The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-21
THE IRON INDUSTRY.

0eHtTW DGVoSSWH w AH ItS DTuHcteS-
Large Numbers Of RorkmeR Unsm.
ployed-ReportS from lr0nmaslerS-Con.
ditioH Of the Mining Interests.
Tho condition Of the iron industry b
the subject Of an article in tho Bulletin,
published by tho American Iron and
Steel Association. Tho Information at.
forded shows that the Iron trade is pass
ing through period of great depression,
entailinS heavy loss on oil concerned.
The serious fall in prices which has taken
place Is thus shown:
"We arrive at the conclusion that
175 600 men who are usually employed at
rolling mills, furnaces, &C., are out of EN-.
ployment to-day In consequence OF the de.
preston In the iron business. II to these
we add those mechanics and others whose
business has not been prosperous, or has
been partly or wholly destroyed, because
the iron business upon which they de-
pended has been prostrated; and II we
multiply tho grand aggregate Of unem-
ployed workiDgmen directly aud indirect.
ly dependent upon the iron business by
the number Of women and children, old
mon and invalids, whom these working
men are called upon to support, the
amount Of privation and suffering entailed
by the partial destruction Of a great in
dustry Is appalling and Overwhelming,
and without precedent in the history Of
this country, II difference in population be
considered, since the hard times which
were ushered In by the crash Of 1887"
Communications are given from leading
ironmAsters, which contain many items Of
interest, and show that no part Of the iron
producing sections has escaped the COM
mercial blight. Edmund T. Allen, Of St.
Louis, Mo-, says:
Notwithstanding the present low price
Of bltuminous coal and coke pig iron, the
sales Of pig iron are slow, Rail and bar
mills in this part Of the country are fight
Ing the strikes Of their workmen, and but
very lew Of them are at work. Altogether
the outlook Is far from encouraging, and
but for the demand for Missouri iron for
Bessemer purposes not q furnace would
be in blast in this State to-day.
Writing from the Hanging Rock dis
trict in Ohio, William N. Bolles makes
this gloomy report:
The quantity OF charcoal iron to be
made in this district in 1874 will not
probably amount to much over one.hali
what It was In 1878. At our furnaces we
would feel like closing down altogether,
but that we feel we ere In duty bound TO
do something TO keep our men employed,
even If we have TO do It at a loss, TO which
we must submit, II we cell at present
prices; ior In order to reduce wages 10 q
price which we can afford 10 pay. and
bring Us any remuneration for our capital,
our men could not live, Wages have been
reduced very considerably, and are now
about as low as they can be, with current
prices Of provisions, &c.
s.A. Fuller, Of Cleveland, Ohio, says /,
would be much easier to answer how
many Western mills are at work than
how many are idle. Writing on the 2ls,
uls he says:
II the present state Of things should ex
ist much longer, l believe the entire iror
interest will be completely prostrated ant
all the mills and furnaces compelled 4
put out their fires. The effect Of the PANT
has certainly been felt TO q greater degree
by this branch Of industry than by any
other; and even now when attempting L
obtain barely cost for rails, we are met By
Q lower price from holders Of English ant
Welsh iron In the East, and discourage
ment "hrst, last, and all the time seem
TO DO the order Of the day.
In MAhoning and TrumbuIl counties
Ohio, q. T. Stewart Of struthers, reports
that there are 10 furnaces out Of bias
and II blowing, An the furnaces now Ii
blast which are not connected with mills
and some that are, win cease work q