The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-10
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

Uf lNUU0lnl[0
The accomplishment of the project
OF building through line from
Philadelphia to Pittsburg to give the
Buffalo, Rochester and Pitts burg and
Beech Creek roads entry to Pittsburg
is daily assuming more definite shape.
So, also, is the construction Of the
short line that will give the new own
ers Of the Brsdy's Bend iron and steel
plant access to Butler, and SO place
them in direct touch with the through
lines The Punxsutawnsy Spirit says
that II has information from head
quarters that the new line between
Philadelphia and Pittsburg will run
through Northern Indiana county to
Kittanning thence across to Butler,
and that the road is not going to
be built by the Beech Creek company,
but by some enterprising Phila-
dslphisns who see the advantages Of 1t.
and are doing it as a speculation. The
linewill be used by the Beech Creek
and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pitts
burg, and it is probable that these COM
panies will take stock. But if they
would not. ii is link that could not
help being one of the pest paying roads
in the country, because it would give
both the Beech Creek and the Buffalo.
Rochester and Pittsburg direct out
let to Pittsburg and the west, and will
penetrate one Of the finest coal terri
tories in the state. Messrs. McCaulsy
and Wilson, in connection with several
Clearfed ge Gentlemen, have about 30, 600
acres Of valuable coal lands along this
route, and it is largely due to ther ef :
forts that this coal field is now about
to be developed. They are in constant
communication with eastern capital
lists, with view Of selling this coal
land.
Low prices and the probabilities Of
their going lower is the one question
worrying iron manufacturers and their
employees. Mill operations are good
and operations seem to be plentiful.
for it is orders alone that the mill are
working on now. Generally when the
mills are kept busy on orders it denotes
that the market is in rather good shape,
and prices are mostly on the raise dur
ing that time. 1t is different now and,
though mills are working, the opera
tors are not at all satisfied with the
condition of things, One Pittsburg
manufacturer in speaking of the iron
and steel situation recently to Com
mercial-Gazette reporter said: 'In all
my exp rience in the iron business. and
that has been long, l have not seen the
situation so totally demoralized as it
now is. The bottom is literally drop
ping out of prices and they are going
lower aud lower. 1t is true the mills
are working in very fair shape at the
present time, but they are working on
immediate demand orders, and that is
the surprising feature of the thing to
think that under those circumstances
prices should continue to fall. This 10
the first time / have seen mills working
orders alone and the prices going down.
They will go great deal further be-
fore they stop"
The output last week in manufac-
tured iron and steel continued to In.
crease, and the demand seems to be on
the increase. The railroads are send
ing In more orders in this line than
they were some time ago. though not
to any great extent. but the increase is
felt. The price in this line still con-
tinues to be very low. The pig iron
market is in rather mixed condition
but by some it is said an Improvement
in this line is near at hand. Produe-
tion in this line is better pushed, and
orders are being worked. The struc.
tural material market remains about
as it has been for several weeks. The
demand is brisk and prices remain the
same. The shut down Of the black
plate mills has demoralizsd the sheet
bar market. No change is pereeptible
in galvanized sheets, neither is 1t in
the merchant steel line. Orders for
steel plates are coming more regularly.
Prices remain unchanged, and the
market remains firm. The price Of
muck bar remains unchanged, but
there is little or no demand. Steel rails
still hold their price. The cheaper
grades of scrap iron are in very brisk
demand, and the scrap material gen.
orally is more brisk than for some time.
With the increase in the output, soft
steel blooms and blillets grow easier in
price.
The improvements at the Homestead
steel works are attracting q great deal
of attention. and it appears it is the
object of the corporation to make the
mill not only the finest and most mod.
ern in the world. but to have the largest
capacity and the largest mill. The
119-inch mill. which when built about
seven years ago was the finest in the
world, is to be refitted and again sur
pass the world. Several other Depart
ments are also to be modernized.
MINOR INDUSTRIAL NOTES:
AT Shanghai, China, 800 tons Of Amsri.
can anthracite coal have been sold.
They are talking about producing water
gas for s to 10 cents per thousand feet in
Boston.
There is some talk of Albert Fisk's cleo
tion to the presidency Of the Louisville
and Nashville.
The New York Central paid to its EN-.
ployes last year an amount equal to 1917
per cent. on the stock.
The consumption of sugar In this coun-
try is 1000, 900, 600 pounds annually, or 3S
per cent greater than few years ago.
The annual report of the Louisville and
Nashville shows that the company lost 81,
247, 900 in the South Carolina railway deal J..
Charles H. Rawlins has been appointed
west-bound passenger agent Of the Lehigh
Valley and Wabash, with headquarters in
New York.
Pig iron shipments were exceedingly
large from Hokendaqua last week. No
stack made the largest percentage of No.
TX iron in her history.
The Big Four will order six more pass
eng engines of the Garstang type within 9
short time, should the earnings continue
as satisfactory as at present.
Tho railroad accidantc In thia coupt,, Il,