New Britain herald., 1915-09-09
RAILROAD ORDERS
 RUSH STEEL MILLS
Steel Industry Forced to Make
 New Production Records


 will say tomorrow:
 A significant turn in the steel trade is the beginning of rail orders for spring rolling. The Louisville S Nashville has bought 4S,0o0 tons from the Steel corporation and he Atlantic Coast line 10000 tons for such delivery. The New York Gen. tral lines are taking up their next years requirements, and an Eastern road is figuring on rollings before winter for rails it will lay in the spring.
 At last the railroads are impressed with the extent to which rail mill space is being taken up with war orders for large rounds. Western lines are seeking to contract at Chi cago for track supplies for 1916, but thus far the mills have not quoted for that delivery About 5000 cars are now up for bids, and inquiries for 4,O0O more are expected
 New Production Record.
 The steel industry is making new production records. In August the Steel corporation produced more ln- gots than in any other month; like wise the independent companies as a whole. The corporations ship ments of finished steel last month were close to 42,000 tons @ day. It's statement of thrilled orders is ex- pected to show an increase for Au- gust, but only a moderate one in view of the large amount worked off in the month.
 Pig iron production is mounting rapidly. Tn August it was 2,779,647 tons, or 89,666 tons day, against D. 563,420 tons in July or s2691 tons a day. The steel works furnaces in- creased 5000 tons, and the merchant furnaces 2,000 tons a day. Steel companies produced 2,101,818 tons of pig iron last month, breaking all records. May, 1913, 1,991,192 tons, is the nearest month.
 B Million Tons a Year.
 On Sept. 1, the capacity of the 24s furnaces in blast was 91,075 tons n day, a rate only exceeded in Febru- ary and April. 1913. On Aug. 1 the 234 furnaces in blast were making S6,776 tons day. Furnaces are still wheeling into line, the Steel corpor- action blowing in one at Pittsburg and one at Farrell, Pa., this week Pig iron production is now at the rate of 33,500,000 tons a year. It was 1S,000,000 tons a year on Jan. 1.
 Just as comment is renewed on tho acute situation that seems to be ahead in ferromangancse, domestic produc- tion has risen sharply, the ferro and spiegel total being 27,463 tons in August, against an average of 15,oo0 tons for the previous months of the year and 2S,3 tons in the record month of July, 1913. Ore supply, however, Is a continuing problem. The Carnegie Steel company is now pay ing 45c a unit, as against 41c, recent, ly paid for Brazilian ore and 26c as it's last official quotation. '
 Prices of Pig Iron.
 The advance in pig iron continues. Bessemer iron has sold at $16 at Val ley furnace, and in basic iron while $1450 was done on a 3,00O-ton lot last week, $14.75 and $15 are now quoted.
 Consumers of foundry iron are watching closely the increase in pro- duction of merchant iron; but with 1t there was reduction in stocks in August, amounting in Alabama to 10000 tons. At Buffalo the sale of 50,000 tons of basic iron to be de- 1ivered as hot metal has reduced the capacity available for foundry iron and the price of the latter has gone to $16 for fourth quarter and first quarter delivery.
 Most buyers have seen the success sive advances in foundry iron with out covering for 1916, yet with each week some sales of Northern iron are made for that delivery at ad- vances over this years prices. South ern makers have booked relatively little for next year, and in the Central West good many foundries have enough iron bought to carry over into next year.