The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-04

The Tcldtire progress nude in tie east and
1ceSt IN smelling and rolling ir0n-Me
production Of pt9-sr0n greatly in GrceSs Of
the consumption.
To the Editor OF the N. Y. Tribue.
The following information, derived
IRON the best sources, cannot fail TO be q
interest to the iron trade. Iu my calcula-
ton divide the history Of the American
iron industry into two periods-one dat
Ing from lis establishment, in 100, to the
rud Of the year 1862; the other extending
tom 1858 to the end Of 1873. The first
p.fioi was one Of gradual growth; the
a3Gd was that in which tho iron indust.
~ was first stimulated by the war, and
lAen by Notwithstanding on the most ex.
;cnsiyC scale. find that in the United
States Ut the beginning oil 1868 the
capacity OF the blast furnaces 10
produce pig.iron was GS per cent greater
than that OF the rolling mills TO make it
into bars or rails. This disproportion
continued TO increase, and at the COM
mencement OF this year was as great as
IS per cent. Some allowance must be
made on the one hand for the pig.iron
used in toundries, and on the other for
the difference between the actual product
OF the rolling mills and their full capac-
ity, the latter having been made the basis
OF my calculation. It should, however,
be borne in mind that while it is the in.
tcrcst and purpose OF the furnace owner
TO keep producing all he can, the propri.
etor OF rolling mill has to contend with
delays and difficulties which render it
practically impossible for him to keep his
machinery employed at all times to the
fullest extent. conclude from the fore.
going statistics that tho reduction of pig
iron is greatly in excess o! the quantity
needed.
Examining the relative progress made
in the East and West, l find that at the
beginning OF 1868 the relative capacity Of
the blast furnaces east OF the Alleghanies
drawing line from north TO south and
including Georgia. WAS 90 per cent
greater than that OF the rolling mills
while west Of the Alleghanies it was but
"a, In 1874, after lapse OF eleven years,
the excess in the East had increased 10
100 per cent, while that in the West had
advanced to G8. This shows very un-
desirable dIsproportion in the East, while
in the West the relative capacities of the
Two branches have not been much dis
turbed.
The increase In the capacity Of the diff.
fctent kinds OF furnaces is also worth
noting. In the eleven years, from 1SB9
TO 1874, the increase in the capacity of tbe
charcoal furnaces in the East was AZ nor
cent; in the West 90; while in that OF Inc
anthracite, all situated in the East, it was
90 per cent. The capacity of tho btu
mtnous coal and coke furnaces, existing
only in the West, increased in the same
period 475 per cent.
further find that In the second period
(lsBS to 1879, the capacity for producing
IRON 10 the East was so per cent, and in
the West $50 per cent greater than It was
in the first period Cl70O TO 1897 The
capacity OF the rolling mills increased in
the second period 6s per cent in the East
and $50 per cent In the West This
shows that while the increase in the en-.
pacity for producing pig iron in the Ess,
was so per cent, the facilities in that sec
ton Tor rolling II into bars increased only
6S per cent. In the West on the other
hand, both branches Of the iron industry
kept pace with each other, and made