The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-12
ORDERS PASS CAPACITY
OF P%ABRICATING SHOPS
Call for steel in First Quarter
Of 1915 Twice as Large
as in 1915.

Builders and Structural Society an
nounced yesterday that the f~abricatinE
shops Of the country had taken orders
In March equivalent to 103 yer cent. of
the total shop capacity. As full capacity
Ia estimated on the basis Of 172.O00 tons
"a month the total sales arc indicated to
have been 1880 tons. This total OF
course does not include n Of the busi-
ness taken among the subsidiary com-
panies Of the United States Steel Cor
poration. During The preceding mont
the total orders were 1870, 900 tons, equiva-
lent to 75 per cent. shop capacity, while
In March last year che orders were
equivalent to o. per cent. Of total ca
pacity. or about lo7. 900 tons.
The steel riders taken for the con-
structiOn OF commercial buildings.
bridges and manufacturing plants during
tho first quarter OF this year have az
eregated 424.t20 tons, which Ia equiva-
lent to 81 per cent. Of chop capacity.
Last year In January. February and
March similar orders called for $4,000
tons OF steel. which IL equivalent to 40
per cont. of full capacity thus during
the first quarter Of the current year con-
tracts for fabricated structural steel have
more than doubled.
Since the first ~ April there has been
a slower movement In steel building work
throughout the country. but especially
In the Eastern territory. In the last
few days the falling OF in business has
been more pronounced. Most Of the fab
ricating shops. however. are unable to
take new contracts for delivery inside Of
four months. In exceptional instances
some ot the SINAI shops are promising
to make deliveries In about three months,
but wherever Il In necessary TO machine
the steel II is d ifficult to secure deliveries
under eight months. Under the circum-
stances 1t is not surprising that con-
tractors are less inclined to place orders
for either building or bridge work.
The Atlantic Coast Idue has given an
order for $50 tons Of struct ural steel. 10
he used In the building Of y viaduct. to
the American Bridge Company. The
southern Railway tx or rfa polnt Of
closing for h~ridgewOrk requiring from
I.500 to 1900 Ions Of steel. The vir-
ginian Railway as come out with a
small inquiry for bridges calling for
about 100 tons of steel. Tho I~hiKh
Valley IL st'l taking bids on seven small
spans calling for 900 tons Of steel shapes.
while bids have already been subsnit,ed
on 300 tons OF bridgework for the Maine
Central. and on $50 tons for three ridges
for the New York Central. to Re con-
structed at Suspension Bridge. Niagara
Falls. y. Y.
The Aver estate In Boston mas placed
another contract for IA twelve story lof,
building To he constructed on Houston
street. New York city. requiring from
J 900 to 1,ae0 tons Of structural steel.
The Hay Foundry and Iron Works got
sbis rarssra-. srh> IIEpl1a fen~ N-a-l.
has been awarded n contract for 500 tons
" fabricated structural steel for the
Presbyterian Church. 10 be constructed
At Madison avenue and Seventy-uhird
street. New York city. The Iiedden Iron
Construction Company will furnish $50
tons Of shapes for a loft building on
West Thirty-esghth street for the Eel
court Realty Company. 1t 10 understood
that 500 tons Of bethlehem sections will
DO used in a loft building AZ West Thir-
~ty-s-venrh street, and tina the fabrica-
ton will he done Ivy Harris, silvers 4
Baker. 80
The Wheeling and Lake Erie Rail-
road has given an order for $1,000 tons
OF standard section rails to he rolled
at pi'tsburR. II Ia understood that the
New Haven railroad has distributed or
dcrs for 5000 tons Of standard section
rails for 1917 delivery among the
Eastern mills. The Connecticut com
pany has placed a contract for several
thousand tom Of standard sections with
the Bethlehem Steel Company. and is
understood TO have given a contract
for high r and girder rails to other
mills. The contract for $500 tons OF
rails placed by the New York, Ontario
and Western has been divided between
the Buffalo and South Bethlehem mills.
The Lackawanna Steel Company will
roll 1000 tons and the Bethlehem 1.50O
tons. Tho Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Railroad Company has taken several ad-
ditionsl supplementary rail orders from
southern roads. running from 1000 20
:, 900 tons each and amounting in all
To- 5000 tons, Western roads have placed
additional heavy contracts with the
Chicago and the Pueblo mills. Nearly
all of the Western orders are for next
years delivery.
The demand for round steel bars for
the manufacture of high explosive shells
continues more or less urgent from do
nestle manufacturers. Several orders
FOR special steel have heen placed at
prices ranging from I to 4l2c. a pound.
one Eastern mill reports sales of 1880
tons Of shell bars IN lots OF 500 20
| 900 tons each al 4i.c. a pound f. o. h.
NAL FOR shipment in the next few
months. The large inquiries for bars
aud billots Hanted for export remain
ursatisfied. "a II Is almost impossible
TO secure deliveries needed. 1t is not
a question Of price.
manufacturer OF movable bridges re-
port even greater difficulty to secure
prices on electrical machinery. Prices
for steel used In such construction COM
nandS zoe. "a pound or more. Foun-
dries making rough steel castings used
Ia building aud bridge construction ara
obtaining &c. a pound for castings which
a year ago were being sold at 3 to
3i.c. a pound. and even at the former
price il Is difficult to find founders who
will accept orders for delivery inside Of
two or three months.
1t is interesting 10 note tina while
the ~r-oductlon of steel rails in 1915. ac-
cording Ia the repor, OF the American
Iron and Steel institute. aggregated
s,.0i ,203 tons the sales of rails made
last year were IN excess OF $500. 900
tons. The excess of sales over output,
however. agrees well with the report.
Of contracts taken for 1915 shipment.
The probability IL that the 1916 output
Of rails will exceed the 1915 produc-
ton by several hundred thousand tons,
but II Ia also worthy .: note that OF the
total contracts taken since January !
proba bly, three-fourths are for delivery
In 1917, Last year Of the total output
St.Ji per cent. were rolled from o,,en