The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-03-04
WEATHER AIDS STEEL

of no slight degree on the iron and |
steel industry, according to reports of
manufacturers this week. AS result. |
February seems to have closed on a |
distinctly better plane than it opened. |
though whether the pace of the last
week in volume of new business was
on a parity with Januarys good rec
ord Is not so clear. The tendency. |
however. at the end of the second
month was upward and makers are en-
PERTAINING hopes now that March will
show further Improvement, and turn
out to be a good month.
Incoming Business Is Good.
Incoming business of the Steel cor
poration is at the rate of about $4,000
tons a day, which is equal to ship
ments. This would seem to indicate
that il there was a reduction in unfill
ed orders in the last month it was
small. In view of the fact that orders
in November and December were close
to $1,000 tons day and in January
were in excess of 10000 tons a day. it
is rather remarkable that business in
February held up WELL
There is no recession in the volume
of specifications against previous con-
tracts. which has been responsible for
| the high rate of operations at which
| the mills with one conspicuous excep-
| ton have been running. But the en-
! couraging feature just now is the fact
| that some disposition is developing to
close contracts for new business in
quarters which heretofore have been
| rather backward in purchasing Con-
| spicuous among these are the rail-
| roads, which during the closing days
| of February laid aside some of their
| recent reluctance to buy and as re-
suit afforded some stimulus to the
| steel rail market.
Gary and South Works Busy.
| The week has seen the resumption
| both of the open hearth rail mills of
| the Gary plant and the Besemer mills
at South Chicago both with a fair
| accumulation of orders though the
| former is understood to be better fixed
| than the latter The Illinois Steel Com
| pany, among other tonnage, has secur
| ed 1000 tons of rails from the Kansas
City Terminal and the Tennessee Cen
| trail has placed 1000 tons with the
| Tennessee Coal and Iron Company. Tho
| Missouri Pacific has awarded 1850
tons to the corporation mills.
The Pennsylvania lines East have
| contracted for 1900 tons of plates and
| shapes for so steel cars Hopes that
| orders for a large number of cars
1
not been realized. although inquiries
| for fair number are pending. The
| Rock Island lines will come into the
/ market shortly for $50 tons of rails.
Several other systems. including the
Santa Fe. Frisco and Gould lines, are
understood to be considering their re-
4 quirements
The Chesapeake and Ohio will divide
10000 tons of rails between the Cam
bria and the Maryland steel companies.
! The Hooking Valley has ordered 1000
| tons of open-hearth rails from the
| Cambria Steel Company. In addition TO
| the tonnage reported last week, the
| Great Northern is understood to have
! the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
and 10000 tons from the Pennsylvania
Steel Company.
There have been some additional
orders for equipment, the Bessemer
and Lake Erie dividing 1900 steel hop
pers and gondolas and 500 box cars be-
tween two Pittsburg makers.
The railroads also have continued to
| furnish some contribution toward the
structural steel market. The best ton
mage reported this week in the west
ern district is that Of the Great North
ern Railway, calling for 1880 tons for
cago Bridge and Iron Company. The
Chicago. Milwaukee and Puget Sound
has given 242 tons to the American
Bridge Company in steel spans for
bridges.
Aside from the railroad demand,
however, there seems to have been
some Improvement in the run of gen.
eral business. This is coming from
sources where little business was be-
ing met before. These include the
architectural iron makers, tank shops
!. bridge shops and boiler shops. The
| agricultural implement manufacturers
now enter their busy season and are
specifying freely in plates. bars and
structurals, at the same time offering
, some new business Lumber COM
panies. coal-mining companies and
sugar plantations also are doing more
in the way of buying. taking better
tonnages of light rails. spikes. bolts
etc. for building of tap lines. Consid
cradle tonnage is being taken also fol-
shipment to Canada, the Canadian
mills being full
| There is a better inquiry for south
ern iron in the Chicago district and
prices are holding fairly well. though
some southern iron is available a
s1o25.
, Pfttsburg Mills Are Stronger.
Reports from the Pittsburg distric
indicate stronger tone than has beer
shown for more than a month past
On all grades of iron and steel quota
: lions are stronger than for some time
= The amount of new business in sigh
: and the orders coming out of such
: proportion as to make mill OPERATOR
take an optimistic view Of the market
| While prices are stronger than 70
{ some time, the high prices OF severa
! | years ago do not prevail in this mark
= ct Specifying freely againet contract
continues in all branches.
Orders have been given by some o
5 the large blast furnace companies t
= light additional furnaces, and 1t i
e thought that by the middle of Marcel