the cross- sectional area of the cupola, and it may be considered a large charge when it is above this amount. .P, Munnoch drew this line in a paper on cupola melting practice in Great Britain presented to the recent Pittsburgh meeting of the American Foundrymen’s Association. . In addition, he mentioned that the lower the melting ratio and the lower the density of the coke the smaller is the charge desirable. Sometimes, therefore, 100 lb. per square foot sectional area might be ample. The area of the cross- section multiplied by 2% and the result multiplied by 60 (minutes) gives ideal coke consumption per hour. This multiplied by 10 gives the ideal rate of melting in pounds of iron per hour. Figures thus found are useful to com- pare with the actual melting rate. —\o-e—_—_ The National Commissary Managers’ Association will hold its annual meeting in St. Louis, Mo., August 22 to 24. The headquarters will be at the Southern Hotel. B. M. Lebby, Dutton, Florida, is president of the asso- ciation, and Tracy D. Luccock, 801 Manhattan Building, Chicago, is secretary and treasurer. This association is composed of managers of stores conducted by coal mining companies, lumber manufacturers, cotton manufacturers, etc. Special addresses are to be made by men of national reputation on subjects of vital importance to the com- missary trade. A rotary steam engine, which has been tested in use at the Aurora Cotton Mills at Burlington, N. C., and the Agricultural and Mechanical College at Raleigh, N. C., is to be manufactured on a corhmercial basis by the Holt Engine Company, Burlington, N. C. Tests are reported in which an 8-hp. engine developed 10 hp. at 400 r.p.m. with 100 Ib. steam pressure with a consumption of 33 Ib. of steam per horse-power per hour and developed 7.95 hp. at 300 r.p.m. and 100 tb. steam préssure with a con- sumption of 40 tb. per horse-power-hour. 1556 THE IRON AGE June 29, 1911 The Iron and Metal Markets A Comparason of Prices Advances Over the Previous Week in Heavy Type, Declines in Italics. At date, one week, one month and one year prveious. June 28 June 21 May 30 June 29 PIG IRON, Per Gross Ton: 1911. 1911. 1911. 1910. Foundry No. 2, standard, Phila- ONE Fan twanind ar oie 0 0:2 6 $15.00 $15.00 $15.50 . $16.25 Foundry No. 2 Valley furnace... 13.50 13.50 13.75 14.50 Foundry No. 2, Southern, Cin- SSRN nh ede nhieu SA whens 13.25 13.25 13.75 14.75 Foundry No. 2, Birmingham, Ala. 10.00 10.00 10.50 11.50 Foundry No. 2 local, at furnace, vu CRON eb nA Race bus bo be ms « 15.00 15.00 15.00 16.75 Basic, delivered, eastern Pa.... 14.50 14.50 14.50 15.75 Basic, Valley furnace.......... 13.00 13.00 13.10 14.50 Bessemer, Pittsburgh ......... 15.90 15.90 15.90 16.40 Gray forge, Pittsburgh........ g3.90 13.90 14.15 14.90 Lake Superior charcoal, Chicago 16.50 16.50 17.00 18.50 COKE, CONNELLSVILLE, , Per Net Ton, at oven: Furnacec coke, prompt shipment 1.40 1.40 1.45 1.65 Furnace coke, future delivery. . 1.60 1.60 1.75 1.80 Foundry coke, prompt shipment 1.80 1.75 1.75 2.15 Foundry coke, future delivery... 2.10 2.05 2.00 2.25 BILLETS, &c., Per Gross Ton: Bessemer billets, Pittsburgh.... 21.00 21.00 21.00 25.00 31 Forging billets, Pittsburgh..... 26.00 26.00 26.00 .00 Open Lenrth billets, Philadelphia 23.40 23.40 23.40 28.50 Wire rods, Pitt—burgh......... 27.00 27.00 29.00 31.00 OLD MATERIAL, Per Gross Ton: ; Tron. rails, SMNRO. . «225.65... 14.00 14.00 14.50 17.00 Iron rails, Philadelphia........ 16.50 16.50 16.75 19.50 Car wheels, Chieago.......... 