New-York tribune., 1918-02-07
January Pig Iron
Output Smallest
Since May, 1915
Industry c CompletelyDe
allied by Transporta-
ton Breakdown

tlOn Breakdown
Pig iron statistics furnish the first
accurate measure of the extent to
which operations in the iron and steel
industry have been curtailed by the
transportation tie-up, fuel shortage
and unparalleled weather conditions.
The January output Of pig iron, ac-
cording to "The Iron Age" fell to g.
4l1,7 tons, or an average of 77,799
tons day. This was the smallest
production for any month since May,
1915. 1t was 92,997 tons less than the
output for the month of December.
There were only 80 furnaces active
on February 1, whereas on January l
there were 321 in operation, and "The
Iron Age" declares that the situation
to-day is even more discouraging than
that indicated by the January figures.
chiefly. for the reason that the severe
cold wave which suddenly swept down
on the Middle West this week has
further retarded operations. For the
first six days Of this month it is csti
mated that the production of pig iron
has probably been less than half of
the country's capacity, probably under
the rate of 22,00O,O00 tons a year. The
total output for 1917 was about 38.-
100000 tons.
Repeated Banking Cripples Furnaces
Operations, it is explained, have been
crippled by the repeated bankings of
furnaces, due either to the shortage
OF fuel or the closing order of the Fuel
Administrator, and last month it took
an average Of 315 furnaces to produce
H,199 tons of pig iron a day, while
only 200 furnaces, which were at work
in May, 1915, produced 1905 tons a.
day.
ut is quite certain" says THE Iron
Age, that more furnaces in the Pitts
burgh and Youngstown districts will
bank this week. No cars were loaded
with Connellsvillc' coke on Tuesday,
and the movement of bitumnous coal
TO manufacturing plants in the week
!
normal
"Ihe steel industry of the country,
according to the best data obtainable,
IS operating on so per cent basis, and
some plants at no more than 25 per
cent. NO decided improvement is to
be expected for several weeks. so seri-
Gus is the arrangement of every part
OF the machinery of transportation
Doth D IN raw and finished materials.
PRODUCERS will be many days work
ing out of the glut of their own ont
put, which now prevents anv 'm, mcaeur- our-
able increase in rolling mill operations
AT some plants the situation is simply
chaotic. '''
Costs Show Heavy Increase
m costs have advanced prodigiously
under the cumulative handicans in
every part Of the industry. and the
showing in this respect when iron and
stee1 prices are officially considered
III March Will argue even more strong
~ against downward revision than the
IN December. Predictions of smal]er
Pig IRON and steel production in 1918
'han an IN 1917 have already appeared.
Operations have so absorbed Tho
entlre trade that buying and sellino
nave become almost negligible, so far
as flnlshed steel is concerned VIII
the downward revision of shinbu;]d;nn
expectations for the year, the ahil;tS
Oh plate mills to supply all the steel
needed is no longer in question. Plates
snould be available for any programme
OF car building likely to receive cov-
ernment backing. e''
| The government figures I.rro,,, :,
all current estimates n strnctnr.i
steel. The number of portable h .nsras. q.
bld on for France is about o,ooo anJ
inc Allies may contract for 05O IN
aodltlon. IN tinplate interest attaches
70 d meeting held at Pittsburgh on
January 81, which arranged for a full
eShlplt OF orders on the books as weij
as as OF tlnplate bars contracted for b,,
the rolling mills. ~
Renewed Foreign Buying Exnacted
"A development affecting the hns;-
ness OF export houses is causing them
some concern. Foreign PURCHASES not
lor government account have been nm
hss. lss.r'ceed as to price, but they have
oeen nara TO place owing to scarcity
the suggestion of Washington. com1
siderable general French and noss;blv
BRITISH buying may be put through AZ
defence material by the foreign com,
missions tan, at the capital. While bot
IONS IONS may thus be insured, the So
ea1!ea , government prices will undoubt-
edly obtain. Steel and equipment 0E, for
a, French railroad may be placed ~
this way. r"Neo ia
The scarcity of low phosphorus MO
IRON is reported to be one Of tho cb;ass bias
factors in the entire situation, because
O. Its bearing on war work. MaLars
OF ordnance have been obliged to cnt
down production of acid steel needoI
1or gun carriages, and unusual meas-
ures have been taken to increase H.
supply OF ore for blast furnaces oner.
atlng on low phosphorus iron Npo-