The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-29
HEAVIER RAIL ORDERS
REACH STEEL MILLS
Great Increase. Too. in Con-
tracts for Railway Car
Building.

The larger steel companies are en-
| couraged by the heavier orders for rail-
road equipment In the last ten days.
The Illinois Steel Company. II is under
stood. will roll n little less than JJ,oOo
tons of standard section rails for the
New York Central system west OF Buff
falo. The Lackawanna Steel Company
will furnish approximately the same tom
mage for the Eastern lines and the CAM
bria Steel Company will supply a6out
10000 tons for branch roads east of
Buffalo, all for 1916 delivery. The to-
tai rail purchases OF the New York Gem
trail systems. for early 1916 shipment are
thus about 100000 tons.
The September rail contracts will ag-
gregate a little more than $4,000 tons.
| Only a relatively small portion of this
is for export. The September purchases
were the heaviest of any month this
year. and were heavier than the total
orders placed in the third quarters OF
1914 and 1918. Since the first of Jam
uary railroads have taken a little more
than 2,0S0.o00 tons of standard and light
section rails. The Erie Railroad has
placed n supplementary order for 1900
tons of standard section rails with the
Illinois steel Company.
The Wheeling mn Lake Erie Railroad
Company has ordered 80 gondola cars
from the standard steel car Company
and 200 automobile cars from the West
ern Car and Foundry Company. With
a few additional orders. which. IL j. eN-
pected. will be placed within the next
day or two. the indication Is that the
/ September car buying will he as heavy
as In July. The entire third quarter
orders for rolling stock. however. Will
be considerably less than during the
second quarter, but nearly double the
contracts placed during the first quar-
ter Of this year. Taking the purchases
of steel undorframes and the rebuild
ing OF cars In the repair shops. Septem-
Der will prove a more satisfactory
month than was July. During the first
quarter Of the current year cars con-
tracted FOR aggregated a little more than
5000. but the ears ordered IN the second
quarter totallod more than five times
this number
A few additional inquiries for fabri-
Gated structural steel were reported yes
terday, hut there was still an absence
of large individual contracts. Speciilca-
lions for the Philadelphia subway are
still conspicuous for their absence. The
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
Company has asked for bid on a bridge
at Sunbury. Pa, calling for 1000 tons
Of structural s.eel. II is understood
that the Emerald street bridge in Phila-
delphia, on which tenders were taken
last week, will be furnished by the
American Bridge Company. About 500
tons Of steel are required. A chemical
laboratory and civil engineering build
ing for the Johns Hopkins University
call for zoo tons Of steel shapes. which.
Il is understood. will be fabricated by
the American Bridg Company. Tend
ers have been asked by tho United
States Government on the construction
Of the marine barracks at Norfolk, Va,
calling for 500 tols of steel. The state
Industrial Home for Women, to be
erected at Muncy. Pa. calls for 300
tons Of shapes. The American Bridge
Company has received a contract for
2,2O0 tons of steel through Post a Nc
Cord for the Finch Publishing Build
ing. West Thirty-ninth street, New
York city.
An interesting story was told yester-
day concerning war munitions. Charles
j. Harrah. ex-president OF the Mid
, vale Steel Company, was asked by a
) friend in the street n few days ago
what were his objections to the manu-
I facture OF war munitions. His reply
' was that there was a great difference
in making high explosive shells IN times
OF peace and in times of war. In the
latter period such manufacture was
, little less than murder.
Russia and Italy have been taking
large tonnages OF copper and spo.tcr IN
the last ten days. This applies to actua'
shipments as well as TO new buying foI
a future delivery. This is reflected In the
. active demand for charters and the adj
. vance in ocean freights from Acc. I,
75c. per 100 pounds. Heavy shipments
, to Russia nave also caused an advHnc,
In freight rates on metals from $50 &c
a s35 "A ton. This applies more especially
on shipments to A~rchaUgcl. The steam
: ship rate on copper and spelter e
-, France has also been advanced TO mp
proximately the rate TO Italy,
/ The American Locomotive Company
has taken orders for two mogul engines
. and one saddletank engine for th'
! Punta Alegra Sugar Company. and on,
saddletank engine for the Cupey Sugar
Company. These orders bring the tota
A., purchases of locomotives In September
. to 200. Locomotive buying. as already
noted, by domestic roads. in the last foul
! weeks has been larger than at any tim'
! since May, 1914.
The Tennessee Copper Company is re
ported to have taken another %contrac
7 for concentrated sulphuric acid for ship
= ment 10 Russia at the rate OF 100. oct
tons n year. 1t Is reported that tn,
i contract price IL approximately $50
q ton. According to previous reports, thl
g contract was made in conjunction witt
the International Agricultural Corpora
ton, which has an agreement with tn,
Tennessee Copper Company for dilute,
sulphuric acid. This Is the second con
j. tract OF tho kind which has been takei
y by the Tennessee Company.