The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-17
THEIR0S TRADE.
Some Interesting Facts cleaned
From the American Aasoeias
TONS ANIMAL Report-The De-
preston Not Greater in Amer

its great prominence a. q distinct brAnci
Of American industry, 10 Of exceeding In
terest BY way Of throwing light on tht
general outlook Of trade and industry
From the annual report Of the American
Iron and Steel Association for 1877 II ap
pears that last year, while the most 10
yorable IN the history OF the country fol
the consumers Of American iron, wa
more prolific Of disaster TO the iron trade
than any since the beginning Of the fnau
cial depression, and this Notwithstanding
that the yeAr was marked by q consider
able increase In the consumption Of iron
During the year the production OF pig
iron was 2,3l4.5S5 tons, an increase Of
ten and one-half per cent "a compared
with 1876, and the largest annual product
since 1874. The production, however, ID
still far below that Of 1873, which reached
total Of 2,s6S, 27S tons. Values ruled
steadily downward, the price Of No. ] an.
thracite pig iron declining from $40 rs in
January 10 SIS in December, and the
first half Of this year has brought still
further decline, the average price for
June being ST. so. The prices Of re-
fined bar iron and iron and steel rails
steadily declined during the year, but
thus far In 1873 the value Of steel rails
has increased, and iron rails and bar iron
have met with no further decline. These
are the lowest prices the country has ever
known, excepting the price OF pig iron in
colonial days.
Pig iron was made last year in twenty.
two States. OF the entire production
Pennsylvania Ia credited with over 40 per
cent, and II Is significant that the relative
product OF this State has been steadily
inereaslpg since 1873. The production
Of pig ironi the Lebigh Valley region
ia 1877 was 1886, 1859 tons, against POI ,274
tons In 1875. The statistics CLEANED show
that the iron industry has generally de.
clined Ia the more remote States. This
has In great MEASURE been caused by the
greater relative cost Of transportation.
The product OF New York State was con.
siderably increased, and that Of New
jersey for 1877 was double the results OF
the previous year. OF the total produc>
tion Of pig iron in 1877, 1861 ,945 tons
were made with bituminous coal and
coke; 934,7s7 tons with anthracite, and
Sl7,S43 tons with charcoal. It Is inter
eating to note how the use Of bitumiuous
coal and coke has steadily gained the ad.
vance over both anthracite and charcoal.
On December 81 the whole number OF
furnaces In the United States was TIC,
against 7l2 At the close Of 1875. OF the
former number on the date named, go
were in blast and 446 ont Of blast, which
reveals an increase OF 81 active furnaces
a. compared with 1876. OF so furnaces
in Michigan only . were in blast; OF 50
in Virginia only 5 were in blast, and Of 7
in North Carolina all were silent. OF
Pennpylyania's 278 furnaces only 147
were out Of blast. The productive capa-
city Of the blast furnaces now In the
country is about 1000, 900 tons, sufficient
to supply the wants Of the country for the
next ten years. t.a..i. .tr.
A suggestive feature Of the trade il
the marked decline IN the production Of
iron rails and corresponding increase
in the manufacture Of rails made from
Bessemer steel. Bessemer steel rails
were frat made In this country in 1867,
and since then this industry has steadily
risen from IN annual product Of 1850
tons TO 432, 1859 tons for 1877. Since 1872
the yearly product Of iron rails has fal.
len from 900, 0S0 tons TO SS2540 tons.
The production OF Bessemer steel ingots
and all other kinds OF steel show n
healthy growth during recent years, the
result Tor 1877 being 637, 342 tons, against
leo, l0S tons in 1872.
The value of the iron and steel i'm
ports for the year ending December 81
was S9,l95,36S, against S10,5S4, l26 in
1876 and SOL ,724, 227 in 1872. In 1877
no iron rails were imported and but
thirtysfiye tons OF steel rails. For the
same period the exports Of iron and steel
products aggregated $l6,659,675. against
Sl1,794,T4S in 1875 and $l00S0, l25 in
1872. These results are exclusive OF the
exports 10 Canada, which since 1874 have
been about s3,0O0000 annually. While
the cost OF producing iron and its coars.
err manufacture is not yet sufficiently re-
dueed in the United States to hope for m
immediate increase In the export TO
South American countries, there are good
reasons for anticipating a rapidly in.
creasing demand for the finer products Of
American ingenuity aud skill.
As commentary on the continued de-
preston Of the iron trade In the United
States, statistics are given showing that a
like or worse state OF affairs exists 10
other countries. On an authoritative
estimate the total production Of pig iron
in Great Britain In 1877 was $500. 900
tons, this being q quarter OF a million
less than 10 1873. In general the course
Of the British iron. trade for 1877 was
steadily downward and wholly discour-
aging, and the adyices received since the
frst Of the year show that matters have
gone on from bad TO worse. Notwith'
standing the decrease in manufacture the
stocks Of pig iron at the close OF 1877
showed an increase OF $4,000 tons.
Prices steadily declined during the year
and the tendency is still downwards.
The exports OF iron and steel from Great
Britain for 1877 showed aslight increase
over 1875, but decline Of 1,0SS, II tons
10 compared with 1872. The value Of
The iron and steel exports from Great
Britain in May Of tbis year was S, $751;
170, against Sl06s2,sS0 10 the same
month Of 1877. The quantity exported
was 900. 6l9 tons, against 25l, ia tons in
May, 1877. -g---.-