The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-01-09
IRON REVIEW

NEW YORK. Jan. S.--Thc Iron AZ" n
It's weekly summary Of the iron and
stool trades says today.
That III" railroads are in urgent need
rC rails appears from the definite clos
ing of about ono toms N TIA" thI'dE"
district on which rolling VIII begin Al
.,ucc. These sales were mad" puSSihl"
hy verbal agreements If tn" lHrlroad
Administration to honor railroad cor
pur;llUn purchases IN these closing
weeks Of government control.
In addition to tho rails closed, orders
for between 100000 and lj0.00n toms
have been tentatively placed a. chicago.
tons each for the Rock Island and Union
Pacific, $4,000 tons for tho Great
Northern. L. QUO IONS for thu 50" Line.
10000 tons for the ChlcaE" 4 Alton, =.
Gao toms for the Monon and 5.O"n tons
for the Minneapolis & St. Louis. The
l.ackawanna Steel CO., Will supply H..
200 tons for the Great Northern and
II. 400 tons 10 the Northern PacInc. Tn"
santa lie will close shortly for Iooop
tons. Of which two thirds Will b" roll
ed by the Colorado mill and on" thtid at
South Chicago. and the St Paul has re
served space for 10000 tons. The Clov-
er Leaf has bought 1000 tons and Tor
the Nickel Plate a 500 ton contract -
pending. The Rock Island has bought
$4,000 tons OF tic plates and the Santa
spikes, track bolts and tie plates.
In cars and locomotives there has been
no such activity as in rails. while nd
vance estimates Of locomotive r"qu re-
ments are around 1000, as Yet only tvs"
or three roads have put out definite IN
Quiries.
The Union Pacihc's inquiry for 3.00n
refrigerator cars stands almost atone"
These viu require $1,000 toms If plates,
Shaprs and bars and 1000 tons &C aXl"S.
al l. T,r ! =
ON0 tons Of steel for rebuilding 5000
freight cars.
The amount Of inquiry put before the
steel companies from both cNpor; and
domestic buyers IN the tirst week Of tho
year has been large in all tn" principal
markets. but on much Of II IN" mills
have been unable tO quote. In parN-
cular bars pipe. sheets, rods. wire
products and srmi-tniSh"d steel are
scarce, in some cases To the point OF
limiting manufacturing operations Of
consumers.
Car shortage is making trouble. Out
put OF iron and steel would be larger #
coal and coke deliveries kept pace with
the increase In coal production.
The pig iron returns for December
show further good recovery from IN"
effects OF the coal strike. IN a month
often marked by holiday Rankings.
Output for the 81 days was @,6"".-VS
tons, or S4.9I4 tons a day. against ".&9@,-
SJU IONS IN Inc uU htS VI aNoN'llittI ~
79745 tons day. Twenty-Five fur
naces blew M last month and eleven
blew out. So that on Jan. |. the "stj-
mated capacity Of tn" 20 furnaces In
blast was S7.945 tons day. against 49,
$50 tons Il day for 21l furnaces on p"-
crmher !. Estimating charcoal pix IRON
at $4,000 tons. total big iron Production
in 1919 was close 20 %l.h0".0QO tons.
which compare with 39.o54,OoO tons in
1918.
More In heard Of reduced operations
at automobile plants for lack OF steel.
Stocks that were drawn upon during tho
steel strike cannot now be replaced.
An inquiry for alloy steel covering a
Detroit makers requirements for 1920
is large beyond all precedent.
In the face Of a provisional settle
mcnt of tho molderS strike. pig iron
prices In Great Britain have been given
a horizontal advance Of l5c.. putting
foundry iron at today's rate OF exchange
at S34.70 for home consumers and YjC
per ton higher for export.
The rise In British steel prices con-
tinues. Billets are s. to 81 per ton
higher: galvanized sheets $3.50 TO S9.@n
higher and tin plate now commands
more than $40 per box"