Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-15
FIRM AT PHILADELPHIA.
Any Slight Deduction in Southern Prices
Has Not Changed the Market.

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.I
PHILADELPHIA, February 14.-A disposition
was noted carry in the week among Southern
furnacemen to shade prices on pig iron, but if
prices were lowered it had no effect upon the
general market Many of the Southern fur
naces are operated by the railroad companies,
and what the producers may lose upon the
manufacture of iron is more than overcome by
the receipts obtained by transporting the prod.
uct to market. As tolls have lately been
advanced on Southern roads the price of
iron at the furnaces may be shaded, but when
laid down in consumers yards 1t will cost as
much as before. The principle Is the same as
that pursued by the Reading Railroad Com
pany with its coal and iron company. One
fact which producers point to uphold their
position is that the amount Of production re-
mains stationary, indicating that the furnaces
are working TO their full capacity and that the
output cannot be increased. Among the an
thracite furnaces l07 stacks are IN blast
the same number that was operated in Feb
ruary, 1889 Their capacity, however, is in
creased from IS, 726 tons per week to 49 905 TONS
Among the coke furnaces there are 1853 stacks
in blast against l5O one year ago. Their capac-
ity is llS36S tons, against l03,726 tons in Feb
ruary, 1SS9. The stacks now idle are no more
than the usual quantity out of blast for repairs
Still some furnaces are behind in their orders
and one case is noted where an order for 500
tons of pig which should have been delivered
in January has not been filed vet
The orders which were booked during the
close of 1889 were generally for the first three
months of 1880. II il be true, therefore, that
there is delay in filling orders already taken it
would appear that the producers have the up-
per hand, for buyers will need to place their
new orders early IN order to obtain pig iron
where it is required. No change can be noted
in prices, the quotations being SO for No. ], SIG
for No. 2 and SIS for gray forge at tidewater
with Soc extra for fancy brands. The ap-
parent strength of the pig iron market is
hardly shared by the market for the manufac-
rured project An enthusiastic steel-rail man.
ufacturer estimates that the railroads will use
10UO0O tons of steel rails this year and that
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company alone
will use SO, 600 tons. He argues, with some rea-
son, that traffic is so heavy that railroad mana
gers will need to lay additional sidings and
and third third tracks to prevent a blockade"
Quotations are 81 50GA 90 for Bessemer,
SIS 00G35 so for new steel rails at the mill,
81 5OG 0O for old rails, S37 so for billets S44 %
@45 90 per ton for run out anthracite blooms
and s3l 1902 90 for muck bars. Bar iron is in
better demand at l95@2c per pound. Skelp,
l95@2c grooved, 2l0c sheared. Plates are quiet
on basis of 23O62 Csc for tank iron, 265G2 75c
for steel, 265c shell iron. S@3.lc for steel 225c
for fange iron, 325G3.35c for steel 23962 T5c
for steel. Structural ironsis not active. Iron
bridge plates are worth 81 S5G2 40; angles. 81 80