12.50 12.50 12.75 15.50 Car wheels, Philadelphia...... 13.00 13.00 13.00 14.50 Heavy steel scmp, Pittsburgh... 13.00 13.00 13.00 15.00 Heavy steel sct™p, Chicago.. 10.25 10.25 10.25 12.75 Heavy steel scrap, Philadelphia. . 13.00 13.00 13.00 14.25 FINISHED IRON AND STEEL, Per Pound: a 7 a = Cents. Cents. ents. ents. Bessemer rails, heavy, at mill.. 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 Refined iron bars, Philadelphia. . 1.27% 1.27% 1.27 1.47% Common iron bars, Pittsburgh. . 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.50 Common iron bars, Chicago.... 1.20 1.20 1.20 1.45 Steel bars, Pittsburgh........ 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.45 Steel bars, tidewater, New York 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.61 Tank plates, P ttsburgh....... 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.45 Tank plates, tidewater, New York 1.51 1,51 1.51 1.61 Began. PRISSUEED .. 66s ccose 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.45 3eams, tidewater, New York.. 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.61 Angles, Pittsburgh ............ 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.45 Angles, tidewater, New York.. 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.61 Skelp, grooved steel, Pittsburgh 1.25 1.25 1.30 1.50 Skelp, sheared steel, Pittsburgh 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.60 SHEETS, NAILS AND WIRE, Per Dateiadl Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Sheets, black, No. 28, Pittsburgh 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.40 Wire nails, Pittsburzgh*........ 1.70 1.70 1.80 1.80 Cut nails, Pittsburgh*......... 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.75 Barb wire, galv., Pittsburgh?.. 2.00 2.00 2.10 2.10 METALS, Per Pound: Cénts. Cents. Cents. Cents. Lake copper, New York....... 12.87% 12.75 12.45 2.75 Electrolytic copper, New York.. 12.6214 12.50 12.25 12.37% eee 5.45 5.55 5.20 5.05 SGN, DOU. WOU Mins 3 :0.2.00.00 5.65 3:75 5.50 5.20 a Re eee 4.35 4.35 4.22% 4.22% ee Be (Se 4.50 4.50 4.371%4 4.37% re ep Se. ae 45.00 44.87% 45.50 33.00 Antimony, Hallett, New York.. 8.25 8.75 8.95 8.12% Tin plate, 100-lb.-box, New York $3.94 $3.94 $3.94 $3.84 *The average switching charge for delivery to. foundries in the Chicago district is 50c. per ton A +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, I=c.; Boston, 18c.; Buffalo, 11c.; Cleveland, 1oc.; Cincinnati, 15¢.; Indian- apolis, 17¢.; Chicago, 18¢.; St. Paul, 32c.; St: Louisa, 22Y%c.; New Orleans, 30c:; Birmingham, Ala., 45c. Rates to the Pacific Coast are 80c. on plates, structural shapes and sheets, No. 11 and heavier; 85c. on sheets, Nos. t2 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, 1.35c. to 1.40c., net; I-beams over I5 in., 1.45c. to 1.50c., net; H-beams over 8 in., I.50c. to 1.55c.; angles, 3 to 6 in., inclusive, 4 in. and up, 1.35c. to 1.40 net; angles over 6 in., 1.45c. to 1.50c¢., net; angles, in. on one or both legs, less than % in. thick, 1.40¢ plus full extras as per steel bar card effective Septe: ber I, 1909; tees, 3 in. and up, 1.40c., net; zees, 3 in. an up, 1.35c. to 1.40c., net; angles, channels and tees und. - 3 im., 1.40c., base, ‘plus full extras as per steel bar card of September I, 1900; deck beams and bulb Bot f 1.65c. to 1.70¢., ‘net; hand rail tees, 2.45c.; checkered and corrugated plates, 2.45c., net. Plates.