Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-10-03
Iron and its COncOmitant Industries.

for without this, to the people, most
precious of all metals, the farmer
could no longer till the soil on scale
commensurate with the enhanced re-
quirements of our rapidly-increasing
population; nor could our dwellings
be constructed; nor could ships be
built, to accord with the necessities of
the times; while everything that is
brought into form and shape for gen
cral use owes its existence to some
labor-saving machine or tool made of
iron or steel.
The manufacture of iron calls for
an enormous outlay of capital, which
requires to be invested in blast fur
naces, in order that we may obtain
the metal in its crudest manufactured
form, and from that condition it is
carried on by process after process
until a large portion Of it reaches the
stage Of steel, while the intermediate
grades answer numberless purposes.
TO obtain pig iron from the ore over
roo blast furnaces have been erected
throughout the iron-producing States
GA in number) which furnaces have
capacity, in the aggregate Of produc-
ton, amounting to 4,624,969 tons.
The money value involved in this one
branch of the iron industry is estma-
ted to be about $94 100000. To bring
iron into the condition required for
railroads and general wrought iron
work requires Ito meet the usual de-
mand) 300 rolling-mills, with a capac-
ity of some 100000 tons-the value
of all rolled iron for 1878 being
$l70,350,000.
Such methods as the Bessemer, Sic
mems, Martin. Nelselicon, and others
are employed to produce steel, the for
mer process showing a conversion of
100000 tons of pig metal into steel,
and representing II money value OF
SIG, 100000.
An immense quantity of iron and
steel is absorbed by the railroad inter
ests in the form of rails, locomotives,
bridges, cars, etc.
The locomotive works of the United
States are great consumers of iron and
steel, and are conducted by men of in
telligence and large capital-one of
the most extensive establishments
alone having completed its 33342d en-
CINE in July last. To such degree of
excellence have our locomotive
makers carried their work that sam
pies of their skill may be seen on the
railroads Of Russia, Germany, Austria,
Italy, Greece and Egypt, and all
through the States of South America.
Car building is another industry of
great magnitude, and large consumer
of wrought and cast iron and steel.
The railroad companies, many of them,
are their own car-builders, but there
are many works belonging to firms and
individuals who make it distinct
branch of business. There are now in
use probably $40, ZOO cars Of all kinds
in the United States and Canada.
Some of our steam railroad cars, es-
pecially, are splendid affairs, and our
palace cars are astonishing the mon
archs of Europe and Asia by the mag
nifcence of their upholstery, furni
ture, and general fittings, and the per-
lection Of their mechanical construc-
ton.
Thousands of skillful hands are en-
ployed in this branch of our industrial
interests, and very large amount of
capital is required to conduct it. Car
building is, of course, affected by the
depressing influence of the late panic,
but it will recover quite as soon as any
other industry, from the fact that it is
part of that great system Of high
ways without which we can not pro-
gress as nation.
Car-wheel foundries draw very large
ly upon the iron supply of our fur
naces and rolling-mills, and is made a
speciality of great national Importance,
employing, as it does, thousands of
men, and circulating very large
amount of capital.
Iron pipe and tubing make heavy
drafts upon the iron supplies cast and
wrought iron being used in great guam
titles, and many hands are employed
at the extensive works where the pipes
and tubes are manufactured, one
of these establishments alone consum-
ing in one year 1908 tons of coal,
and giving employment to 1876 men.
The stove manufacturers, with a
product Of iron work, principally cast,
representing q money value of $50
900 900, ia addition ID the value of
the meta consumed, which is estima-
tsd Al about 81 100000 must Of neces-
sity BE- among the very best customers
u the non masters or the iron miners,
us!ng AZ they DO total annual con-
sumption Of pig-iron amounting to the
enormous aggregate average Of 275,3 800
tons.
New York is far in excess of any
other State in the production of this
speciality, Ohio ranking next, and
Pennsylvania third.
The iron bridge works call for vast
supplies of iron and steel--the great
iron bridge of the st. Louis, Kansas
City and Northern Railway over the
Missouri River at st. Charles alone
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