The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
UNTITLED TONNAGE
CAUSES SURPRISE
Rail Order for the Week
Amounts to 100000
Tons
SHEET MILLS BUSY
Tennessee Company Has Sold 5000
Tons for Second Quarter De-
livery in the North
at SIS Furnace

New York. November 10 Especially
The Iron Age tomorrow will say:
The addition of more than a million
tons in Octooer to the steel corporation's
total of untitled orders was a surprise. in
view of reports from various producers
that new contract business has lately
come in at a less rate than specifications
One explanation is that the Steel Corpo-
ration has been selling further ahead
at existing contract prices than most of
its competitors. having taken consider
able business. it is known, for delivery
in the third quarter of 1913.
Rail orders of the week amount to
about. 10000 tons, including 25,ooe tons
for the Southern railway, which will
be rolled at Ens1ey.
The New Haven and subsidiary lines
have practically closed for $1,000 tons The
Baltimore and Ohio purchases recently
reported were $1,000 tons.
Contracts were closed in the past week
for 5000 cars. Pending lists total 1880.
large Canadian car interest has prac-
tcally closed in this country for 10000
tons of billets, structural shapes, plates
and bars. and is negotiating for an equal
amount of pig iron. Canadian car works
will be kept busy on present orders until
late in 1913.
Sheet mills have been crowded with
specifications, one large interest having
received a larger volume last week than
in any week in its history. These, how
ever, apply on orders placed at 81 and
s. a ton less than present prices.
In cast iron pipe an advance of 81 a
ton has been made by one interest In
view of further pig iron advances. Re-
ports from foundry pig iron markets agree
that contrary to the usual procedure
prices are advancing in the absence of
any important business. Northern iron
at Chicago has been marked UP soc.
Steel making pig iron has been more
active. Pittsburg reports 5000 tons of
mace first quarter delivery, and sales
of 10000 tons and 1900 tons of basic,
the former to a large steel company at
Pittsburg at s1s.25 valley.
Cleveland, November 1s.-(specialD-Th
Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
In the week following the election there
has been increased activity In some prod
ucts and nowhere is there any indica-
ton of weakness in pig iron of finished
materials. Mills are constantly falling
further behind in deliveries and in The
Chicago district the best delivery that
can be given on bars, plates and shapes
is August of next year. In the Pitts
burg district some of the leading inter-
ests will not promise deliveries of plates
and shapes prior to the third quarter of
1918, and some fourth quarter business
on structural material is being done. The
same interest cannot deliver steel bars
in less than six months. The unprece-
dented increase of over one million tons,
in the untitled tonnage of the Steel Cor
poration represents the business which
has been taken in a very conservative
way as compared with past years, but
doubtless a large part of it is for de-
livery throughout next year.
Informal discussions of prices on Lake
Superior ores have continued, and while
prevailing sentiment has been in favor of
a soc advance there is growing feeling
that 1911 prices ought to prevail this
year. Naming of the 1911 price would
mean an average advance of about 75c
per ton If the base ore guarantee is not
changed. At the time of the buying
movement of ore in April, 1911, Bessemer
pig iron was selling at SIS valley, and
foundry at 1875, compared with s17 and