—Tank plates, 4% in. thick, 6% in. up to too in. wide, 1.35c. to 1.40c., base. Following are stipula- tions prescribed by manufacturers, with extras to he added to base price (per pound) of plates: Rectangular plates, tank steel or, conforming to manufacture:s standard specifications for structural steel dated February 6, 1903, equivalent, 4 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 Ib. per square foot, are considered 3-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 It 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 Asso- ciation of American Steel Manufacturers. Gauges under %-in. to and including 3-16-in. on thin- AE NE: RIED, 0s bin eas Suk PRR eh be aR SA ew an We $0.10 Gauges under 3-16-in. to and eieng, No nS sipieonl 15 Gauges under No. 8 to and including No. 9.......... 25 Gauges under No. 9 to and -including No. "i soe 6 w-wes 30 Gauges under No. 10 to and including Wa. 12. 3k ckes .40 Sketches (including all straight taper plates) 3 ft. and SUCRE AI 6 5.6 0s 0:04 ewes vee SoS Ae hat vevniaws -10 Complete circles, 3 ft. in diameter and over.......... .20 WOES IE eS PE kinds pieces cd bcace se eeCbNcahe L = 10 “A, B. M. A.” and annoy. Grebo steel... 5 i. sd side -20 Sil). BOCOE -OUOCN iss 55 ok bee neres Sherk et ohn e450 ee a WO WE CISR GN i dchin 68% 60 640-0 Ne he be kp ed Rain oe FS oe 40 Locomotive Gietbox teal cis. oii0.ios <4 s san diene sskcd ake .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 Widths ower: 190 tis ovis ons i vic Snes scenaiewad sane 1.00 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 3 ft. to 2 ft. TROTEVG Lib b cw ake b's BANOS 0 Os Vee Debs bcc ede kaw ae Cutting to lengths or diameters under 2 ft. to 1 ft., SOMRURRID |. 5 a n't a's 00:6 hes Mk keke af No .0g.ce See ° Cutting to lengths or diameters ween 3 St. 6. <ccwaee ee 1.55 No charge for cutting rectangular plates to lengths 3 ft. and over. Terms—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 small lots from store, are as fol- lows: Blue annealed sheets, Nos. 3 to 8, U. S. standard gauge, 1.40c.; Nos. 9 and 10, 1.50c.; Nos. 11 and 12, 1.55c.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.60c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.70¢. One pass, cold rolled, box annealed sheets, Nos. 10 to 12, 1.65¢.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.70c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.75¢.; Nos. 17 to 21, 1.80c.; Nos. 22, 23 and 24, 1.85c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 1.90c.; No. 27, 1.95¢.; No. 28, 2c.; No. 29, 2.05c.; No. 30, 2.15c. Three pass, cold rolled sheets, box an- nealed, are as follows: Nos. 15 and 16, 1.85c.; Nos. 17 to 21, 1.90c.; Nos. 22 to 24, 1.95c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2c.; No. 27, 2.05c.; No. 28, 2.10c.; No. 29, 2.15¢.; No. 30, 25c. Galvanized sheets, Nos. 10 and 11, black sheet uge, 2c.; Nos. 12, 13 2nd 14, 2.10c.; Nos. 15, 16 and 2.25¢.; Nos. 18 to 22, 2.40c.; Nos. 23 and 24, 2. Soc. . 25 and 26, 2.70c.; No. 27, 2.85c.; No. 28, 3c.; ! No. 20, 3.10c.; No. 30, 3.30c. All above prices are f.o.b. Pittsburgh, terms 30 days net, or 2 per cent. cash dis- count 10 days from date of invoice, as also are the following base prices per square for painted and gal- vanized roofing sheets, with 2%4-in. corrugetions: Z n Gauge. Painted. Galvanized. Gauge. Painted. Galvanized. oe $3.50 2 o-ag.0 $2.40 23 $2.40 28 $1.40 2.55 22 2.60 3.70 27 1.55 2.60 21 2.80 4.05 26 1.65 2.65 20 3.05 4.35 25 1.85 3.05 18 4.05 5.70 24 2.10 3.38 16 4.90 6.5¢ Wrought Pipe.