The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-09
GREAT PRODUCTION
OF IRON AND STEEL
Is Now UppermOst Feature
in Industry
A LARGER CAPACITY
Railroads Continue to Figure Largely
in Market-Semi-F Finished Steel
Situation Acute-Pig Iron
Market Is Quiet

New York, January S.-tSpeclal. -
The Iron Age will say tomorrow.
The astonishing rate of iron and steel
production is the uppermost feature in
the industry at time when new buy
ing shows some slackening. Our blast
furnace statistics for December show
an output of 2.is2.7s7 tons or Ss,766
tons a day against 2,6so.S54 tons, or
1885 tons a day in November.
The daily capacity of the 294 fur
naces in blast January 1 was 9o,19l
tons day against S6,950 tons day
for 2S2 furnaces one month previous.
This means that with an allowance of
100000 tons a year for the charcoal
furnaces our pig iron production jan
uary was at the remarkable rate of
3e,5o0,OO0 tons year. with steel in
got production at the rate of s4,0ooo0o
tons a year The pace is one that in
evitably raises the question how long
consumption will main<ain 1t.
There is no. reason to modify the
predictions that the railroads will con-
tinue to figure largely in the market
Locomotive works have announced
heavy new orders, including SO for the
Atehison and 206 for the Hartman
lines. The Canadian Northern has placed
130 locomotives and 300 cars.
The Maryland Steel company has a
10000 rail contract from the Michigan
National railways.
Railroad bridge work is expected to
be larger this year than in 1912.
The situation in semi finished steel
has grown more acute. Sheet mill out
puts promisse to be curtailed by lack
of steel in BOTH first and second quar-
ters
Delaware river shipyards are figur
ing on four vessels and have inquired
for a total of 5000 tons of plates and
shapes.
The outlook for the wrought pipe
trade has probably never been better.
The pig iron market has been uni
formly quiet In spite of increased pro-
duction stocks were reduced in Decem-
ber.
Cleveland. O.. January s.--The Iron
Trade Review tomorrow says:
'srhe first week Of the new year was
characterized by continuance of favor
able conditions, which made the old
year of great prosperity. Eastern Penn
sylvania mills which, during the last
half of the year sold large tonnages at
8 premium prices, are finding no difficulty
in making new contracts at similar quo
tations. The past year was the great
est in the history OF the American iron
trade in production of pig iron and De-
cember had the largest output of any
month The total production of coke ana
anthracite pig iron for 1912 was 29,325,-
SIS tons a gain of 6,l26,912 tons over
1911 and 2.fS0,199 tons more than the
previous record. made in 1910.
The production for December was
2.777,292 tons or o3647 tons more than
the previous. record made in october
r last year. December also broke the rec
ord for daily average productions at 50,
500 tons or 1906 tons over November,
which month broke Il two year record.
The production last month was at the
rate of 33000.00O tons annually, the
number OF furnaces in blast on Decem-
Der 81 was 291. compared with 215 ac-
tive on the last day of 1911 delivery
of structural material is gradually be-
ing extended and in the Chicago terri
tory it is difficult TO obtain promises
of delivery prior to 1914 In other parts
of the central west of the tonnage avail
able for delivery before October is grad
ually diminishing. Some eastern mills
are able, however to give fairly prompt
delivery a premium prices
Contracts for the two large buildings
s to be built by the Fields estate at Chi
cago, each requiring about 1000 tons of
Steel have been awarded, one going TO
the American Bridge company and the
other to the Morava Construction COM
pany. The Calumet bridge, Chicago,
calling for 1900 tons. has been awarded
to the Pennsylvania Steel company. The
proposed Cristobal- Bilboa transmission
line to be built along the Panama ca
nal. will involve about $4,000 tons of
structural steel The bridge to be erect
ed by the Pennsylvania railroad at
Sheridan. Pa, calls for 5000 tons of
steel. owing to the difficulty in obtain
Ing deliveries, no more projects are de-
veloping as rapidly as they would un-
der more, favorable conditions. The
Hartman lines have placed orders for
1880 frei ght cars of various types with
western builders, and have also con-
tracted for 1870 locomotives.
The Canadian Northern railway has
ordered 1850 box cars, 700 fiat. 800 ball
last, 100 refrigerators, $50 stock and
rs passenger cars, and 130 locomotives.
The New York Central, the Toledo,
Ohio Central and the Big Four rail-
roads have each ordered 1000 gondolas.
The Rock Island has purchased 500 gon-
dolas from the STANDARD Steel Car COM
pany and is now in the market for 1000
box cars zoo refrigerators and so ca
bosses The Michigan Central will build
400 box cars in its cwn shops The Cam
bria Steel company has taken an order
for 1920 steel gondolas for the Balti-
more and Ohio. The Mexican National