The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-01-07
No Year So Promising in Steel Trade as 1916;
Many Open-hearth Furnaces Being Constructed
NEW INQUIRIES FOR BUSINESS
coNTrNUE TO POUR IN
Price Tendency Upward. with Large
Premiums Being Paid For
Early Deliverfes.

Larry Delver1es.
OF January new Inquiries Tor semi and
iully finished steel products have come
guy with as great persistency and in as
lAIse volume as marked the ciostnR
months Of last year. Thus far. how
yer Few contracts % moment have
been placed. as the mills have capacity
80 fully sold that they are unwilling 10
accept new business which will require
] deliveries during the arSt haif % tbe
year. The United States steel CORPORA
IONS orders in December. wnfie -tfn
slnost double mill capacity. were about
~ per cent. less than the orders taken
~ NoNember reduction. or both in
k"ts anu rolled products. however. was
record breaking and shipments were
2niN shghtly retarded. AS larger distri-
button was made TO the Interior when
export channels We're blocked. The gen-
efal tendency OF prices is stil upward
and premiums are being paid Tor prompt
Shipment Plates are especially strong
a. and c for prompt shipment
10000 tons OF standard section rails
eaine 10 the surface and there wer-
pas,s Tot export 10 Cuba and France.
Late IN the day urgent inquiries again
am into the market for wire products
tY be exported Into the war zone. in
'luulnE one lot or 100000 tons and an
other lot Of 10000 tons. The inquir-
les Tor bars. forgirEs and billets to
600 tons.
~ "I2lhE or pig iron In the last day
or Two has been On a reduced scale -,
the Eastern territory. but there p
several new inquiries FOR small lots of
iouhdry grades and one or two large
quiet Inquiries. The demand Tor steel
making iron is again increasing. about
..,.Vv tons or basic being under ucgo-
tLatlon Tor delivery Ia the central West
and 1000 10 5000 tons in the East
hessemer iron is higher. with sales OF
or $3.50 per ton in ten DAYS. southern
foundry has sold al SIS 10 $3.50 for
I ~ AZ hIrmlnRham- The output ut
PIG ron IN December was record break
ing. being slightly In excess ~ 3.208.-
GOO tons. Including charcoal ass well
as coke and anthracite iron the 1915
output is indicated to have been 40
10000 tons.
The Iron Age says: NO year has held
the American steel trade finds IN look
ms Forward into 1916. Never has 50
large a volume OF firm orders. as dis
tihkulShed from cancellahlc contracts.
been on the books OF the steel mills
and never since the Steel Corporation
Nd7 formed have prices on future de-
livery business been At 30 high "A lever.
generally new orders in December wer,
less than in November. and the steel
is likely Co show something less IMAM
the prodigious Increase OF November.
he annual canvass OF now steel ca-
Iacity under. construction shows far
tieater additions under way for 1916
nan any tSlmatss the trade has enter
lalhed ludelendvnt steel companies
ere building Oi have plans r1r seventy
three new open hearth furnaces. while
the steel corporation has made appro-
& ldtlous for eighteen new furnaces
Win an annual capacity OF 2.1l5.uuu i'm
Eots Including four large ones for
"a year Here is the amazing total
Of 4,-65.ooo tons or capacity coming for-
question whether war prosperity NAV
NOT lead 10 the overriding Of new con-
To-day only ten blast f|uranccs are
under construction. re~uresentiuE 1850
900 tons a year. ANA little OF this 90
balanced situation. with IT'S eject u,
iIs iron and scrap prices, as steel com
their large melting capacity. is a fac
tor ~ which more viii be heard.
rig iron output in December mace =
%. tons. or l'a.t3& tons "A day. as com
ur l1l-4f tons "a dav. Production on
January . was 81 10000 tons "a day
Tor go furnaces. as against 1U5.U3S tons
" day fnr Z,t t~Ifanc'e at the beginning
uf December The country I- now mat-
ing pix iron at the rate or 3s.sOu.U 900
toms a wear. including charcoal iron.
At the opening OF 1915. with 14s fur
ntco- 100 blast. or half the number now
running. the active capacity represent
The results of the year b. thus an iu-
creased output per unit in operation
The Tennessee Coal. Iron and Eau-
road Company has just received specie
H'atlnn on "a little less than $4,000 toms
Of ninety pound section rails fUr the ~.
Louis and san Francisco Railroad Conn
IarE. The ErslCy min has also receive
cd an additional order FOR s.1l1 tons
Tor standard section rails from the
southern Railroad. THE. Fort Dodge.
He7 Nolr"s and southern Railroad Come
NJ rail 90 the Illinois steel Company
and the iarnei steel Company is Co
roll 5000 tom for the Cincinnati.
uuEh Rapid Transit Company f4 unrcr-