—The following are the jobbers’ car- load discounts on the Pittsburgh basing card on wrought pipe, in effect from October 1: Butt Weld. ——Steel——, -——Iron—— Black. Galv. Black. _ 1 1 + i 58 Be ons kiie Ss cascade 75 63 71 59 96 00 2 Bcc snack wees 79 69 75 65 2 ROB RR cc ovinieacd : Slit ‘wate 70 76 66 a e 2 Ais checws Martie Soca . ee 66 72 62 23% to SPA cee VER Sie 78 67 74 €4 $56 to 6 <tas.s Sas tate tee 77 67 73 €3 7 & 440 dies wis ccehasas a 59 71 §5 June 29, 1911 THE IRON AGE 1557 THE IRON AND METAL MARKETS Butt Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weight. A, Mes PR: Mare dik date 69 59 65 55 VQ SEH eche waned ec Vecenuese de 74 68 70 64 A ere 78 72 74 68 BORD rah ke ee aids eh 79 73 75 69 Lap Weld, extra strong, plain ends, card weight. > § 75 7 5 = siae ow pea ceeeeterenteues 75 69 71 65 2% to 4 UR cc ve cevsecantens 47 71 73 67 Sa GRO Bi eet xg thik 76 70 72 66 oe RR sn ee weaned 69 59 65 55 9 Oe EP heen cco es 64 54 60 50 Butt Weld, double extra strong, plain ends, card weight. M% im..... poe Sav veneseoweees 64 58 60 54 OE DI er ieinc seks was 67 61 63 57 ® ORe Biliouekes ei ences dues 69 63 65 59 Lap Weld, double extra strong, plain ends, card weight 6. Whats pe etcuseenes ta aevesis 65 59 61 55 91 7 - 57 EM UO © Mec ieinccivvescnsies 67 61 63 57 4% 06. © WB el ei e ees tw an 66 60 62 56 FOOD MSE iis ok. Ras oe 59 49 55 45 Plugged and Reamed. f Will be sold at two (2) 1 to 1%, 2 to 3 in. Butt Weld | points — basing (higher 2. Sal wo Otek : ‘) , price) than merchants or 72 to a Lap Weld |} card weight pipe. Butt or Llap weld, as specified. The above dscounts are for “card weight,” subject to the usual variation of 5 per cent. Prices for less than carloads are three (3) points lower basing (higher price) than the above discounts. Boiler Tubes.—Discounts on lap welded steel boiler tubes to jobbers in carloads are now as follows: 896 Se BE Boiss evecare beh as Oe = Se SA ied a bee hits s eee ea i aE Oe ae 67% SOk WO OG. Wickes anos ccesvctaceutiesd teueeeeeee 70 OIG 20" 998 BR i vinous Cau ec ees ben seein ee 72% 500.0 Its sleds): « ca'l, eee ison BRR ERNE wie 65 FRO BD Eas 0 wSmibes arald pie Salcn va bea ae A 62% Less than carloads to destination east of-the Mississippi River will be sold at delivered discounts for carloads lowered by two points for lengths 22 feet and under; longer lengths f.o.b. Pittsburgh. Usual extras to jobbers and boiler manufacturers, Wire Rods and Wire.—Bessemer, open hearth and chain rods, $27. Fence wire, Nos. 0 to 9, per 100 Ib., terms 60 days, or 2 per cent. discount in 10 days, car- lozd lots, to jobbers, annealed, $1.50, galvanized $1.80; carload lots, to retailers, annealed $1.55, galvanized $1.85. Galvanized barb wire, to jobbers, $2; painted, $1.70. Wire nails, to jobbers, $1.70. The following table gives the prices to retail mer- chants on wire in less than carloads, including the ex- tras on Nos. 10 to 16, which are added to the base price: Fence Wire, Per 100 Lb. No. 0 to 9 10 1l 12&12% 13 14 15 16 Aanealed ..$1.65 1.70 1.75 1.80 1.90 2.00 2.10 2.20 Galvanized . 1.95 2.00 2.05 2.10 2.20 2.30 2.70 2.80 Market and Stone Wire in Bundles, Discount from Standard List Bright and Annealed: D: QE CRATMEE 5 Fi Os a aS hah nla, CA eee ee 80 3G GO Ea his tie acer aid< > de ce ce eek ee che eee ee 80 and 10 ED Nite «orn a bed bee, Boao ee 80 and 10 and 2% eS Pais Oxon oh bated Fee the es en ee eee 80 and 5 Galvanized: DW CORTON. on Gh RE. eee 75 and 10 SD SO Sas bo 5's 0. e ek cde u eke dee ewe ceeeeee eine 75 and 10 dW. Uy cle: baa e.g: vin a's Kenan 6 dk awe 72% and 10 SF: SEB a VAs Khloe oh ale