The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-15
MILLIONS SPENT HERE
FOR WAR CHEMICALS
Great Orders Sent to American
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Not Satisfied.

terday on heavy tonnages OF steel for
war munitions. No very large contracts
were closed. however. Brokers and ex-
porters put out numerous small In
quiries for bars and bIllets. which. added
to the contracts previously under nego-
tiation for ingots and blooms. were
sufficient to overwhelm the steel mills.
The new inquiries include ordnance as
well as projectiles. Inspection has just
been completed Oh some large ordnance
contracts, indicating that shipments will
probably be made In the next few weeks.
Other orders for ammunition are pend
ing. Late in the day two contracts for
prejcctilcs were closed. One for Great
Britain calls for an aggregate OF $4,000
tons OF steel. The shells will be manu-
featured in this country.
Enormous contracts for chemicals call
ing for the expenditure OF hundreds OF
millions of dollars, ave been placed
with American manufacturers within
the last six months. The demand is not
yet satisfied. as each order for high
explosive shells requires the purchase
Of n definite amount of high explosives
from the chemical works. The steel
''iilitilltN lHiN nave Wy pioutN N'N,
ovens have sold their entire output of
benzol for months to come. and the de-
mand still continues active and urgent.
An interesting story. indicating that
veracity is an essential ingredient of n
war contract. is being circulated. The
chemical works being so heavily over
sold. one Of the foreign representatives
OF the allied Governments devised a plan
by which picric acid could be obtained
by combining the activities and facilities
Of various manufacturers through n
chain of operations. To further the plan
six representatives of the American
manufacturers met and discussed the
matter with the foreign representative.
Each manufacturing interest was re-
quired to give capacity and otner essen
tial data for the successful consumma-
ton OF the general contract. BenZol
was to be obtained from "A by-product
coke ven passed on to a MANUFACTURER
OF %sulphuric acid, then on to others Tor
the carbonate treatments. the nitrate
treatment and the completion OF the
process Of producing picric acid. rms
latter acid Is produced In crystalline
form and being readily soluble IN water
can be shipped in liquid form without
danger. Upon examination OF h vari-
Gus plants it was found that one OF the
manufacturers had grossly overesti-
mated the capacity of his plant, and
consequently the contract, amounting TO
Upward of $40, 600, 900. was not con-
summated.
The heavy demand for light section
rails TO be used as portable track IN
the war zone is reflected In another
advance of 81 per ton In the price OF
twenty-five to forty-five pound rails by
- l,.Af 1lUhf SEQ
ton rails are now reid at l.2J per
pound. equivalent 10 s2S per gross ton
the same as standard section rails.
France and Russia have already pur-
chased from ~. 600 to 10000 tons OF
light section rails here. as reported sew
eral months ago. and the Russian Gov
ernmert H. still negotiating Tor l'"'Voo
to 200, 900 tens Of forty-two pound rams
The steel mills In the last two DAYS
have taken contracts for about 10000
rms OF standard section rails for do
mes;ic and foreign roads. The domestic
deliveries will be made early next year
and will be rolled at Chicago. About
one-ffth OF the tonnage Is for export
this year. Details will probably be an
rounced to-day.
The New York Central Railroad Com
pany has placed "A contraoi for the con-
struction for "A subway station at Lex
ington avenue between Fofty-thlrd ana
Forty-second stree; with the Phoenix
Bridge Company. About 1900 tons or
structural steel will be used, having an
estimated value OF $4,000. The same
railroad has placed contracts for eleven
small bridges requiring 2OO IONS OF
fabricated shapes, " OF the spans
will be constructed by Lewis +. Shoe
maker & Co. and the other nine spans
by the Fort Pitt Bridge Company
Steel building contracts have just
b.en closed calling for about 5000 tons
OF steel OF an estimated value OF $780,
600. The contracts include l,S0O tons
fr. m IN. Hinkle Iron Works Tor the
Noredecai apartment building to- be
CONSTRUCTED at Fifty-frst street n
Park avenue 900 tons for the thirteen
story Blng 81 Ring apartment at West
End avenue and ~Eignty-ninth street,
reported to have gone to the American
Fridge Company 700 tons for an addi-
tion 70 the Tacoma Smelling Company's
plart at Tacoma. to be fabricated by
the Kansas city structural Company 4:
700 tors for the Mayer x Mayer Bulld-
ing AT Fifth avenue and Elghtletn street,
awarded to the Hedden Iron Construc-
ton Company 400 tons for a loft build
ing at Firth avenue anu ritS -.'".n
street, =, be constructed by the w. b.
Schafer Company; 1850 tons for "
Paterno apartments, one at Firth ave-
nue. and lO3d street, requiring 800 tons
OF steel, and the other at Riverside
Drive and lOSth street, calling for 400
TONS of steel. which will be furnished
by the Passaic Steel Company, ana 700
TONS r.r an addition to a pattern storage
building for the Bethlehem Steel Com
many. 10 he fabricated by the hay
Foundry and Iron Works.
The city OF Philadelphia will adver-
tise for bids this week on the construc-
ton of four additional subway sections
calling for 1900 tons OF structural
steel Bids will be received on one or
all of the four =. lotions. The subway
will be a double track line under Frank
lin street to the extent of 5000 TO
o.. 900 linear feet. The estimated ton