The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-17
NEW RECORD FOF} PIG IRON SEEM IN JUNE:
Orders For Steel Rails Fea- ture Weeks Business--T. C. l. Mill At EnsIey Running At Rate Of 35,oOO Tons
DEALS FOR COAL LANDS
 ARE STILL HANGING FIRE
Tennessee Company Plant Is Turning Out 25 New Cars Daily For RalIroads-Ex- ports Via Mobile Heavy

Early Sunday morning the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company will light fires in its recentlyac- quired furnace at Sheffield and by Monday the company will be manu featuring merchant iron for the foundry trade at the rate of 6o,OOO tons a month.
 The Sloss- Sheffield Is the south's merchant iron producer. Installa- ton of the Sheffield furnace on the active list will increase the number to seven and that means the largest iron production in history of the company.
 Has Market Advantage.
 Of the total monthly production of GO, 900 tons, the Sloss- Sh effield will have 25.000 tons a month of Muscle Shoals iron available for the rail and water movement via the Teneessee river to Ohio river junction points and thence by rail into St. Louis and Chicago territory at freight rates considerably under the all-rail rate. This gives this northern Alabama iron distinct advantage in the com- stacks In the Muscle Shoals division are the Philadelphia furnace at Florence and two stacks at Shef- field.
 Action of the sloss- Sheffield in blowing in a seventh stack at this time is taken as demonstration of confidence in the stability of the iron market.
 Alabama pig iron production as a whole should reach a new high level this month with these furnaces go- ing: eight of T, c. l., one of Wood- ft-a r1 nd of Gulf Steal basic; seven of Sloss- Sheffield. two 1 of Alabama company, two of Repub- 1 lie Iron and Steel, three of wood- ward. three of T. c. l. and one Of Central Iron and Coal on merchant tron one of T. C. I. on ferro-manga- ucse and Rock Run and Shelby on charcoal, total of 3l with IS on merchant iron, ten on basic, two on charcoal and one on special iron. Big Rail Orders.
 Features of the week has been or dcrs for steel rails, the Iron Age say ing: The recent rail buying move ment brought 400, ,00O to 500,000 tons to mill books, about 100000 tons go- Ing to Chicago and Colorado mills" The T. C. l. received it's full propor- tion. Among other orders booked by the T. C. |. is one for 13000 tons for the Southern Pacific. The Ensley mill is running at the rate of sa,oOo tons a month
 T. c. l. car plant Is among tho very busy ones. That plant is approxi- mately at capacity. turning out 20 new pressed steel freight cars daily. Among other orders Is one for l,0Vo cars for the Louisville and Nashville. Virginia Bridge and Iron has an or der for 400 composite hopper cars for the Seaboard Air Line.
 Pressure pipe is not as active as it has been, but orders continue to come in. Among the orders recently booked are 500 tons for Sidney. O., 6Sl tons for Seattle and 154 tons for Alliance, 0. All pressure pipe shops have heavy backlog of orders that will keep them in full operation for some time to come.
 Exports Via Mobile.
 There was q shipment of 10000 pounds of pipe fittings to Ponce. l'erto Rico. last week. Ponce also took e.5G0 pounds of wire. Neuyttas. Cuba, rooi i55.Q0O pounds Of wire and 25.- coo pounds of wire staples The movements were via Mobile. large tonnage of wire mill products for Texas points is moving down the Warrior to Mobile, whence 1t VIII so to Texas in ocean going barges. Japan. which takes rails regularly via Mobile, is in the market for lo,O0o tons additional. Customarily these orders. when taken by the Steel cor poration are diverted to the Ensley mills of the T. c. l.
 Toward close of the week iron makers reported distinct liveiiness in inquiry for the first time In many weeks, although current business was ettl confined to small lots for prompt shipment at the uniform base of $27.
 Deals for acquisition of operating Alabama coal properties had not been closed aL the end of the week Fer sistence ill the effort to make these drals on tn. part uf customers has Nr-ated more confidence than eGs- t5mary ill industrial circles as to evcntual outcome, although none ot tha l,n.vnfn.. HE counting chickens