The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-29
STRUCTURAL STEEL
ORDERS STIR INTEREST
Contracts at 1857 a Ton Not
for Material Erected, but
for Metal Delivered.

local building situation yesterday by
persistent reports that contracts for fab
ricatcd structural steel had been taken
at 367 "A ton erected. II develops, how
ever. that the steel prices. ranging from
$50 To s6s a ton. were for (. o. b. and
not erected. The contract for the Peter
w. Rouss building to be constructed on
Greene street, calling for 1900 tons Of
steel. has been placed with Lowering &
Garrigues. The steel work. Il IN UNDER
stood. will cost $67 q ton delivered. The
other contracts referred TO were at see
and SIS n ton Z. o. b. and cover about
l.50o tons Of steel. including lot Of
1900 tons for u loft building. details Of
which are still withheld.
The advance In the price Of plain
structural shapes to 2.45 cents "A pound
T. o. b. mill Pittsbure by the Carnegie
Steal Company at the convenience of
the MILL" reported yesterday. brings GU
the interesting fact that ''mill conve
nience" for this company means delivery
during the second and third quarters Of
1917. Som Of the smail~r Independent
structural mills state hat convenience
Of the mill" with them means delivery
during the summer AZ orders arc In
hand which will keep the mills busy for
about four months. This L. said to ts
true Of the Bethlehem Steel Company.
The Eastern Steel Company. however. Is
making no prices under three cents for
plain shapes. either for prompt or late
delivery. Other Eastern structural mills
are quoting between ga snd 3 cents =
pound for shipment at the '~convenience
OF the MILL" while sales for prompt ship
ment are made between 8 and 81 cents
a pound. The warehouse price of the
Carnegie Steel Company. while not on
cially changed from the $40 cents base
for shapes, is said to be a lead letter be-
cause of the virtual exhaustion Of sup
plies at Waverly and the almost impos-
sibility OF rcplenishing stocks from
Pittsburc.
The Chicago. Burlington and quincy
Railroad has placed a contract for
bridge spans, calling for 315 tons Of
structural shapes. with the American
Bridge Company. and has also given an
order 10 an Independent shop for bridges
requiring 500 tons Of steel shapes. The
marlborough Rapid Transit Company
has awarded a contract to the Ameri-
can Bridge Company for zoo tons OF
structural steel for enforcement OF tho
Second and Third avenue elevated rail-
road lines. The New York. New Haven
n Hartford Railroad has received
tenders on 200 tons of bridge work. and
the New York Central is on the point
OF awarding contracts for signal bridges
and for viaducts In the terminal zone
In this city. requiring about 800 ton
Of steel. The Chesapeake and Ohio con-
tinues TO. delay the award OF the con
tract for approaches 10 the Ohio River
bridge at Cincinnati. which may prove
expensive, as structural steel prices have
advanced from 81 to s. per ton since
bids were submitted. and the bridge
builders may withdraw tenders not
promptly accepted.
According 10 reports current yester-
day. automobile manufacturers and rub
Der factories In the central West have
placed additional contracts for plant ex.
TENSIONS calling for several thousand
tons Of structural steel without receiv-
ing competitive bids. The contract for
the National Bank OF Commerce Build
ing. to be constructed at Detroit. calls
for 200 tons OF fabricated steel. which
Will be furnished by the American Bridge
Company. The same fabr.cators have
also taken "a contract for 700 tons Of
Steel for the DuqueSne Light Company
building aud $50 tons Of shapes for a
m!.l building at -. Louis for the George
h. Plant Milling Company. The Lunk-
erhoiluer Company Of Cincinnati has
placed = contract for 4 foundry calling
for 80 tons Of steel with =. l.. Schriber
a Sons. The California Steel Company
has taken an order for 675 IONS of steel
for the Gorgens building. TO be con-
structed at Oakland. Cal.
The cost OF constructing steel build
II in the Eastern territory has in
creased about 10 per cent. since last No
Nefnber according to estimates made
yesterday by some Of the fabricating in
%terests. About I2i. per cent. Of the IN
creased cost Is due to the higher prices
prevailing for fabricated structural steel,
tho advance OF which has been about
$50 a ton, In November last the T. -.
b price on fabricated shapes Was about
40 "A ton, and to-day's price IL about
$40 4 ton. although some few contracts
have been taken at several dollars a ton
less Ia the last few days. The advance
In the other cost OF construction has been
only -. per cent. which Ia somewhat
surprising. but 10 allowance Is made for
delay In securing building material.
Tile Bethlehem Steel Company has
placed Il contract for an eight story Of
nee building, to be constructed at Beth
lehem, Pa. The 1900 tons Of fabri-
Gated steel epuired will he furnished nv
the bethlehem shops at cost. The build
ing Is designed so rhat four or 1--WE add
tional stories may he erected In the
future.
Some of the independent manufac-
,urrrs of steel rails are much perturbed
because of the decision Of the United
States Steel Corporation to make no
change III the price of standard section
rails. II il pointed out that the adj
vance In the price Of -ferromanganese
alone adds s3.25 a ton to the cost OF
manufacturing rails to-day. az compared
with thc period when fcrromanganese
sold al $50 n ton. Tho comparison Is
mad" with ferro contracts placed at
$500 u ton recently for relatively early
shipment. II Ia said that some Of the
independent steel companies are not fully
covered on manganese ore and conse-
q~uently must pay high prices in the open
market, which means a sharp reduction
IN the profit OF rolling rails at SIS to
$50 a ton. This calculation ~ based
upon the manufacture OF rails requiring
p per cent. manganese.
Since the Bethlehem Steel Company
secured control Of the Cambria, Penn
s%yl'ania and Maryland properties one
blast furnace at Sparrows Point has
been put on the manufacture Of ferro-
manganese from Brazilian ores for the
Cambria Steel Company. The Lacka-
wanna steel Company. II Is said. Is not
well provided with manganese far into
the future. In fact, with the execution
" the Pennsylvania Steel ,'Uinpany most